Who's the Next Martha Stewart?

(Photo: Getty Images)

Let’s get one thing out of the way, real quick: Martha Stewart isn’t going anywhere. The undisputed queen the kitchen and DIY rarely disappoints, from her site’s gorgeously photographed recipes to her sage entertaining advice. Her craft game remains on point. And at this point in her career, Martha isn’t just a brand; she’s an empire.

But that hasn’t stopped legions of celebrities from trying to elbow their way into her limelight, some more successfully than others. We put them to the Martha test to see how they stacked up, judging their sites on quality of recipes, food photography, entertaining know-how, and overall design. We also factored in the guru factor (how much do we trust their advice?) and a few other Martha-like qualities.

So did anyone out-Martha Martha? Read on to find out how many Marthas (on a scale of five) each star earned.

Reese Witherspoon

The pint-sized actress’s newly launched site, Draper James, might be a Southern sorority girl’s version of heaven. The site’s photography is pretty, if a little uninspired, but then again, the site’s motto is “grace and charm,” not “edgy and new.” Still, Draper James is easy-to-navigate and vibrant, and we’ll never tire of seeing Reese’s smiling face, which graces the landing page.

What truly knocks Reese off the Martha pedestal is the absence of recipes or anything remotely crafty on her site. It’s mostly about shopping, with an emphasis on floral prints and precious collar details. The site’s fledgling blog, however, suggests that entertaining could be an emerging focus. And Draper James does sell customizable pewter mint julep cups for $85 a pop, which is great if you’re into that kind of thing.

Rating: 1 "Martha"

Kelis

Upon visiting Bounty & Full, the lifestyle site managed by the singer Kelis, one is greeted by a funky instrumental track punctuated with horns and pulsing drums. Scrolling down to a player at the bottom, it’s revealed to be a sans-vocals version of “Jerk Ribs,” a song off Kelis’s 2014 album, Food, which sets a fitting tone for the rest of the site. (However lovely the track is, it plays on a loop, which could slowly make a person go insane.)

Kelis’s hearty recipes are the stars of Bounty & Full — from stewed Puerto Rican-style pork shoulder to duck fried quinoa — though there is a shopping section devoted to a line of sauces, which includes pineapple saffron glaze and wild cherry bbq sauce. If all this seems like something out of left field, remember that Kelis is actually an alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu, where she “graduated without a doubt knowing that I am a saucier.”

All this goes to say that we trust Kelis in the kitchen. Still, Bounty & Full’s photography is lacking — nearly everything looks as though it was photographed on an iPhone, at night, under fluorescent lights — and there’s no entertaining or décor content whatsoever. The whole site, in fact, feels a bit light on content. But maybe that’s because Kelis is hard at work on a new cookbook?

Rating: 1 “Martha”

Blake Lively

At first glance, one might not realize that the moody site Preserve is the brainchild of the Blake Lively. The landing page is pitch-black (in stark contrast to pristine Goop and Martha Stewart) and declares its intention to cover “the stories and creations of artisans.” Who are these artisans? There are designers like Erin Feniger, whose cherry blossom-embroidered jeans go for $495 on the site. If that gives you sticker shock, perhaps the herb dip variety pack ($25) from all-natural herb company Halladays is more appealing.

There are a few recipes, though they’re not particularly crazy or new: they include a beet and tangerine salad sprinkled with feta and a cheesecake dressed with chocolate and mandarin orange slices. The articles push the envelope a bit more. Among them, an atmospheric write-up of Belle Reve, a cocktail lounge in New York City and a first-person story from Annabel Inganni, the force behind home décor line, Wolfum.

The actress’s sun-kissed locks only make an appearance in a “letter from the editor,” in which she doesn’t sound very confident. “Sitting down to write this editor’s letter has been the hardest thing I’ve done yet on my Preserve journey. I’m more intimidated than I should probably admit,” she writes. “I’m no editor, no artisan, no expert. And certainly no arbiter of what you should buy, wear, or eat.” If Blake doesn’t trust herself, why should we?

We wonder: Is Blake Lively an edgy Martha? Maybe. Truth is, Preserve doesn’t have enough content yet. We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Blake could afford to grow a bit bolder. It’s certainly worked for Martha.

Rating: 2 “Marthas”

Julianne Hough

Jules, the site from Dancing With the Stars champion and judge Julianne Hough, feels more like a personal blog than a lifestyle brand. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “Hey, everyone! I’m Julianne, but my friends call me Jules,” the actress and dancer tells us from a box on the site’s homepage, which — lest you forget whose site this is — remains on the screen even when the reader clicks off to other sections. “I wanted to design a space where I could connect with you all and talk about the things I’m most passionate about, like staying healthy, recipes, style, home décor and friendship.”

And indeed, there are healthy recipes like “chicken soup a la Jules” and “Jules’ stuffed and roasted peppers.” There are also plenty personal anecdotes, which read like an off-the-cuff email, including “That Time I Had to Wear a Bikini on Screen” and plenty of posts about Dancing With the Stars.

One definitely gets the sense Hough typed these posts out herself. And overall, the site is a respectable effort. But it’s hardly up to Martha’s high standards. Some time (and perhaps more contributors) could help bring the site up to par.

Rating: 2 “Marthas”

Zooey Deschanel 

Everyone’s favorite quirky girl Zooey Deschanel co-founded Hello Giggles in 2011 alongside television producer Sophia Rossi and writer Molly McAleer. Since then, the site has garnered a devoted following with a hodgepodge of content geared toward the teen and early 20s sets (including a whole friend-themed section with stories like “15 television quotes every bestie can relate to” and “My bestie and I broke up, but then I got her back. Here’s how”). But nestled under the “culture” section is a vertical entirely devoted to food.

There are recipes — “Here’s how to make Hollandaise sauce like a boss,” “15 awesome summer recipes you need in your life,” and “Hey vegan pals, let’s make beet dip!” to name a few — as well as videos of cats eating ice cream and instructions on how to order pizza on Twitter. Elsewhere on the site, there’s a smattering of D.I.Y. projects.

It’s not even close to Martha’s level, but that’s not the reason Deschanel won’t be snatching her crown. It’s that the New Girl star takes a back seat when it comes to content, preferring to let the site’s editorial team and contributors take the spotlight. Despite knowing how to make a decadent chocolate on chocolate chip pie, Deschanel lacks the trust factor that makes Martha such a powerhouse.

Rating: 2 “Marthas”

Ali Larter

Much like Jules, one has a hard time forgetting that Ali Larter’s site is Ali Larter’s site. Her signature is the site’s banner, and everything is written from her perspective. But wow, those recipes: there are ricotta meatballs with Chianti sauce; jalapeño-flecked cornbread drizzled with maple syrup; and a salted caramel plum tarte tatin that will stop you dead in your tracks.

Ali isn’t a culinary novice — she authored a cookbook, Kitchen Revelry, back in 2013. Her skills are on full display on her site, so much that we don’t really care that its other sections, which cover fashion, décor, and entertaining, are a bit meager.

The site itself is a little busy — there are so many buttons, many of which lead to content that also appears in other sections — but such are the growing pains of a fledgling lifestyle site. In time, we think Ali could give Martha — or at least Gwyneth — a run for her money.

Rating: 3 “Marthas”

Molly Sims

When recipes appear on supermodel Molly Sims’s eponymous lifestyle site, they’re usually for things like superfood smoothies, healthy comfort foods, or something called “detox water.” On a scale of Gwyneth (uber healthy) to Martha (traditional), Sims definitely skews Gwyneth.

Though it definitely caters more to a health and wellness crowd than Martha, the site succeeds on several fronts. The design is clean and easy-to-navigate. The photographs are bright and pretty. And Sims’s face is everywhere, an omnipresent reminder that she’s the one behind it all.

The wealth of content, however, isn’t nearly as robust as Martha’s, or even Gwyneth’s. Nor are they particularly ambitious in difficulty level or scope. Still, the site has potential, and so does Sims.

Rating: 3 “Marthas”

Jessica Alba

The actress is nowhere to be seen on Honestly, the companion blog for the eco-friendly e-commerce site she co-founded in 2011, The Honest Company. From that, some might infer that Alba herself isn’t an expert in the sustainable chocolate chia seed pudding or D.I.Y. candy ornament departments. But it almost doesn’t matter.

The site, though not as design-y as some on this list, is un-intimidating and straightforward. The recipes it features are healthy, but not militantly so, and have an everyday quality to them. Sure, there’s green juice and acai berry bowls, but there’s also stacked eggplant Parmesan and macaroni and cheese with sage. There’s also — be still our hearts — an entire section devoted to D.I.Y. projects.

Rating: 3 ½ “Marthas”

Clinton Kelly

Clinton Kelly has come a long way from What Not to Wear. These days, he’s a brand unto himself: a co-host on ABC’s daytime cooking show, The Chew; the author of several books, including 2008′s Freakin’ Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally be Better than Everyone Else; and the force behind his own lifestyle site, which, though not the prettiest thing we’ve ever seen, is reasonably fleshed out.

There’s a section devoted to food and drink, with recipes like slow cooker bourbon barbecue ribs and no-mayo chicken salad. They’re not the most ambitious dishes, but the imagery is cheerful and the ingredient lists approachable. These meals are no-doubt crowd pleasers. Another section is geared toward D.I.Y. projects and decorating tips, a.k.a Martha territory. But the projects are far simpler than anything she’d do — most emphasis ease, like “Cheap-o Table Linens, Transformed! Try this No-Sew Trick” and “7 Easy DIY Party Ideas to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo—or Any Other Summer Fiesta!” The results are less impressive, too.

Still, the site certainly speaks to Kelly’s fans from his What Not to Wear days; there’s a wealth of fashion and style content. It’s these devoted fans who might be tempted to buy items from Kelly’s dinnerware line at Macy’s and stationary collection for Papyrus. And with paying customers comes brand power. Kelly’s site may be a bit lacking, but given his other extracurriculars, we think he could give Martha a run for her hand-crafted doilies one day.

Rating: 3 ½ “Marthas.”

Gwyneth Paltrow

The most famous — and arguably most successful — of the pack is Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, whose site, Goop, seems to get under Martha Stewart’s skin. Other critics level that Goop is too aspirational — not everyone wants to/is able to shell out $375 for a five-day soup cleanse — but let’s give credit where credit is due. Gwynnie’s site is one of the most robust in its class, with a broad range of content from in-depth city guides to explainers on how to get mercury out of your system. True, Goop is lacking on the D.I.Y. front, but it delves into territory that goes beyond Martha’s reach, like great new podcasts and spring shoe trends. And the site itself is gorgeous — the clean, crisp, and white aesthetic isn’t so dissimilar from Marthastewart.com — and the bright, barely-styled photographs are quite beautiful.

As for trust factor? We’re not always game for an intense detox — Goop features a ton of them — but Paltrow clearly is. Her motivations, however different at times from our own, seem to come from a pure place. For that reason, we trust her.

Rating: 4 “Marthas”

Lauren Conrad 

O.K., so Lauren Conrad’s lifestyle site is pink. Very pink. It’s girlier than Witherspoon’s Draper James, and nearly the diametric opposite of Lively’s Preserve. But there’s something very, well, Martha about it. The site boasts a ton of food content, from “healthy grilling tips” to a recipe for green chili chicken tacos with queso dip. The “decorate” section is full of articles like “The Chicest Desk Décor” and “How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen in 5 Simple Steps.” And there’s even a whole corner of the site devoted to — hello — crafting.

Sure, Martha probably wouldn’t touch a Coachella-themed D.I.Y. dream catcher with a 10-foot pole, but that’s beside the point. Lauren Conrad has come a long way from dramatic Laguna Beach — and she might be the new Martha for the girly millennial.

Rating: 4 “Marthas”

Honorable Mentions:

Tiffani Thiessen

We admit, the Saved by the Bell beauty’s lifestyle site isn’t what we expected. It’s clean. It’s pretty. It’s well laid-out. The photos, colorful and styled just the right amount, are just dreamy. It’s as though Kelly Kapowski secretly harbored fantasies of being Martha Stewart, grew up, and did something about it. But Thiessen’s site is young. Its content, though beautiful, is sparse. Call us in a few months, Tiffani!

Haylie Duff

Hilary Duff’s big sister has been blogging since 2012 at The Real Girl’s Kitchen, which was adapted into a show on the Cooking Channel in 2014. Duff keeps up the site with new recipes and restaurant reviews, though it feels more like a personal blog and less like a lifestyle site. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. It’s “real.” But it’s not Martha.

Kris Jenner

Everyone’s favorite momager doesn’t have a lifestyle site, but she’s definitely a brand — and with her recent cookbook, In the Kitchen With Kris, seems to be eyeing Martha’s territory.

Elizabeth Banks

We’re just as surprised as you are that funnywoman Elizabeth Banks has a lifestyle site. Mostly, it’s just videos of Banks mugging for the camera, answering “really important questions” like ice cream vs. cheesecake. Good for a laugh, not much for anything else.

Trisha Yearwood

Did you know that the country star has authored not one, but three cookbooks? She has. Or that she has her own line of cookware? She does. Though her site isn’t very fleshed out, it does feature hearty recipes on her site, from chicken broccoli casserole to cowboy lasagna. A little more time and effort, and we think Yearwood could be the Southern Martha Stewart.

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Who do you think will be the next Martha Stewart? Let us know below!