She’s been upheld as a style and beauty icon since her debut in “Laguna Beach” more than a decade ago, thanks mostly to her fail-safe beauty look. Cat eye, beachy waves, lip gloss — you know the one. That’s why it’s no surprise to me that she’s the author of one of the highest-selling beauty books ever. She’s gorgeous and people want to look like her — I get it. But Conrad’s signature look is also… safe. The most makeup experimentation she’s ever done is a slightly darker shade of red lipstick. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite. I like black lipstick, crazy-long eyelashes, and strong contour. So I decided to see what life is like on the blonder side of the street: I followed her makeup routine, step by step, to see what it really takes to be ~beautiful~ like Lauren Conrad. I thought it would be easy. Turns out… maybe not so much. “Lauren Conrad Beauty,” published in 2012, is Conrad’s complete guide to hair, skin, and nail care, plus advice on healthy beauty habits to cultivate. I’d argue she’s been proven wrong since then, but for the purposes of this experiment, I ditched it, too. I usually let products sit on the backside of my (clean) hands, then pick them up with a brush. That way, I’m not left prancing around trying not to touch things until I can wipe or wash my hands, like I had to while trying this look. Mine is to go as sharp, as long, and as bold as I can go without scaring passersby — hers is to remain as minimal as possible. And, it is a party look, after all. A little eyeliner won’t kill anyone. But I stayed within my lines as best I could. My mouth felt unnaturally small. But if you feel like you’ve mastered what works for you, the process of following along with Lauren Conrad can be both daunting and time-consuming. Playing by someone else’s makeup rules will make you realize immediately what your reason for doing makeup is. Because it just won’t be all that fun when you don’t make the calls.
