
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Australian author Holly Hill had been a professional psychologist before she left her career behind — and spent six months being a kept woman. After placing an Internet ad that described her as a 35-year-old attractive and well-educated woman who was seeking a sugar daddy, she went through four wealthy lovers — all of whom were cool with her demands for a weekly allowance of at least $1,000. In Marie Claire's August issue, Hills talks about her unusual sexual lifestyle — and the new memoir, Sugarbabe, that she wrote about it.
Should You Become a Sugar Girl?
While reading the interview, I was thinking, "1,000 bucks a week sounds pretty good to me!" But could I actually deal with exchanging sex and companionship for money that way? Some people would call it prostitution — although I think when a woman has a real choice about whether or not she wants to do something like that — when she's not forced into it by some abusive pimp — it becomes a very different scenario. It's less about humiliation and violence, I'd imagine, than about opulence (in the same way that bondage isn't about degradation as much as it's about playing out of roles and fantasies in a safe space). And Hill claims what she did was not that much different from being a stay-at-home wife with a credit card. (Some of you may disagree. I may, too.) "We all sell ourselves — whether it's our bodies, our brawn, or our minds," she notes.
Think this kind of thing is for you? Then Hill has some interesting pointers:
1. Don't worry that you're not young enough.
Hill says she thinks 40 is an ideal age. "Most men who can afford to keep a woman are older than that," she says. "And the last thing they want a waiter to say is, 'Oh, you've brought your daughter! How sweet.'"
2. Don't worry about looking like a model.
It's not just the über-beautiful who can do this kind of thing. Just be sexy and confident, Hill says.
(After reading that bit, I immediately flipped the page to check out Hill's pic, assuming she'd be a hypocritical knockout. But no ... She's cute, but she's not the next Angelina Jolie.)
3. Don't worry about looking like a porn star ... down there.
Hill points out that a lot of older dudes are shocked by full-on bush nudity. "Stick to a classic bikini wax," she says.
4. Be cool and self-assured
... because many sugar daddies will be nervous at first, especially if they haven't done this kind of thing before.
5. Don't take it personally if you get dumped.
Mr. Warbucks may very well throw you over after a month or two. Hill says most daddies think of the arrangement as a treat for themselves — and you can only enjoy a treat for so long before it gets old.
6. Be honest — even if the man has a wife.
Hill claims there are plenty of women out there who will agree to let their husbands have a mistress for a while — and she suggests letting your daddy know up-front that you don't want to be involved with deceiving anyone — that you only want to be with a guy who has his wife's approval.
(Do you think that sounds unrealistic, or unbelievable? I wonder if there aren't also unmarried men looking for women to be their spoiled mistresses. I imagine there are.)
Now, cCould I, Maura Kelly, become a sugar girl?
I really don't think so, as much as the money and adventure do sound intriguing, though perhaps I'm being naive? Hell, I get awkward about letting a guy buy me dinner if I'm not over the moon for him; I feel phony, deceitful, and uncomfortable. Plus, I'm still a cradle-robber, like it or not; I have trouble "getting wood," if you will, when a dude looks old — when he's balding, has a spare tire, or even when I can see the little gray hairs growing in along his sideburns. I know it's not fair, but it's the truth. Maybe someday, I'll get over it. Till then ... I'll probably be right here, living flirtatiously. Sigh.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
-
Gordon Ramsay Is Actually "Quite Sensitive," Says His Wife
Well put me between bread and call me a surprised sandwich!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
The Chicest Makeup Bag Is Coming Your Way
It’s vegan, too.
By Sophia Rivka Vilensky
-
Finally, Vanna White Will Be Paid (at Least Closer to) What She Deserves
The ‘Wheel of Fortune’ cohost finalized a deal to remain on the show until 2026, after not getting a raise in 18 years and being paid five times less than Pat Sajak.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
The 22 Best Vibrators, According to Sex Toy Experts
The vibes are immaculate.
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
The Best Period Sex Tips, According to Sex Experts
Who says messy can't be sexy?
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
The 20 Best Sex Games for Couples in 2023
Who said game nights need to be wholesome?
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
The 14 Best Lubes for Every Need
Good sex should always go smoothly.
By Gabrielle Ulubay
-
COVID Forced My Polyamorous Marriage to Become Monogamous
For Melanie LaForce, pandemic-induced social distancing guidelines meant she could no longer see men outside of her marriage. But monogamy didn't just change her relationship with her husband—it changed her relationship with herself.
By Melanie LaForce
-
100 Sex Songs That Won't Make You Cringe
Dim the lights and hit play on this sex songs — the perfect playlist of songs to have sex to.
By The Editors
-
72 Real Sex Scenes in Movies
These actors aren't faking anything.
By Mehera Bonner
-
33 Unexpected Valentine's Day 2023 Date Ideas
A.k.a. not dinner and roses.
By The Editors