Blogging Beauties: Lauren from LMents of Style and Her Passion for Cruelty Free Non-Toxic Products
Today’s post is something a little different from what you usually find here on Three Heel Clicks but I am so excited to share the newest segment called Blogging Beauties where I share the story of another fellow blogger. Today’s post is featuring Lauren from LMents of Style who is an eco friendly, socially conscious lifestyle and fashion blogger out of Dallas, TX. I came across Lauren’s blog through Instagram a while back and loved how she wrote recommendations on natural and cruelty free products that she’s actually used! Her blog is authentic, honest and so useful! She covers everything from healthy meal planning to different ways to wear the same clothing article. I was ecstatic when I had the chance to ask Lauren a few questions about how she started her blog and her perspective on healthy living. Here is the full Q&A:
What inspired you to start LMents of Style?
Lauren: LMents of Style was created by a chain of events that began will I was in college. During school I made game day dresses and soon realized that this was a very niche item. I sought out to find an item that would follow me after college. Bow ties were the answer! I made custom bow ties for fraternity events, formals, and Christmas gifts. During this time, I began a blog, as I thought I had some things to say that people might take an interest in. It was all over the place and very low key compared to what I do now. I graduated and I still blogged occasionally, but not as often. At this time in my life, my bow ties became more special event and wedding focused. I was sewing at least one, if not multiple a month! Around this time I met by now husband who helped me start a website. I decided it was a good time to add the blog back in as a way to advertise the bow ties, in addition to selling them. Fast forward to 2019 and I have gone through several rebrands, content shifts, andddd the bow ties are gone ;) Most of my content for LMents of Style was written because I see a lack of information in the area, whether it be cruelty-free and nontoxic beauty or ideas to wear your clothing multiple ways. The majority of my ideas for the blog come out of my own personal curiosities. The desire to bring new and needed content to the masses is what inspires me to continue writing.
I noticed you graduated at Baylor with a degree in Apparel Merchandising and Business. How do you incorporate what you learned in college in your blog?
Lauren: Having studied apparel, I know the ins and outs of what it takes to make a garment. For this reason t is a lot easier for me to avoid fast fashion (ie Forever 21, Zara, H&M, etc) because I have learned to question the price and the origin of the item. That’s just not common knowledge otherwise… If you buy a shirt for $10, that usually means that they bought it wholesale for around $5, which means that the cost of the garment + labor is around $2.50. That’s ridiculous. I’m all for a good sale and saving money, but not at the expense of humanity. Same goes with country of origin. If you buy something made in Bangladesh, typically that hints at some sort of production issue, whether it be child labor or unfair working environment. If you don’t know this industry and didn’t study it, it’s a lot easier to reach for these cheaply made items. One of my ongoing series is called The Art of Versatility. I share how to wear items multiple ways in hopes that people would shop more from their own closets, than cheaply made clothing. These habits are definitely rooted in my degree and learnings.
You post frequently about cruelty free and non-toxic products. What are your top favorites?
Lauren: Ooh! Somewhat of a hard question, because I have for sure found my favorites and stick to those; however, the brand that turned me onto the whole CF and NT scene (along with my friend Jourdan) is Juice Beauty. Another one of my top favorites is One Love Organics. Both are made in the U.S.A. and are great for you and your skin!
Where do you find inspiration? What inspires you the most?
Lauren: It’s really easy to say that travel gives me inspiration, specifically Napa; however, I also find inspiration in continually learning. I try to research as much as I can, plus I continue to use groundbreaking platforms like Pinterest. I also love watching A Drink with James on YouTube.
So you live in Dallas, what are your favorite spots?
Lauren: I joke with people that the only thing to do in Dallas is eat and drink;) Besides that, I love to walk the Katy Trail with my husband and pup! Our favorite restaurants are Rodeo Goat (best burgers and cheese fries in Dallas), Pie Tap (best pizza in Dallas) and Town Hearth (best steakhouse in Dallas).
What’s your biggest pieces of advice to other bloggers?
Lauren: Be yourself! Find your niche and stay in your lane. You’ll never be happy or succeed trying to be someone else’s version of success. I get asked a lot about “how do you know what to write about?” To be quite frank if you are asking that question, you aren’t ready to commit to blogging. Also, the more you write, the more you will be inspired!
What is one interesting fact about you?
Lauren: I always get stubbed at this question. I never know what to say! For a fun answer, my husband and I won second place on a kiss-cam at a Baylor football game. For a deeper answer, I have scoliosis and wore a back brace for most of middle school. It definitely has shaped how I view others for the better.
Where are your favorite brands to follow?
Lauren: I love everything Madewell is doing - from their diverse marketing shoots, to their release of extended sizes, and even the fair trade denim they just launched! I also enjoy sharing socially conscious brands like Everlane and Tradlands.
What do you do when you’re not working on LMents of Style?
Lauren: I actually have a full time job in the apparel industry! I work as a product line manage for a global brand in the wholesale industry. My husband jokes that LMents of Style is my other full time job ;)
What do you look forward to for 2019?
Lauren: I’m just glad it is a new year! I’m excited to look back come 2020 and see how I have grown. Kind of a cliché answer, but it’s true! Each day I wake up and pinch myself in response to people enjoying what I have to say.
If you want to follow Lauren you can check out here blog LMents of Style here or on Instagram here. Thanks Lauren for sharing your insight and I look forward to reading more about your content this year! Hope you all enjoyed connecting with her today!
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This past year has amounted to an extreme amount of growth. Almost a year ago, I made the decision to go back to one-on-one counseling to sort out some stuff that was surfacing emotionally in my life. It was so hard, but I finally feel like I’m on the upswing and things are more manageable. It’s easy to make excuses in our lives for behaviors we did when we were not at our best. It’s also really easy to blame others for the things that went wrong. Ultimately, accepting full responsibility for my life has given me freedom and inner power I did not know a few years ago. I’m going to share with you today 10 Things I Learned this Year in hopes of inspiring you to rise above your current state of being into a higher version of yourself.