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Lara Eurdolian, Pretty Connected Beauty Blog

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Wake me up before I go go

Being a blogger and always juggling a hectic schedule, there are two thing I rely on more than anything, especially to wake up, it’s COFFEE and music! This magical caffeinated drink is a morning (and afternoon) must-have and if I could have it hand-delivered to my bed everyday I would. But I found the next best thing!

Mr.Coffee 4-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker – My boyfriend ordered this off Amazon for $27 and it’s like the greatest thing to ever happen to me. You can program it to brew coffee at a certain time so when my alarm goes off, so does my coffee! You can also just kit the button and make it instantly but the timer feature has taken the coffee machine from my kitchen to my night stand. There are more sophisticated versions I linked to above, but minus being a little loud when it brews — which really doesn’t bother me since I’m trying to wake up anyways, it’s changed my life. And I’m a dark roast Lavazza girl, Intenso and Perfetto are my jam. I love a dark roast but don’t like to feel shaky or anxious and it’s perfect. There are a lot of great coffee brands out there but this is one I always find myself going back to. I used to be an ambassador for them and it’s just one of those brands I always go back to. While I’m geeking out on coffee, I also recently discovered TFees Straws.  True coffee and tea addict know that staining, enamel erosion, and discoloration are only a few of the issues that can arise from our beloved beverages. TFees’ patented heat safe & completely BPA, BPS & estrogenic-free reusable drinking straws, that come in three convenient sizes help to protect teeth without having to worry about harmful toxins or chemicals. Plus they can be cleaned by simply throwing them in the dishwasher.

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This Weekend! The Makeup Show NYC

This weekend, May 7-8th, kicks off the NYC Makeup Show, which for those who don’t know, is the holy grail of beauty brands and makeup professionals. The Makeup Show is the largest pro makeup event in the United States and teaches event goers techniques straight off the NYFW runways as well as giving them the opportunity to mingle with talented artists and shop their favorite pro brands (at a super discounted price, might I add). It’s also a time for star brands to unveil their latest collections and products for the first time ever. Like MAKE UP FOR EVER, will preview four products from their new Professional Artistic Collection which aren’t slated to launch until September. They also are offering discounds on some of their most esteemed core products.

The show runs from May 7-8, 9;00 am-6:00 pm at The Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, NYC.

The Makeup Show is open to all professionals working or studying in the beauty and fashion industry. For tickets and to learn more visit: themakeupshow.com/nyc

BITE Launches The Lip Pencil

Bite Beauty has done it again with their latest launch of The Lip Pencil. I’m addicted to lip liners so this launch I’m especially excited for, although I am one to use their Matte Cream Lip Crayon to line my lips for a thicket edge. These of course offer more precision but much like their other lippies is super pigmented and the perfect addition to the line. Featuring 28 new shades, The Lip Pencil collection offers precise coverage with their super sharpened tip (just make sure to own a good sharpener!) and are easy to blend for a no-mess application.

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Road Trip to Joshua Tree in the Volvo XC60

California was one big road trip for me starting in Los Angeles to Palm Springs for Coachella with stops in Pioneer Town and Joshua Tree, two must-dos if you’re in the Palm Springs area before taking a tour of Orange County. I’m not a light packer when it comes to music festivals and being on the road for three weeks didn’t help… that, coupled with James’ stuff, a compact car was unrealistic.

Fortunately we partnered with Volvo to try out the 2017 Volvo XC60, which we basically lived out of. We had the T6 AWD Inscription trim – it drove like a dream, so much that at one point I looked down at the speedometer and found myself pushing 90, when I felt like I was going maybe 60. It’s incredible how quiet it is, smooth and solid feeling no matter what speed you’re going.

It was one of the most comfortable rides through Joshua Tree and the timing could not have been better. With all the rain they’ve been experiencing there were wild flowers blooming that hadn’t budded in decades. With so many colors, it was beautiful! We stopped to climb the rocks, walk some trails, stroll through the cactus garden, and even met a snake along the way. Enjoy the drive with us in the video above, More on the car and photo gallery below!

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Coachella Diaries: Neon Carnival, Victoria’s Secret Angel Oasis, Nylon, Bumbleland and more!

Coachella is always my favorite time of the year and this season, the parties were especially epic! The classics like Neon Carnival, I always look forward to as well as some new events like Victoria’s Secret Angel Oasis. This year we made it a double date and I traveled around with my girl, Kristi from Currently Crushing. For all the music, you can livestream the performances at live.coachella.com, as for the parties here’s a peek into them! All the parties featured in the video with details below!

COACHELLA DAY 1

Pre-festival hike with with Asics and Cobra Fitness Club.

If you’re in the Palm Springs Area, the Tahquitz Canyon Trail is a beautiful way to start the day. Asics outfitted guests outfits including these ASICS DynaFlyte sneakers for a pre-festival hike.

Victoria’s Secret VS Angel Oasis

This party did not disappoint, set in a beautiful mansion and with impeccable grounds there was not a shortage of activations or VS Angels dancing! They customized Levi’s denim jackets with angel wings by Phoebe Paints and Julia Adelina. Sarah Potempa of The Beachwaver and her team were doing hair (just like at the VS Fashion Show!), while Tarte was on makeovers (yes, their Shape Tape is everything it’s cracked up to be), and LECHAT was providing nail art and gel manicures. Frasier Sterling was also customizing chokers and RAD + REFINED was bedazzling their sunglasses and featured a special performance by Bebe Rexha! They also debuted their new Sexy Little Things collection, which is so hot! Quick slide show below of some favorites!

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Burt’s Bees Bring Back the Bee’s Campaign

James and I at the Westin Mission Hills Bee Farm

I love bees. They literally make the world a brighter and better place. They pollinate all sorts of fruits and vegetables and the fact that they are disappearing at such an alarming rate is something we should all be paying attention to. From 2015-2016, the bee population has declined by a whopping 44% primarily due to unreliable food sources and pesticides. Which is why I’m so happy to see Burt’s Bee’s take some initiative on this! I kind of can’t stress enough how much these littler hard workers do for us!

Burt’s Bees is bringing back their ‘2016 Bring Back the Bees’ campaign where they helped plant over one billion wildflowers (an important food source for bees) again this year. The brand hosted their 2017 Bring Back the Bees kick-off party with actresses Troian Bellisario and Zosia Mamet, who are teaming up with the brand to combat declining bee populations, one selfie and lip balm at a time.

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Geared for More with Adidas Golf

Growing up I used to love going to the driving range with my dad. It was one of my most favorite father-daughter activities. Granted I was terrible and no idea the difference between a driver and a putter but I had decent form and if I played my cards right (or had some blind luck) the stars would align and I’d hit a perfectly fluid shot. And it was the best feeling ever! Since then I’ve stayed at a number of exceptional properties that offer golfing but always felt intimidated hitting the course without my dad. Or maybe it was because I’m an adult now and being the competitive athlete that I am, I wasn’t ready to completely bomb at something.

After this week in Palm Springs and some motivation from Adidas Golf, I could not have been more pumped! I’ve been a longtime Adidas fan and I’m so excited to be partnering with them this summer to take lessons and test out their gear. Their Geared for More campaign is all about bringing your A-game to the course and preparing for victory. Between that and visiting the beautiful Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort (located in Rancho Mirage, right outside of Palm Springs) I was ready to bury my intimidated attitude and really take advantage of the property — and at the very least blend in.

I mean, how cute is this outfit? I’m channeling my inner pro golfer that vacations at PGA properties and spending more time in a golf cart than actual car. And speaking of the clothes, the fabric in this Golf Double Stripe Short Sleeve Polo is magic. I’ve been melting in the sun and not a single sweat mark! It’s moisture-wicking makes me look so dry and breathes so well! Also the top is a UPF50, which means it has a protection from the sun (think SPF 50 level), which is so necessary on the course. The Essentials 5 Shorts Women’s Shorts are super lightweight and move comfortably. Topped off with the Climacross Boost Women’s Golf Shoes, which are hands down my favorite, such a perfect hybrid between a golf shoe and running sneaker. Excellent grip combined with side mesh makes it breathable and comfortable to wear. It also features their Torsion System to stabilize feet while walking and swinging. I felt very secure in my stance when hitting and love the look of them!

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Read Before Desert: Coachella Packing Guide

I can’t believe Coachella is almost here! I’m so excited for some time with my boyfriend and to see all my LA friends in what I consider three of the most fun days of the year! I’m not even sure if I’m more excited for the festival or the parties! I keep seeing all of these ‘what to wear’ and ‘festival makeup’ tutorials but not so much the nitty gritty essentials that have made the experience so much better. So here it is, my compilation of must haves that will make your life so much easier:


 SPF! And a minimum of an SPF30 at that! I have my sunblock in everything from my primer, makeup to my self tanner! With the amount of sunburns I’ve seen and the amount of fun you can expect in the sun, don’t skip on sun protection! Pick your favorite but some new ones I’ve been obsessed with is Paula’s Choice RESIST Smoothing Primer Serum SPF 30, which has skin benefits, and acts like a primer with spf so your makeup goes on smoother. Murad City Age Defense SPF 50 is a current favorite as well, it’s probably the smoothest and most lightweight SPF I own, and super purse friendly. Lastly my assistant turned me onto Almay Healthy Glow Makeup + Self Tan SPF 20, which after a long winter and white legs instantly makes me look tan. It also makes my legs look ten years younger and covers all my spider veins and even some burn marks I have from some mishap clothing steamer experiences. Just a disclaimer though, don’t wear under white or pants, it does run (or at least it does for me even though I wait hours before putting anything over). It’s just my go to before going out and then I like to wash it off at night.

Moisturize – it gets dry in the desert! You want a good moisturizer to start and end your day and put back the hydration. The reformulated Olay Total Effects is a 7 in 1 moisturizer that does it all from replenishing moisture, evening skintone and smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. The biggest note though for Coachella is in the updated forumla they added 50% more Vitamin E and twice the amount of Green Tea Extract which are two powerful antioxidants that protect skin cells against free radical damage (aka damage from sun exposure). I talk more about this product HERE.

Portable Steamer – those cute clothes mean nothing if they are all wrinkled from traveling. Personally I love Conair Turbo ExtremeSteam Handheld Fabric Steamer, granted it’s a little bulkier than some of the others on the market, it’s by far the best portable steamer I’ve ever used and works as well as my heavy duty one at home.

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Made in LA

It’s so great to be back in LA! I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve been back. Usually, I say in Santa Monica but I’ve had a blast exploring some of the other parts of LA with my amazing tour guide and host, Kristi from Currently Crushing. Her partner is an incredible photographer and I’ve had a blast shooting around the city from scenic hike areas to the classic “Made in LA” mural I’ve seen all over Instagram.

Outfit details: Jessture NY white button down dress (similar) Forever21 Belt (on sale!), MCM vintage bag (similar), Brian Atwood Platform Wedges, Sunday Somewhere sunglasses.

 
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My Olay Journey is Live!

Results Matter – My 28-Day Journey with Olay

If you caught me in last month’s issue of Health magazine, you may have seen my partnership with Olay and interview where I shared my results of the 28-day clinical trial for the re-launch of their award-winning Total Effects Anti-Aging Moisturizer. You can read the whole article HERE. Formulated to nourish skin and reduce the 7 signs of aging, Olay re-engineered the original formula to now include 50% more Vitamin E and double the amount of Green Tea Extract to provide full protection against free radical damage.

Why does this matter? Natural antioxidants in our skin gets depleted in our skin over time due to sun exposure (wear that SPF!). Vitamin E and Green Tea Extract which are present in Total Effects, help to boost antioxidant levels while delivering powerful anti-aging benefits that improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin. Olay also reformulated other core products this year to enable women today to achieve the best results for their skin.

I am thrilled to unveil how I was able to test the performance of these new formulas in a most exciting way *drum roll please*….through a split face blind test with my mom! Want to find out if Olay’s reformulations really deliver results at any age? Watch our video here:

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