Why Writing Books Was Too Stressful for Lauren Conrad

Lauren Conrad at the John Freda Beach Blonde relaunch party. Getty Images

It was 25-degrees in New York day and I was sick. But I was also supposed to meet Lauren Conrad—and nothing was going to stop me. (Unbeknownst to her, this wasn’t the first time we met. I handed the Laguna Beach star my pen for an autograph in 2004 at a MTV premiere event because I clearly had my priorities straight as a teenager.)

Anyway, when I got to the star’s Chelsea loft for her party in celebration of John Freida’s relaunch of their iconic line of Beach Blonde products, it was like her blog had come to life: Pink peonies and macarons filled the room in which I was greeted by Conrad, who was wearing her best winter whites. I was born and raised about an hour down the California coast from LC, so we bonded over the frigid east coast temps, pausing for a puppy, before diving into the hardcore stuff: haircuts, wedding rings, the questionable outfits she wore on Laguna Beach, and why she refuses to re-read her own novels.

Yahoo Style: Your hair! You cut it. What made you want to go for the chop?
Lauren Conrad: We hadn’t made a big change in a long time; It’s fun to switch it up. I was holding off because I didn’t want to cut it before the wedding, I knew I wanted long hair for pictures. I feel like so many people do that before their wedding and then after they chop it all off. Because, like, why not?

YS: Right. Well they say that people just go crazy with their hair after their wedding. And the lob is certainly on trend!  
LC: I don’t think this is crazy but it’s been fun to try. It’s definitely different. I mean as I do every time I change my hair, I’m already missing it long. It’s surprisingly more maintenance because I can’t do a topknot or a quick bun. I have to actually do my hair every day, and that’s the biggest difference.

YS: What’s does your arsenal of products look like?
LC: You actually have to wear a lot more product in your hair. I used to wear very little product in my hair like a light hairspray, because with longer hair you get more natural movement, so you need the product to help create that for shorter hair.

YS: Would you ever change your color?
LC: I prefer being blonde. It’s what I feel most myself in and what I feel best in. I’ve tried different colors, but I always come back.

YS: How did you develop such a signature style?
LC: I wear what I like. My go-to look if I’m in a hurry is usually a heel, some sort of skinny, and a silk blouse. I love floral prints and other patterns too. And I love a good pair leather pants. I gravitate toward dainty jewelry and just layer them up.

YS: Your wedding ring is rose gold. Why did you opt for that?
LC: I didn’t, he did.

YS: Were you surprised?
LC: Totally. And I’m pretty happy I didn’t have to make the decision because I feel like it’s one of those things that you’re like, I have to wear it forever—or not have to, but it’s something I’m going to wear forever—and there’s so much pressure about deciding which to get. I love that he went and picked it out by himself. It’s probably what I would have chosen on my own.

YS: Throwing back to your Laguna Beach days, what is your most regretted outfit?
LC: Well I wore the same thing every day: jean skirts and UGG boots. It makes no sense. I think the looks that I regret the most are the ones that I was wearing to be trendy or because everyone else was. I think it’s important to develop a style and dress for your body because that’s what you’ll feel comfortable in.

YS: I just have to ask this: have you re-read your novels? I went through them in three days when I was a teen.
LC: I haven’t in a really long time. I mean I loved doing it, they were so much fun, but it’s a lot of stress writing a book—the deadlines! And it’s intimidating writing a novel, because there’s always a first page and a last page. They were so much fun, but I definitely got a lot less sleep during those days.

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