Lauren Conrad has come a long way since her days as a mild mannered girl looking for love and a career in fashion on reality TV shows Laguna Beach and The Hills. Her internship with Teen Vogue under senior editor Lisa Love played out on television as viewers watched her tackle the challenges of both being an intern and learning lessons in the fashion industry.

Today, Conrad is both a successful designer with her Paper Crown, Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s line and New York Times best selling author.

Conrad who is just 26 years old released her “beauty” book and her fifth novel “Starstruck” on Oct. 16. I had an opportunity to chat with Conrad on the day of her book release to ask her questions about her beauty book and Paper Crown line.

Conrad aims to focus readers around the concept of beauty with her new book and said “especially at a younger age a lot of girls tend to replicate what they see and I think it’s important to work with aspects of yourself that you like and enhance that.”

Amy: So what can we expect from this book?

LC: In the book there’s a lot of hair, makeup and nails. We incorporated tutorials to make things simple. We also address other things like taking care of yourself and touch on nutrition and fitness.

Amy: When people write, they often connect it to themselves. How do you think this book connects to you as a person?

LC: Well in the book I share a lot of personal stories whether it’s mishaps or personal experience when it comes to beauty. I think it’s important because it’s funny and good to hear mistakes and what I learned out of it. Also, to me the book is a collection as a whole of what I learned from experts through the years.

Amy: What is your most regretful beauty trend you followed in the past?

LC: I think I should go hair because makeup was pretty temporary. I dyed my hair maroon when I was in high school and it was really terrible.

Amy: There are many people in Vancouver looking forward to getting their hands on your book and I’ve received lots of email from Vancourites wondering if the Paper Crown line coming to Canada?

LC: That’s amazing to hear. I love Canada. I don’t go there as much anymore, I used to all the time. I know Paper Crown is coming to Canada but there’s no plans yet for Kohl’s carrying the Lauren Conrad line.

Amy: Can you tell us about the Paper Crown line and some fabric choices in your line for the upcoming season?

LC: Oh yeah. The season that just delivered was holiday and I had a lot of fun with it. I added some sparkle to the line and I’m always really selective when I do any kind of sparkle unless it’s like a full piece I’m not a fan of sequins unless it’s done a certain way. We picked some sparkly fabric and added it to a couple of dresses and a shrunken jacket. Also we did some tulle pieces. I love tulle.

Amy: So who is the Paper Crown girl?

LC: I want to appeal to a variety of women. I remember growing up I used to share pieces with my mom and I loved that because she would wear it one way and I would wear it another but I love doing classic pieces that is easy to wear. The brand itself is definitely a more girly one. If I could I would wear a bow every day. I’m always going to gravitate towards something a little more girly and romantic.

Amy: So what is your best beauty tip?

LC: I would say probably that less is more when it comes to hair and makeup but have fun with it. You can do a more subtle makeup paired with a fun hairstyle or a bright colored lip but don’t wear so much that you’re unrecognizable.

As the interview came to a close, I asked her how fame has changed her. Her answer? “I think fame has made me value my personal relationships more. I think it’s difficult to trust people in Hollywood and it made my value my friends more,” she said.

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Amy Yew is a contributing columnist at Vancouver Courier. Tell us what you think and submit any questions you have to amyvancouvercourier@gmail.com. You can also tweet your thoughts on Twitter @AmyYew.