PP Babe: Lauren Scruggs Kennedy

Lauren Scruggs Kennedy (LSK for short) is all about real talk + celebrating stories, and we cannot wait to talk with her about hers. We’ve admired Lauren for a long time now, after first hearing her share her powerful story in depth on a podcast, we knew we needed to connect with her – only to discover that she is also one of the sweetest humans on the planet! She radiates beauty and her courage + positive outlook on life are so inspiring and have touched our entire team (and the world) in such a real way. We know you, as our readers, are going to deeply resonate with Lo’s words, soul and story.

Thank you so much! I was raised in Dallas, have a twin sister, who is my best friend, and grew up loving football and weekends at the lake. My happy place is anywhere near the water! I have always been super close to my family, and we have been through a divorce, a reconciliation, and my accident together, so we are connected to the core. I have always been a lover of art which led to my interest in style and fashion. I had some fun experiences in the fashion industry interning in the wardrobe department at Gossip Girl as well as the corporate office of Michael Kors, and I reported for fashion weeks seasonly in NYC, as well as one in Paris and Montreal. I learned so much and started my blog Lolo Magazine in August of 2011. My accident happened a few months later, which put my career on hold for a few years, flipped my world upside down, yet also became one of the biggest blessings in my life. Because of it, I met some of my closest friends and my husband. It also opened up my view of the world, grew my compassion, and shifted my focus. Since then, I have launched some things that I hold so close to my heart: The Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Foundation, Stranded dry shampoo, and my blog, called LSK. I am also working on two new things that I am so excited about: toxin-free, germ-killing, biodegradable wipes for any surface on-the-go and a three month subscription program, called The Clean Sweep, that is a hand-holding guide on how to clean up your life. Each month, we dive fully into food, products, and practices + focus on that fact that this is a process, and it is important to take it at your own pace.

This means so much to me. Thank you! I grew up in a very deep and conversation-filled family. My parents were divorced for seven years and got remarried to each other, which led them to share their story openly to help other couples and marriages. We would have people, including close family friends, sitting around the round table in our kitchen, laughing and then crying as we all shared our real lives. Those were the best moments, and it taught me how important vulnerability is! In order to build lasting friendships, it is so necessary to let people truly know and understand you. Because of my upbringing, my main goal through social media and my blog is to create a community, and I think the best way to do that is by sharing life; struggles included!

I received prosthetic arms about six months after my accident, and I was so grateful because all of the arms were nearly fully covered by my insurance. At this point, I had not yet met any one who had lost a limb or anyone who wore a prosthesis, so I thought my coverage story was normal. Shortly after, I started meeting so many girls, and they each would share their story of not being able to afford a good quality prosthesis. I came to realize how rare my story was, and these stories broke my heart. I had experienced so much renewal and wholeness from this physical object that produced such internal healing effects, and I wanted every one to have the opportunity to experience that. From that point on, I started praying with the intention of wanting to make that possible. I soon after met my two precious friends, Lisa and Ashley, who both lost their legs and had the same passion I did, and the process of creating LSKF began. God has been in every single detail. It has been so humbling and powerful to be a part of + the opportunity to walk alongside these girls in their prosthetic journey is the biggest gift.

The first book I wrote, called Still LOLO, goes into detail about my plane propeller accident in 2011, the loss that resulted, my emotional and physical healing journey, and how my faith carried me through this time. I think so many people can relate to the book because it is written from a point of view that speaks from my family’s perspective as well as mine. So many people see trauma solely from the subject’s point of view, even though it effects so many others, so I like how this book emphasizes that! Even though every circumstance is different, every one goes through some sort of pain in their life, so my desire in writing this was to bring encouragement and hope to those going through something difficult. Your Beautiful Heart is geared towards teenage girls and focuses on the truth that God’s love is what makes us lovely. I use stories from my accident, my recovery, and my experiences in the fashion world to explore issues that a lot of girls face: body image, self-worth, and peer pressure. I talk a lot about where I have learned true beauty comes from!

The phrase rooted in balance comes from the goal that every piece of life feels balanced and making steps to create that. To explain further, I feel like I cannot be the best wife, sister, daughter, or friend if I fill my schedule to the brim, overload myself with work projects, or if I don’t make any time to care for my own body and relationships. I am still in process of learning this, as we all are, especially for those of us innate people pleasers like me! I have learned over the years how important it is to say no (even to good things), how necessary rest is, and how life feels chaotic if I am not prioritizing quality time with the people who are most important to me. I have come to realize that saying no gets easier and easier, and I have come to the awareness that I am responsible to create my own pace of life. It is so easy to compare to how others do life, but I have recognized and have gained so much peace to know it is okay to do what is best for myself and my family, even if it differs from the majority of people around me.

My all time favorite PP product is the Beauty Cream. It has influenced the health of my skin so much. I also love the Blue Tansy and Lemongrass Oil. I use them as hair masks as well as body oil. They smell so amazing, and I love the oils extra much in the cooler seasons when my body needs extra moisture. I truly believe that your skin health starts on the inside. When your gut health is thriving, your skin is thriving. Celery juice in the morning an hour before food every morning is one of the most important parts of my daily routine. Another tip: always wash your face and spend time to take care of yourself. Oh! And rest. Take baths. Take long breaks from your phone.

Photography by Stefanie Johnson