Olivia Ponton Wants to Teach You How to Do Revenge

person in a red dress poses by the ocean
Olivia Ponton Wants to Teach You How to Do Revenge Brendan Wixted


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Model Olivia Ponton knows her way around a set. Not only has she starred in fashion campaigns for Boss, Victoria’s Secret, and Tory Burch (casual), but she scored a cameo in the extremely buzzy It Ends With Us movie alongside Blake Lively earlier this year, too. So when we were thinking about who could embody the theme of this fashion editorial, the concept being how to enact revenge through your wardrobe, we figured this incredibly booked and busy person who’s basically crushing it professionally would be the perfect choice. Because what’s the saying? Success is the best revenge?

To bring this whole vibe to life, Olivia and the Cosmo creative team flew to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to take over the ME Cabo Hotel. Here’s how the day went for Olivia, with a little bit of a advice for how to dress for revenge sprinkled in:

6:45 AM: Wake-up call

It was such a beautiful morning. I woke up in the best mood, knowing the day ahead would be amazing. I started by watching the sunrise, taking a refreshing shower, and heading down for breakfast. The earliest call time I’ve ever had was 3:50 a.m.... in another country, so this was easy.

a person sitting on a bed wearing stylish boots and a minimal outfit
Getting even doesn’t have to mean wearing a minidress. A short leather skort with worn-in moto boots also does the trick. Cultnaked top and skort. Dorothee Schumacher boots. Pearl Octopuss.y ring. Brendan Wixted

7:00 AM: Have you heard of an “everything shower”?

I always shower before breakfast so my hair has time to dry before heading into hair and makeup. I do an “everything shower” before every shoot, which includes washing and conditioning my hair, shaving, and exfoliating to make sure my skin is glowing. The night before, I skipped a face mask but made sure to hit the gym for an hour to focus on cardio and abs.

7:45 AM: The most important meal of the day

Food is fuel, so for breakfast, I had an egg, bacon, and cheese burrito from the hotel restaurant. I usually go for a matcha latte, but this morning, I opted for two espresso shots instead.

9:00 AM: Time to hit the makeup chair

The overall vibe for this shoot was full glam with dark accents. I had long black acrylic nails and super-long extensions. For the starting look, we kept my hair straight since we were shooting in water, and the makeup was heavy on the eyes but light on the face. As the day progressed, we added more drama to the makeup and transformed my hair into wild, textured waves and curls.

person wearing a sparkling swimsuit in a pool
Getting Revenge Ready™ means making them sweat with a skintight rhinestone one-piece they can’t look away from. Oséree swimsuit. Lili Claspe earrings. Pearl Octopuss.y ring (middle and index). Luv AJ ring (index). Brendan Wixted

11:17 AM: Shots fired (like, photography shots)

The first look of the day was the bathing suit in the pool. Luckily, I was able to stand in the pool. That said, I really had to shift my mindset and focus entirely on getting the shot. The photographer, creative director, and I all had a clear vision of the look and feel we wanted. It came down to great communication during the shoot—and a little faith that it would all come together perfectly.

1:00 PM: When’s happy hour?

This dress requires a drink. I ordered a cosmopolitan but swapped the vodka for tequila—it’s my favorite twist.

a woman sitting at a bar with tropical scenery in the background


3:00 PM: Rocking and rolling

For every single shoot, my go-to playlist is old Katy Perry. It’s my absolute favorite and never fails to get me in the perfect mood for shooting.

a figure standing at the beach with flowing hair wearing a black offshoulder dress
Safe to say this updated, shorter take on the original revenge dress—famously worn by Princess Diana in 1994— absolutely slaps. David Koma top and skirt. IVI Los Angeles earrings, necklace, and ring. Brendan Wixted

5:00 PM: Do revenge...in a red dress

I think everyone has a “revenge era” at some point in their life. While I’m not in mine now—I’m very happy and content—about two years ago, I definitely went through that phase. I even bleached my eyebrows and spent a month in Europe. When I was 19, I had what I called my “revenge week” during Halloween. I dressed up as the most confident version of myself all week long and fully embraced that energy.

person in a red dress poses by the ocean
Counteract the coverage of a mock- neck, floor-length gown with a major cutout. LaQuan Smith gown. Flor de Maria heels. SKN Collections by Emily Volaski earrings. Luv AJ ring. Brendan Wixted

8:17 PM: Wrap it up

After the shoot, I went straight to bed. My time zones were completely off since I had just flown in from Europe the day before. I took some melatonin, enjoyed steak tacos (in bed, of course), and fell asleep almost instantly.

silhouette of a person in a fitted mesh outfit against a clear sky
Who was it who said retaliation is better in a partially transparent bodycon dress? Oh right, it was us. You’re welcome. Natalia Fedner gown. Victoria’s Secret thong. Jennifer Zeuner earrings. SKN Collections by Emily Volaski ring. Brendan Wixted

Stylist: Cassie Anderson. Hair: Eddy Scudo at The Wall Group. Makeup: Dmitry Kukushkin at Forward Artists. Production: Green Is Good. Shot on location at ME Cabo Hotel.

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