INFLUENCER TURNED TO SELF-CARE AFTER HUSBAND'S SUDDEN DEATH. SHE WAS SHOCKED BY HOW IT TRANSFORMED HER LIFE (EXCLUSIVE)

Brielle Persun established a following on social media by posting about books, but evolved her page toward broader lifestyle content amid her grief journey

NEED TO KNOW

• Book influencer Brielle Persun's husband Tyler died in January 2025, four months after the couple welcomed their first child
• In addition to "Bookstagram" content, Persun has also folded in lifestyle content; notably, she started to build and share her skincare journey with her 23,000 followers
• The single mom tells PEOPLE that the routine of tending to her skin has offered new ways for Persun to feel better on even the hardest of days

Brielle Persun made her name on social media as a "Bookstagram" influencer, but after the sudden death of her husband, Tyler, she evolved the scope of her content creation.

In addition to literary commentary, reviews and recommendations, she started posting about single motherhood and raising her son, Colby, who was born about four months before Tyler died on Jan. 10, 2025. On Instagram and TikTok, Persun discussed grief and life after loss, but she also allowed more room for levity, sharing day-in-the-life vlogs, outfit-of-the-day posts and the like.

One of her biggest new areas is skincare content. In the year since Persun lost her husband, she tells PEOPLE that she's found peace in building a ritual around that self-care.

"I literally used to just throw water on my face and call it a day with skincare. I just never felt like I had enough time or things like that," the content creator shares. "I really needed to throw myself into a routine that I stick to, because it's really helping with just getting through those really quiet moments."

A certain silence sets in after Persun puts Colby to sleep around 7 p.m. It's a time of day she would be spending with Tyler if he were still alive. She realized that she could avoid the emptiness with her head in a book, or she could fill the space with something that felt like an improvement.

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"So I went on this crazy skincare journey, and I was incorporating it with listening to my audiobook," she recalls. "And then I started doing more get-ready-with-me [videos] because I started being like, 'If I get up every day, make my bed, really get ready, do my hair — even if I don't leave the house, it starts your day off in such a different way.'"

As the year went on and her online presence as @BookswithBrielle evolved, Persun noticed her appearance following suit. "From the Christmas when Tyler was still alive to this Christmas, it's a different face," she tells PEOPLE.

"It sounds trivial when I'm saying it, I get that, but it became much more than just the skincare. It then became taking care of myself, caring about how I put together what's going on," Persun explains. "Feeling better about yourself helps just start your day when you're not doing great."

Read the original article on People

2026-01-19T15:01:18Z