Julianne Hough Is Proof That Beauty Begins Within

AT 36, Julianne Hough is flourishing. Her first novel, Everything We Never Knew, hit bookshelves in August. Her thriving dance-based fitness and well-being platform Kinrgy expanded to its first brick-and-mortar studio in West Hollywood in the spring (with more to follow in coming months). And fans of Dancing With the Stars can expect to see the Emmy-winning performer return to the show this fall as a co-host.

And, on Sept. 26, Hough is hosting a special Beauty Awards event with Los Angeles magazine and its sister publication, Orange Coast, at L.A.’s chic residential skyscraper Figueroa Eight. She’s perfect for the role. As she sees it, fitness, well-being, beauty and embracing one’s creative soul are all related. And when you feel good inside, you look good outside.

“Usually in fitness and health, we’re always concerned about looking at the 3-D versions of ourselves, our physical bodies,” Hough says. “But when we look at the energetic body of how we feel and what we evoke, that’s what I think true beauty is. … It’s just an added bonus because most people who feel incredible look amazing and radiate from the inside out.”

That’s certainly the case with Hough — there’s a glow about her, a beauty that goes far beyond the surface. It’s the kind of look you see in people who are in a good place in their lives, as if they’ve found the secret to living a joyful life. And Hough may very well be among that group of lucky folks. She didn’t arrive at this point easily, but she’s found power and inspiration in life’s lessons.

“I went through such a transformation in 2017, one that really informed probably the biggest transformation of my life,” Hough notes in a Conversation with the Authors Q&A for Everything We Never Knew. That’s the year she wed NHL player Brooks Laich (they split in 2020) and the year she and sibling Derek launched their Move-Beyond-Live on Tour show. She also appeared as a host of the Miss USA pageant. And it’s right around the time she experienced what’s called a Saturn return.

“Every 30 years, all the planets are in the same position they were when you were born, and it allows you to look at yourself and ask, ‘Am I the most authentic version of myself? Or am I living off of patterns and behaviors that have shaped me?’” she says. “The path of Saturn’s return is unraveling all of that to get back to yourself again, otherwise you continue living on, getting further away from your true self.”

You see that in her book, which tells the story of Lexi Cole, a successful real estate agent who experiences her own Saturn return when she’s hit with a realization that she can feel other people’s emotions and experience their memories. Hough co-wrote the novel with author Ellen Goodlett and used her own experiences to inform Lexi’s character.

“For years, people have been curious about my personal story and have been asking me when I’m going to write my own autobiography,” she says. “It never felt fully right for me to tell my story, but I wanted to write something that was specific to experiences and lessons that I learned along my journey, without giving too much detail of my private life.”

Since her own Saturn return, Hough co-founded Fresh Vine Wine in 2019, followed in 2020 by the launch of Kinrgy, which incorporates breathwork, movement and imagination to harness and release energy, and is inspired by the elements (air, earth, fire and water).

“The elements are what really inspired me to take some sort of visualization that was universal and that everybody understood,” says Hough, who recently launched a website (juliannehough.com), which she describes as a hub for celebrating movement, music and living life to its fullest. “We are all technically nature by nature. … There are so many shamanic teachings that use the elements, too. Tai chi and Qigong were also big parts of creating this modality through different energies and body positions. Activating the breath was a huge part, too, because when you change breath patterns and sounds, you can change your body frequency and move stagnant energy.”

Proof of the program’s popularity: What began as an online platform has expanded to brick-and-mortar with the March opening of its aforementioned West Hollywood studio, which will be followed by Redmond, Wash.; North Carolina; Nashville; and New Jersey.

“I truly believe that beauty is from within, and the way you can help activate that beauty within is through doing mindful practices like movement, breathwork, visualization and meditation.”

Clearly, Hough is manifesting success, creativity and well-being. Beautiful, isn’t it?
_

BEAUTY TIPS

While it's true that all the principles of Julianne Hough’s Kinrgy program are intended to foster beauty from within, the multitalented artist-dancer-entrepreneur still has a few daily rituals. Here, she shares her morning and nighttime routines.

Morning Ritual

“I have my glass of lemon water, I brush my teeth and wash my face, and then I go down and get a coffee. I walk my dog Sunny around our neighborhood. Depending on how I’m feeling, I’ll do a steam shower, a sauna or a cold plunge. I usually work out, too. And I love my Laneige lip balm that goes everywhere with me.”

Nighttime Ritual

“Pretty much the same as my morning routine! Washing my face, brushing my teeth and I’ve tried to adopt habits of self-love. My amazing grandmother who just passed away would always look at herself in the mirror, pinch or slap her cheeks in a playful way and say, ‘You are gorgeous! I just love you!’ I’ve tried to adopt that behavior of self-love.”

Best Facial She’s Ever Had

“It was from my sister, Katherine, who is an incredible facialist out of Wilmington, North Carolina. Any time she’s here, I always try to get her to give me a facial.”

Beauty Tool She Can’t Live Without

“I love Oak Essentials balm. It’s one of my favorites — it’s so delicious and silky.”

Top Beauty Tip

“Less is more!”