Broken But Still Bougie: Because Falling Apart Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Still Look Cute

Let me tell you something right now: if being “bougie” was an Olympic sport, I’d have the gold medal, the sponsorship deal, and a reality show on Bravo. But here’s the kicker—I’m also just one flat tire, two unpaid bills, and a Target clearance rack away from a full-blown meltdown.

That, my friends, is what I call Broken But Still Bougie.

We’re talking about the art of crying in the Dollar Tree parking lot but still making sure your mascara doesn’t run. It’s Venmo’ing your friend $5 for gas money with a caption that says “investing in our future” because you’re both broke but pretending you’re entrepreneurs. It’s knowing damn well your bank account is screaming, but still buying that $18 lip gloss because, let’s be honest, therapy can’t make your lips shiny.

Healing, Hustling, and Pretending You’re Fine

Now, I don’t know who needs to hear this (probably all of us), but healing doesn’t look like yoga retreats and cucumber water. Healing looks like ugly crying into a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos at 11 p.m. while you watch Netflix ask, “Are you still watching?” Yes, Netflix, I am still watching and I’ll stop when the Doritos stop.

Hustling? Please. Hustling is not glamorous—it’s rolling out of bed at 7:58 a.m. to log into your “remote” job at 8:00 with one eye open and last night’s eyeliner smeared like war paint. It’s selling your old purses on Facebook Marketplace for $20 while telling yourself you’re basically running a small business empire.

And holding it together? Honey, the only thing I’m holding together some days is a half-broken Target shelf with duct tape and prayers. But you know what? My lip gloss is poppin’. Priorities.

The Bougie Survival Guide Nobody Asked For

That’s what Broken But Still Bougie is about—it’s not some “rise at 5 a.m., journal your gratitude, do hot yoga” nonsense. No. It’s about figuring out how to keep your sparkle when life hands you a flaming dumpster full of drama.

It’s the reminder that you can:

• File for unemployment and order Starbucks in the same week.

• Block your ex on Instagram but still check his mom’s Facebook page (don’t lie, we’ve all done it).

• Eat ramen noodles for dinner but sprinkle some Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning on it so it feels fancy.

Bougie Isn’t About Money—it’s a State of Mind

People think “bougie” means you’ve got money. Wrong. Bougie means you will march into Aldi wearing heels, with your fake Louis Vuitton bag, and dare anyone to question your $4 wine choices. Bougie is adding cucumber slices to your sink water and pretending it’s spa day. Bougie is looking like a bad b*tch on the outside while your insides are screaming, “How am I supposed to pay car insurance and buy toilet paper in the same week?”

Why You Need This Book in Your Life

Because, babe, you’re already living it. You’re already juggling heartbreak, chaos, bills, bosses, kids, pets, and whatever cosmic joke Mercury Retrograde has cooked up for you. You deserve to laugh about it instead of just cry.

Broken But Still Bougie: Healing, Hustling, and Holding It Together with Lip Gloss and Grace is your guide to surviving this circus while looking fabulous enough to still take selfies. It’s raw, it’s honest, it’s hilarious—and it will remind you that even if your life feels like a garage sale, you can still sparkle like a chandelier.

So grab your lip gloss, pour yourself that classy $4 wine, and get ready to laugh so hard you forget your problems for a hot second. Because darling—you may be broken, but you’re still bougie as hell.