Alright ladies.  Let’s dive in shall we? Go ahead and grab a glass of wine (I sure am).

S E X Y

What does it mean? How does one embody it? What’s the secret? Why is it important?

These are all questions I have asked myself. Not that I am trying to be sexy. But at times, I wonder to myself how one even starts to exude those sexy, bombshell vibes without trying. Well ladies – I’ve finally figured out the secret. And – spoiler alert – it isn’t really a secret. Confidence. That’s the key.

I know what you’re thinking. Duh, Lauren. And I know – I kind of told myself the same thing. This is literally nothing new. Magazines and Beyonce have been preaching to us forever about how being sexy is all about being confident. But let’s be real. That is wayyyyy easier said than done.

As I’ve gotten older, being more confident is something I’ve been really trying focus more on. Confident in my work. Confident in my body. Confident in my relationships. But most importantly, confident in who I am as a woman. For some, that comes totally naturally. And if you’re one of those people – congrats! I’m super jealous. In my case, insecurities run deep and they’re usually based on a ton of random things (my ex definitely did not help) so getting in touch with my confident side has been quite the journey.

But guys – it can be done.

Let me tell you how.

For me, it took a lot of self affirmation. Whether you want to write yourself positive comments on post it notes or just look yourself in the mirror and tell your reflection how awesome you are – do something. It might sound silly and cliche but if you’re not already an overtly confident person, sometimes starting a little conversation with yourself in the privacy of your own space can be a great way to start.

Once you begin to build up that confidence, it all starts to flow from there.

Brag about your little wins to friends and family. Again – it’s weird but it’s a helpful reminder to yourself that you’re doing awesome things and it’s okay to share it with the world.

Challenge yourself to put that newfound confidence on display. By the way, that’s where these photos come in. Believe it or not, I don’t always run around a studio in my underwear smizing (sp????)  at the camera. I challenged myself to embrace my confidence, embrace my sexiness and just go for it. And y’all – it was so much fun. Laughing, hamming it up, glaring longingly at the camera, etc. It felt good to just “be sexy” in all of the different ways I interpret that emotion. And if this little shoot taught me anything – sexy comes in many forms.

So here’s the deal. I’m not a supermodel. I’m not on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I’m not a Kardashian. I’m not what the fashion industry has deemed “skinny”. I’m curvy. I have cellulite. I have personality flaws. I have insecurities. But I am confident in the woman I am continuously growing into and for that, I couldn’t be happier. To me – that’s sexy AF.

This newfound confidence doesn’t just mean I can now pose it up in front of the camera but it pours into my love life, my business, my relationships with friends and family and so much more. And guess what – there’s no turning back.

If I could leave you with one piece of advice – it’s to go after that inner confidence with the greatest fury + fight. In the end, “sexy” will come as well as a ton of other badass qualities that you never knew you had until now.

Get it girl!