Nicole RichieNicole RichieHas Nicole Richie at last started to pop a bit of weight on?

Hanging out with her mates on a Malibu beach, she looked marginally less skinny than when we last saw her in a bikini back in December 2005.

At least this time she chose a bikini which actually fitted her - rather than the previous yellow baggy version.

Although she still looks diddy, her hip bones are a little less sharp and she appears to have more of a curve about the waist than six months ago.

She certainly looked happy and confident as she joked with her buddies...

Let's hope she continues in her effort to cover her bones.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that the Simple Life star finally admitted that she was too thin in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine.

Nicole in December 2005Nicole in December 2005She said she didn't have an eating disorder but that she was seeing doctors and nutritionists in an attempt to put weight on.