First Look Fridays: Beauty Blogger Kristin Booker of Fashion.Style.Beauty

If you haven't yet had the opportunity to meet the fabulous Kristin Booker of Fashion.Style.Beauty, you are seriously missing out. This firecracker is not only an amazing person to hang out with but is a supremely talented writer. Read on to find out why she started her blog, the skincare brand she can't live without and so much more.



Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
First of all, thanks for featuring me! It’s an honor. I’m originally from Charleston, WV. I moved to Charlotte, NC to attend college at Queens University of Charlotte, where I majored in Marketing and Art. The story of how I got into beauty writing is a really long one, but I spent a long time working in Human Resources during the day and writing at night before making it a full-time gig when I got laid off in September of last year. I’ve never been happier.

How did you first become interested in beauty?
I’ve always been interested in beauty and style. When I was a child, I used to stand at the mailbox, waiting for my mother’s magazines to arrive. I’d read them cover to cover, then go out and buy as many beauty products as I could to see if I could get the look. I’ve always loved that beauty allows you to change your appearance as often as you change your mind and, as someone who gets bored often, this concept obviously appeals to me a great deal.

Why did you decide to start your blog?
I wanted to create a site that helps women live their lives with style, whether that’s explaining how to try trends or giving information on the best in beauty. I wanted to cover fashion and beauty in a different way, like when I did the Breakover Diaries post on how to use makeup to cover a crying fit; it’s unexpected but useful. I hope Fashion.Style.Beauty is a site where you can pull up a chair and be entertained but feel inspired to do something amazing with your life when you leave it.

I love the name of your blog! How did you come up with it?
Thanks so much! I wanted the name of the site to set the tone and mean exactly what it says. The site reports on the worlds of fashion, style and beauty and that’s precisely why it’s named as such.

What have been some of the highlights of having your blog?
There have been so many! The site was accepted into the Glam Network quite early, which was a huge honor. When I got acceptance to attend and cover New York Fashion Week and then attended as many shows as I did, that was a big moment, a realization of a personal lifetime goal. I think the biggest highlights are the reader’s replies and the growing following. I’ve had quite a few comments and emails about the content of the blog and how people have grown to love it. It’s always nice to know that people love your work.

What are your top 5 beauty essentials?
Isn’t this always the best question?

1) Skincare is really my number one; most people always compliment me on my skin (I evidently don’t look my age). My mother always taught me the less you do with your skin, the less you have to do to your skin and I’ve always followed that advice. Other than that, my needs are very simple:

2) A great deep conditioner

3) A genius thickening mascara

4) Well-pigmented lip and eye shades

5) As many skin-conditioning, massive-bubble-producing bubble bath products as I can get my hands on.

What brands can you simply not live without?
1) For skincare, it’s all about AMOREPACIFIC for me.

2) Makeup: I try everything but I always come back to Kevyn Aucoin, Cover Girl, NARS, LORAC, Purple Lab, M.A.C and Benefit.

3) I love LUSH for bath and body products.

4) Since my hair is chemically relaxed, I have a pretty strict regimen: Mizani relaxers, Inphenom treatments afterwards and then I maintain it with Kerastase, Shu Uemura and Motions products.

5) This is my favorite cost-effective must-have, through: apply baby oil right out of the shower or bath and wrap up in a bathrobe instead of drying off. Your dry skin will disappear.

Are there any other beauty blogs you read regularly? What are some that you like and why?
Well, I obviously love The Beauty of Life! Your voice is really relatable and I like your product coverage. I read Shake Your Beauty because Tia’s a former beauty editor and she really knows her stuff. Beauty Blogging Junkie is genius because Amber is one of the best out there and her voice is really her own; she’s hilarious. I also love The Makeup Girl because Lianne is a former makeup artist and she’s really knowledgeable. I think it’s important for us to read and support each other as much as possible because we put ourselves out there every day and it’s important to show the love.