How To Be A Bombshell

Shutterstock
Shutterstock

So you wanna be a bombshell, huh? I always did too – blame it on a childhood spent fawning over old movies and their too-glamorous stars. I studied the art of the bombshell throughout my teens and early twenties, cultivating myself and my look until I felt like I could hold my own with the legends, the Marilyns and Harlows and Sophia Lorens. I mean … to a certain extent. You wanna follow suit? Here’s what you need to know.

1. You need to wear perfume.

A bombshell always does. I don’t care if you wear Walmart body splash that smells like pure vanilla sugar. I don’t care if you wear Paris Hilton perfume. You just need to wear it and wear it often. Wear it everywhere. Wearing perfume to the gas station will become a necessity. You’ll start to feel naked without it. A bombshell smells good all the time – unless she’s working outside or working out – and people remember her for it. One of my favorite bombshells wears amber oil exclusively. You know how you lean in to hug someone and get a little whiff of her perfume and shampoo and the scent of her skin all mingled up? That’s what you want to emulate. You don’t need big, loud clouds of scent, but a little bit makes you memorable. It should smell like you, but better.

(Good bombshell perfumes: Angel by Thierry Mugler, Fracas, the original Prada, anything coconut, Pink Sugar)

2. Good lighting is key.

Change your lightbulbs to a lower intensity. Fluorescent lighting doesn’t do ANYONE any favors. I like to buy the rose-pink bulbs for my bedroom because they make me look pretty and the color is kinda sexy. Choose low light, or better: candlelight. The light in the early summer evening is the best for selfies. Bombshells know their angles and they know the importance of quality lighting. (White Christmas lights are pretty legit too!)

3. Cultivate a personal style.

I am not telling you to wear tight dresses, furs and feathers 24/7. But you know how good you feel when you slip into, say, the perfect pair of jeans or the best black dress you own? You wanna feel that way as often as possible. When you feel good about yourself, it shows. Why wear something you don’t feel awesome in? Donate that shit. I look best in figure-hugging dresses, sweetheart necklines and high-waisted jeans, so that’s what I wear. A bombshell will still be a bombshell even in flip-flops. It’s all about confidence. My personal style is a little bit Marilyn, a little bit honky-tonk. It works for me and I feel good in my clothes and my red lipstick, but it’s different for you. Wear what you feel your best in.

4. Be confident.

This is the most important part of being a bombshell. Love yourself. Write down reasons you’re awesome and believe them. Surround yourself with people who encourage you. Confident people attract attention and like-minded people. You have to feel really comfortable in your skin before you can be a bombshell. Sophia Loren is!

5. Have rituals.

My bombshell friend Alle does her nails on the same day every week. Another has “hair washing” days that are long, drawn-out processes. I like to do face masks while I write and my bubble baths are a weekly (if not more) necessity. It doesn’t have to be beauty-related; writing, exercising or having a glass of wine with your best friend once a week count too. Anything that makes you feel really, really good and has a positive effect on your life counts as a ritual. I count singing my heart out in my car as a ritual, for sure.

6. Interpret bombshell your own way.

I feel most like my bombshell self when my hair looks pretty, I feel confident in what I’m wearing and how I carry myself and I’m having fun with whatever I’m doing. That can be dancing at the bar or sitting around the farm. It doesn’t matter. Bombshell is a state of mind. It’s confidence, it’s a zest for life, it’s a good attitude and it’s an easy appeal that attracts people to you. Bombshells are big-hearted. They’re nice. They’re strong, opinionated and powerful too. You can be one! I know you have it in you. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

More From Thought Catalog