Best Celebrities: Lauren Conrad

Lauren Katherine Conrad (born February 1, 1986) is an American television personality, celebutante, fashion designer, and author. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and professional life as she pursued a career in the fashion industry.

Conrad has written three books in her L.A. Candy trilogy with a spin-off trilogy in the works, and has two fashion lines; LC by Lauren Conrad and Paper Crown. She, her hairstylist, and her makeup artist run a beauty website, The Beauty Department.Conrad was born in Laguna Beach, California to parents Jim and Kathy. She is the oldest of three children. Her younger siblings are Breanna and Brandon. In 2004, Conrad appeared on MTV Cribs, giving a tour of her Laguna Beach home.

During Conrad's senior year of high school, she appeared in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County in which she agreed to have her life taped. Upon graduation in 2004, she attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for one semester along with her friend, Heidi Montag. During the second season of Laguna Beach, she returned home and began taking classes at a local community college before subsequently transferring to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.Conrad at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.After the success of Laguna Beach, MTV developed The Hills, a spin-off series. The series originally documented the personal and professional lives of Lauren and her friends (Heidi Montag, Audrina Patridge, and Whitney Port) while living in Los Angeles, California. The first season premiered on MTV on May 31, 2006. At the time, Conrad was an intern at Teen Vogue while living with then-housemate Heidi Montag.

In 2007, Conrad appeared as a satirical version of herself in the comedy Epic Movie. In 2008, Conrad made a cameo appearance in an episode of Greek. In May 2009, Conrad appeared as a cartoon and ironic version of herself in an episode of Family Guy. Conrad had previously done voice work for the show in the episode Prick Up Your Ears in a spoof of Laguna Beach. Conrad's first fashion line, The Lauren Conrad Collection, debuted at the Mercedes-Benz LA Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in March 2008. In March 2009, Conrad announced that she would be taking a break from the fashion line. As a result, 2009's spring and summer lines were canceled. She earns an estimated $1.5 million annually for her television appearances, fashion line, and product endorsements. In fall 2009, Conrad launched LC by Lauren Conrad in Kohl's stores nationwide. Conrad appeared as a guest judge during Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model. In August 2009, Conrad appeared on an episode of the tenth anniversary edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, playing for her charity: m.powerment by mark. She was asked one question for $50,000 and answered correctly after using her "Ask the Audience" lifeline. In 2010, she guest starred on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.

Conrad released her first novel, L.A. Candy, on June 16, 2009. Inspired by her personal life, the book focuses on a young woman who moves to Los Angeles and becomes the star of a reality show. It was a New York Times bestseller. The second novel, Sweet Little Lies, was released on February 16, 2010. The final novel, Sugar and Spice, was released on October 5, 2010, along with another book, Style, which is about her experiences in and her knowledge of the fashion industry as well as being a style guide. In 2011, Conrad made another three-book deal with publisher HarperCollins. The books, titled The Fame Game, will be a spin-off series of the L.A. Candy trilogy and will follow character Madison Parker.

Conrad launched a production company, Blue Eyed Productions, in early 2009. It has purchased the rights to turn L.A. Candy into a movie, in which Conrad would serve as an executive producer. The movie would be based on all three books.

On September 24, 2010, Conrad announced during an On Air with Ryan Seacrest interview that she would star in an upcoming MTV reality series. The show would focus on her fashion career rather than focusing on her personal life, which she says "will be something very different" from The Hills. The series began filming in mid-October 2010.Conrad is working on launching a new fashion line, Paper Crown, and is scheduled to be in stores by fall 2011. The line is her third collection after The Lauren Conrad Collection and LC by Lauren Conrad. Her now defunct reality show would have focused on the creation and launch of the line.

In April 2011, Conrad, along with her hairstylist Kristin Ess and her makeup artist Amy Nadine, launched a beauty website called The Beauty Department. The site offers beauty advice and tips as well as how-tos and tutorials.