Alison Dilaurentis’ Guide on Being Mysterious

Let People Wonder

• You don’t have to tell everyone everything. The less people know, the more they’ll naturally want to figure you out, and that’s so much more interesting than constantly oversharing.

• Become comfortable keeping parts of your life just for you. Not every friendship, achievement, or late night thought needs to become public the second it happens.

• Say a little less and mean a little more. When your words are intentional, they become more powerful and people actually remember them!

• Every iconic girl has something she’s remembered for. And for Alison, it was the yellow top. Her self branding was so good, the top became a symbol.

• Find something that feels effortlessly you, whether it’s a signature perfume, glossy lips, or a colour you’re always wearing. It’s the little things people remember most.

• Wear pieces that people begin to associate with you instead of chasing every new trend.

• Mystery is created through consistency, so when your style is unmistakably yours, people become intrigued by the girl behind the aesthetic, not just the clothes she’s wearing.

• Stop feeling like you owe everyone an explanation. You don’t need to justify why you left early, why you’re staying in, or why you’ve chosen to distance yourself from certain people.

• Not everyone deserves unlimited access to your life and the most mysterious girls know that privacy is a form of self respect.

• Learn to say no without writing a paragraph afterwards, a simple answer is enough and protecting your energy will always be more important than pleasing everyone.

• Alison never let everyone know what she was thinking and that’s exactly what gave her so much power. So keep a little of your world just for you!

• Become the kind of girl that genuinely enjoys her own company, read in the park, make pinterest moodboards, journal in bed, or order your favourite drink just because!

• There’s something magnetic about someone who always seems to have a beautiful life of her own, so build a world that you’re excited to come back home to.

• Take yourself on little dates instead of waiting for someone else to make life exciting. Visit a cozy cafe, a bookshop, or walk around your favourite streets. Make your own life feel a little more magical.

• Leave people in wonder of what you’re doing or where you are (unless it’s your parents of course) !!

• One of Alison’s most mysterious habits was hiding little things around the house, letters, dolls, and tiny clues that only she knew existed. Create your own version with a memory box instead!

• Fill it with the little pieces of your life that everyone else would throw away: cinema tickets, polaroids, pressed flowers, postcards, ribbons, perfume samples, and handwritten notes.

• Don’t wait for huge milestones to save something, the receipt from your favourite cafe or the bracelet from a sleepover will one day hold many memories.

• Keep it somewhere hidden and think of it as your own collection of beautifully organised stories, waiting for future you to rediscover!!

• Alison always had a secret hidden somewhere, and your diary can be yours. A place where your thoughts belong to you alone, with no audience.

• Write about the little things you’ll forget! Like what you wore, your favourite song that week, or a conversation that made you laugh.

• Don’t let anybody else read it. Alison wouldn’t dream of risking her innermost thoughts being exposed to anyone.

• You don’t have to wait for big moments, even the smallest details will be interesting for you to reread later on.

• Taking a second to think before you speak makes your words feel so much more genuine.

• Get comfortable with silence!! Not every conversation needs constant talking, and some of the most confident girls are the ones who don’t mind a quiet moment.

• Stop over explaining yourself. Say what you mean and trust that it doesn’t need a five minute justification afterwards.

Remember your words are valuable, the less you speak just for the sake of it, the more people tend to remember what you actually say.