Candice Swanepoel Photo: Courtesy Victoria’s Secret
When you’re a Victoria’s Secret Angel, being a bombshell comes easy, but VS wants the rest of the world to get into the action with its newly minted holiday, Bombshells’ Day. Designed with girl power in mind, the event is a day intended for female solidarity, self-love, and, of course, lingerie shopping. Having earned her wings back in 2010, Candice Swanepoel knows a thing or two about turning on the charm, and she shares how best to treat yourself come May 2.
What does being a bombshell mean to you?
For me, it’s kind of being unapologetically sexy and confident in yourself. When I’m traveling around the world, sometimes I tend to dress down, to not be noticed that much, but I think being a bombshell is really embracing femininity, and loving being a woman and being feminine and being sexy, and not changing that for anything. So I’m happy that there’s an extra day of the week we can go for it.
How are you planning on spending this brand-new holiday?
I’m not sure where I’ll be, but hopefully I’ll be with a bunch of girlfriends, and we’ll go out for a drink, we’ll go out dancing, or just stay in and have a dinner, like a home-cooked meal. Otherwise I might be with my boyfriend—be a bombshell at home!
As an Angel, you have to always be at your best. What do you do to take care of yourself?
What makes me the happiest is working out. Sometimes in the middle of a class or a yoga class or something, I’m asking myself why I did that. In the end I just feel so much better and more confident. It’s a mixture of working out, having a regular massage because of traveling that takes its toll on the body, I have a regular facial, and that’s it. I try to do a lot of my beauty at home. I like to use a lot of organic products, like mixed natural masks and stuff—it’s almost easier for me to do it at home than make a bunch of appointments.
Who do you think represents the ideal bombshell?
The ultimate bombshell’s obviously Marilyn Monroe, who I got to transform into for a recent shoot of mine—that was really fun. But I’ve always looked up to Laetitia Casta. She’s the ultimate bombshell to me—you know, that French, natural beauty, she’s very voluptuous and has a cute French attitude.
Absolutely. She’s kind of iconic, too, with Victoria’s Secret. Now when do you personally feel at your most beautiful?
It’s a mixture. When I get to transform for photo shoots and I have the best hair and makeup working on me, you look in the mirror and you’re like, “Whoa! That’s me?” So, I mean, I feel beautiful that way, too, but more on a personal note, it’s when I’m at the beach and tanned and bare and I’m in my most natural state.
You mentioned earlier that you preferred to have your at-home beauty treatments. What do you do to pamper yourself after a hard day at work?
The first thing I do is get in the shower and clean my skin. It’s really important for me to let it breathe when I’m not working. And then depending on what I need, like a moisture mask or sometimes a glass of wine will unwind me.
How can our readers get into the Bombshell Day experience?
I think it’s cute to get together with a bunch of your girlfriends, maybe go to the spa together or go get blow-outs, go get your makeup done somewhere, or go shopping. Lingerie and fragrance are the easiest ways to get yourself in the mood—even if people don’t see it, it helps with the overall feeling. Do something fun with the girls, like a pajama party!
—Janelle Okwodu, Style.om
