Jessica-Lee is located in Perth, Western Australia, and is also a well-known beauty blogger who successfully runs the blog The Belle Lumiere. The 27-year-old brunette is a self-proclaimed “Corporate Monkey” and has not worked in fashion before, considering blogging and fashion merely a hobby. The fact that she’s passionate about what she does becomes apparent in how active she is both on her blog and on the tFS forums, contributing to many areas of the forums and proving she has a broad range of interests and wide knowledge about many subjects. In our interview, she tells us more about her blog, her beauty recommendations, and her favorite things about the Fashion Spot forums.
The Fashion Spot: Jessica-Lee, tell us more about your blog, The Belle Lumiere, when and why did you start it?
Jessica-Lee: I’ve been blogging and developing websites as a hobby for years, and when I started up The Belle Lumiere just over three years ago it was without any real intention to make it into a beauty blog. The beauty element happened organically, as I became more exposed to the beauty blogging community and my interest in makeup and beauty products grew.
tFS: Do you blog just for fun or do you have any wishes and hopes and something you want to achieve through blogging?
J-L: Ultimately for me, blogging is fun. Surprisingly, it has become a very social element of my life, as having exposure to like-minded women and men has helped to bring about some amazing friendships. As for the business side of things, blogging is an interesting game because your voice as a blogger has a lot to do with integrity; especially if you’re a blogger that focuses a lot on product reviews and offering personal advice. Being mindful of that, I try to think carefully about any opportunities that I take on board. I do have a few exciting projects in the works though, all of which have stemmed from my blogging at The Belle Lumiere.
tFS: What are your favorite sections on tFS and what are your favorite threads?
J-L: Each time I log into tFS I try to check into the Kate Bosworth, Liv Tyler, and Lauren Conrad threads as they are my top style icons and I’m always interested to see what they’re wearing. I also really enjoy the 50 Book Challenge thread, as I am an avid reader and try to participate in the challenge every year. As for the Beauty Cupboard section of the forum, I could happily browse all of the threads in that area but my favorite threads usually revolve around people’s most recent purchases. I like to live vicariously.
tFS: You’ve been a member for so long. What do you most appreciate about tFS?
J-L: I love the wide perspective that our huge variety of members give to the variety of topics in the forum. There is really something for everyone here. I also appreciate the fact that after nearly 10 years as a member of the forum (and having an avatar of her face for the majority of that time) people seem to think that I am Kate Bosworth.
tFS: How would you describe your personal style? Do you get inspired by the way your favorite celebrities dress?
J-L: I think at the very core of it, my personal style could be summed up as ‘classic’. When I initially started getting interested in fashion I was heavily influenced by my favorite celebrities, but now that I’ve found my own style, I only really look to them for inspiration if I’m stuck in a rut.
tFS: What are your current beauty essentials and what are your all-time favorite beauty products?
J-L: This question is surprisingly hard to answer! My favorite beauty product at the moment is the Skin Trip Coconut Body Lotion. I’m going to have to put a number on my all-time favorite beauty products, otherwise we’ll be here all day. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Creme, Givenchy Photo Perfexion Foundation, Lancome Hypnose Mascara, and NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage.
