Angela Simmons & Mastering The Art Of The Thirst Trap
According to Urban Dictionary, a thirst trap is "a sexy photograph or flirty message posted on social media for the intent of causing others to publicly profess their attraction. This is done not to actually respond or satisfy any of this attraction, but to feed the poster's ego or need for attention, at the expense of the time, reputation, and sexual frustration of those who view the image or reply."
Whoever wrote that definition sounds a little salty about it, but I see no lies. We're all guilty of posting a picture on social media, knowing that we'll receive a lot positive feedback. Thirst traps are never really about the prey, but more so about the well-deserved praise that's reciprocated.
Lately, Angela Simmons has been giving the 'gram something they can feel in her new pics honey, and we are here for it. As important as it is to starve your ego, praise from others can be a confidence booster and can serve as a source of motivation.
Her latest pics have garnered the attention of other celebrities like Romeo Miller and Yo Gotti and reminds us that the thirst is real and we as hardworking beautiful women deserve to hear it sometimes.
Angela announced yesterday that she is teaming up with her trainer to launch her new fitness program and workout plan, Built Not Bought, on Sunday that will include a blueprint for healthy eating and building your dream body naturally.
I'll have what she's having.
The 30-year-old reality star and walking thirst trap is living her best life and serving some major sex appeal on the 'gram and we ain't mad at it.
Women are often criticized for mastering the illustrious art of thirst trapping, but let's be real. When you feel good, you look good. Don't feel demonized for wanting to draw attention to your dopeness. Also, flexing on your ex is a thing.
You have an essence that only you can offer, and the thirst trap is an act of public self-admiration. Like a wise man named Aubrey once said, "You don't do it for the men, men never notice. You just do it for yourself; you the f*ckin' coldest."
It's important to have proper etiquette when thirst trapping if you want to do it effectively. I've taken the time to compile a list of rules to live by.
Do...
...Leave something to the imagination.
Burlesque and stripteases are sexy because they encompass fantasy and mystery. An effective thirst trap doesn't put it all out there. Whatever your level of sexy, give them something to think about later on. The internet is the elephant that never forgets, so remember to keep it classy.
...Practice regular self appreciation.
Thirst trapping isn't the only time you can get cute and make yourself feel good. Take some risqué pictures of yourself and keep them in your phone. Book a boudoir shoot, get the pictures printed, and keep them for yourself. Cook yourself a gourmet meal and draw a candlelit bubble bath to remind yourself how sexy you are. Self appreciation has many different forms, switch it up sometimes.
Don't...
...Let it go to your head.
Remember you're never as good as they say, and you're definitely never as bad as they say. People's opinion about you is largely based on how they feel about themselves in that particular moment. Try not to take anyone's compliments (or criticism) to heart.
...Feel pressured or ridiculed by advances.
Thirst traps also come with disadvantages. N*ggas will come at you sideways. You don't deserve to be approached with offensive candor just because you put out a thirst trap. No matter what you post or wear, you deserve your respect.
Whether you're like Angela and post a pic of you on the beach in a bikini, or snap a pic of you in your new leggings that make your booty look poppin; we see you out here trapping. We know why you do it. The thirst trap is never really about the prey. It's about feeling so sexy and confident in a moment that you deserve all eyes on you.
We see you, girl.
Featured image via Angela Simmons/Instagram
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
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Featured image by Stephen Zeigler/Getty Images
