I’ll admit that when I saw the news at E! Online that Julianne Hough has a new lifestyle website, I rolled my eyes. I’m used to celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Blake Lively trying to impress us with their overpriced tchotchkes and purple prose. When celebrities launch websites there are exceptions to the haughty rule, like Zooey Deschanel’s Hello Giggles (which is a pop culture and news site, not a lifestyle site) but overall they’re more like Olivia Palermo’s self-named site, a glossy tribute to high end fashion and luxury goods.

Julianne Hough’s new site, Jules, is kind of sweet, though. It’s more of a pinterest-type site with quick tips and advice. After I read a few entries I found myself warming to her. Her blog entries are short, upbeat and simple. There’s nothing groundbreaking there, we have the whole internet full of free advice and tutorials after all, but it’s a nice view of her outlook and lifestyle. She seems relatable, incredibly nice and earnest to a fault. Here’s what she wrote in her intro entry and it’s a little goofy.

Welcome to my cozy little corner on the World Wide Web! I wanted to design a space where I could connect with fans and friends about the things I’m most passionate about, and I wanted to be able to hear from all of you. This is a place where we can share recipes, workout tips, talk about style, beauty and home décor. I’m especially excited to talk to you guys about things that matter most, like ways we can all be rock stars in our communities and tips to become the best versions of ourselves.

This is a place for all of us, sort of like a fun digital neighborhood, and it’s important to me to hear from you. So, what do YOU want to see on my site? Let’s create something amazing together!

xoxo
Jules

[From JulianneHough.com]

The blog has a total of 11 posts so far, which isn’t bad for a launch. She has quick advice from her trainer on getting fit on the go, directions for a messy braid (I can’t believe she can do that so well with a bob) and her resolutions for the new year, which include eating out less and carving out more free time for herself. So far she’s not selling us anything (she does show a preference for a brand of candle but IDK), which is a welcome change from the Olivia Palermos and Goops we’re used to. She’s just kind of connecting to her fans and letting people know what works for her. I can’t help it, I like it.

Over the weekend I looked for interviews with Marian Keyes, a very popular Irish women’s lit author, as I’m currently reading my second of her many funny, relatable books. (Maybe we’ll get the CB book club started up again now that awards season has wrapped. I’m reading Rachel’s Holiday and just finished Watermelon.) I found a series of interviews between Keyes and beauty writer Sali Hughes. They start off in Keyes’s bathroom (this is a thing that Hughes does with celebrities) and discuss her beauty regimen and then go over her product drawer. It’s not everyone’s thing, but I was totally delighted to listen to them discuss makeup and skincare. The best part was when they went into Keye’s shoe closet and picked over her shoes. I guess my rambling point is that it’s fun to see what celebrities think about superficial, frivolous things, as long as they’re genuine and real.

Look at Hough’s puppies! Those look like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels but not quite. I wonder what breed they are. So cute.

photo credit: JulianneHough.com