Meet Loreen Hwang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Loreen Hwang.

Loreen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I use to be in biotech before I started my blog. Seven years ago, my dad passed away suddenly. We had worked together and after he died, I didn’t want to be in biotech anymore. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do but I had taken a year off of work. A friend of mine suggested to me to start a blog and at that time, I didn’t even know what a blog was. I created a blog called Tried and Tested Beauty that was just focused on beauty. I grew out of that and rebranded into a luxury lifestyle blog. I wanted to share more about travel, food, and wellness. I still share about skincare and different non-invasive treatments but I like being able to share different experiences with my community.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My first blog wasn’t easy. I was a learning process the first year. I had to find my voice. Instagram wasn’t big and now it has really changed the way bloggers share. I also started my first blog with a friend on the other side of the country so it didn’t make it smooth for communication. We had very different work ethics so it was another reason that I wanted to rebrand and start my own thing. One too many fights made me leave my old blog.

Starting fresh was scary because I chose a name that wouldn’t be easy to remember. Coucou Jolie means Hey Pretty in French. I wasn’t sure how it would it take but I took a poll with my friends and had them vote on their favorite name and I just went for it.

I had the support of my friends and PR contacts to start new. It was really stressful at the beginning but after the first year it really took off. I really try to stay honest with my audience because I don’t want to be one giant ad. That wasn’t the reason I started I really just wanted to share things that I love. I have the access to people like doctors, experts in different fields and I love sharing the things I learn so that we can all learn. The key is to true to yourself and others can see your authenticity.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My blog is a luxury lifestyle blog. I cover everything from fine dining, travel, skincare treatments and more. Focusing on luxury items sets me apart from others because it’s niche in the influencer world. I think that people like to read about and know if it’s worth trying. You may not buy a $15,000 facial but you may want to read if it’s worth it. I do laser treatments and those are high price treatments but it’s something that is worth the investment. I am really honest with how the process of those treatments are. I show exactly what recovery is like. I don’t just show the before and after. I post my face looking really swollen because I believe that if I am showing you what I’m trying you should know exactly what you will be experiencing if you are spending your money on something expensive.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is doing something that makes you happy and that also helps and inspire others. It’s not always going to be easy sometimes you need to stick with it even through hard times. There will be days you want to give up but if you follow through and watch what you have made grow that’s something you can be proud of. I use my platform to not just talk about the finer things in life. I use it to help different organizations. Charities in LA and when I volunteer with places, I share those experiences and tell people how they can get involved. Having a large platform and voice can really make change in the world. Even if it’s something small like paying it forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: coucoujolie.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: coucoujolieblog
• Facebook: facebook.com/coucoujolie
• Twitter: coucou_jolie

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