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Lara Eurdolian, Pretty Connected Beauty Blog

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Kat Von D Lock-It Fall 2016 Collection

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I’ve been a long time fan of Kat Von D so to meet her a few months back, was such a big moment for me! She hosted a beautiful presentation of her Fall 2016 collection which recently launched. Included in the collection is a relaunch of  the Kat Von D Lock-it Foundation, Kat Von D Lock-it Concealer Creme, Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder and a range of brushes. I’ve been playing with the collection since receiving it and here are my thoughts!

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Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation in Medium 52 Warm,Lock-It Concealer M29 Neutral, White-Out and Setting Powder

Kat Von D Lock-it Concealer Creme ($26) – love the new concealer! It’s creamy, easily blends and offers full coverage. I use it under my eyes and areas that need more coverage. If you’d like to splurge on multiple shades they can be used to contour, especially since they launched shade “White Out” as part of the range which can be used from anything to contour, lighting a foundation or brighten under eyes — I even dab a little on my lips to create a slight ombre effect.

Kat Von D Lock-it Foundation ($35) – The relaunch of her best-selling foundation, carries the same thing, long wear formula in a new packaging and more shades. Now available in 30 shades, it’s a full coverage formula that you only need a little bit of since it’s so thick.It’s the opposite of the concealer that’s so blendable. With the foundation you only need the tiniest bit — one small pump, takes out discoloration, stops shines and hides blemishes, scarring and just about anything else. It’s ultra matte and lasts all day but can be hard to work with since it’s so thick, I usually cut it with a primer (I’ve heard hers is really good but I’ve been using Marc Jacobs Coconut Primer). It’s a very intense foundation otherwise and one you need to shade match correctly. There’s no budging with this foundation. It doesn’t move and it also doesn’t adjust to your skin tone so make sure you get your correct shade!

Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder ($30) – I absolutely love this powder. The new translucent loose powder helps sets makeup and blends beautifully. I’ve been shiny all summer and it absorbs all my oils and leaves skin so soft. No weird white cast, it’s weightless and contains micro-blurring technology for an instant soft-matte finish. I hope they launch it in a smaller size as well for when I travel.

Kat Von D also launched a range of brushes as part of the collection, the Lock-It Edge Foundation Brush ($34) and Lock-It Edge Concealer Brush ($24), Lock-It Setting Powder Brush ($38), and Lock-It Precision Powder Brush ($32).

As always, all Kat Von D products are 100% vegan and cruelty free. And available exclusively at Sephora. Learn more at Sephora.com

Jane Iredale Launches Cream Primer Eyeshadow

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For fall Jane Iredale has launched a range of creamy, blendable eye shadow/primers, Smooth Affair for Eyes as well as three Retractable Brow Pencils and a new addition to the PureMoist Lipstick — shade Cindy, named for longtime fan Cindy Crawford.

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The brow pencils (swatched above) comes in Blonde (golden brown),  Dark Brunette (rich chocolate brown), and Brunette (Reddish Brown) and has a thin, ultra fine 1.7mm retractable precision tip making it easy to fill in and create hair-like strokes. The new Cindy PureMoist lipstick is a classic, bold red that is ultra-moisturizing. The formula features antioxidants as well as Avocado and Sunflower Seed Oils to help protect and condition lips. Cindy joins the PureMoist Lipstick range which now includes 26 shades.

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Lastly, they have launched what I’m most excited about, Smooth Affair for Eyes, a line of smudge-proof, cream to powder eyeshadows that double as a primer. It’s a really light tint on it’s own or great as a base to layer your eyeshadow on top. Swatched above in order are shades: Gold, Lemon, Canvas, Naked, Iced Brown and Petal.

The collection is now available at JaneIredale.com and Dermstore.com

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection

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I was just about ready to pop some champagne bottles when the new Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection arrived at my doorstep. I mean over 10 years in beauty and it’s collections like this that still take my breath away. becca-cosmetics-#champagneglow-collection

You’re looking at 4 Champagne Splits Shimmering Skin Perfector Mineral Blush Duo compacts (Prosecco Pop/Pamplemousse, Champagne Pop/Flowerchild, Champagne Pop/Hyacinth, and Prosecco Pop/Amaretto), 3 Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlight (in Pearl, Champagne and Topaz) and the Champagne Collection Angles Highlighting Brush. becca-cosmetics-champagne-pop-duo-blush-review-and-swatches

The shades are swatched above, the Shimmering Skin Perfector Slimlight to the left and the Compacts to the right. I’ve been traveling the last week and grabbed the Prosecco Pop/Amaretto along with the Champagne Collection Angled Highlighting Brush for the road. It’s the one you’ve seen all over my snapchat, I literally can’t get enough. Especially of the Prosecco Pop, I highlight my cheeks and under my brows and use the slightest amount on the cresent of my upper lip. I’ve been in every climate from NYC heat wave to ocean breeze and it lasts all day and doesn’t melt off. You need a very little bit to get that perfect glow. becca-cosmetics-champagne-pop-blush-duo-brush-sephora

Learn more at sephora.com

Celebrate National Dog Day with the Westin Mission Hills

 

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I have to say National Dog Day holds a special sentiment now that I have Charlie in my life. And it’s all thanks to the Westin Mission Hills!! It hard to believe we’ve only been together for 4th months — I literally can’t remember my world without him.

As some of you know Charlie was part of the Westin’s pet adoption program through Animal Samaritans, a no-kill animal shelter that lets one dog live in the lobby of the hotel until they get adopted.

Charlie was dog #42 until we took him home. Now the hotel is celebrating their goal of getting 50 dogs adopted with a “Yappy Hour” they are hosting in honor of National Dog Day. Being hosted today, August 26th from 4-6pm, there will be a pooch portrait booth and a free dog toy for every canine in attendance.

The program is a year old and already to have found so many dogs loving homes, this is quite a milestone! I hope more hotels take note since we weren’t even on the market for a dog when Charlie came into our lives. Now we’re virtually inseparable. We even gave Charlie a middle name of Westin (and his dad’s last name), making him Charlie Westin King since the hotel is such a major part of his story.

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Unfortunately, we could not be there for the reunion with the Westin Mission Hills since Charlie is on his first camping trip in Maine — we did however stop off at the Westin in Portland for a few days on our way to Acadia National Park to toast them.

You can follow Charlie’s adventure on his instagram page: @pompomcharlie

Thank you to the Westin Mission Hills and Animal Samaritans for all that they do for rescues! And for bringing Charlie into our lives!

Renaissance Times Square Staycation (plus win a stay!)

renaissance-timeout-staycationI’m so excited! As some of you may remember, Charlie and I partnered with the Renaissance Hotel in Times Square a few weeks ago for an epic staycation and our campaign video is now done. The video really says it all, but to be in gorgeous, spacious room, at a pet friendly hotel where you have the pulse of the city at your finger tips and then as soon as you close the door it is so quiet and tranquil was magic. And the unexpected lambs and details in the hotel and on the balcony was such a cute touch! (Also scroll to the bottom for your chance to win a 2 night stay and exclusive discounts!).

 

As you can see from the video we had an absolute blast during our stay. The theme was #UnexpectedNYC and they delivered! Owned by the Marriott, we had a beautiful, newly renovated terrace room on the 4th floor with a balcony that overlooked Times Sq. I mean, look at this view from my balcony! All of Times Sq is behind me!

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Chic Essentials

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It’s amazing how trends come and go but a Little Black Dress remains a timeless staple. I’m on the road a lot so versatility is key for me. I love a dress I can refresh to go from day to night – like this one from Pure Navy I found on Gilt.
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Wear it open during the day like a vest jacket or all buttoned up for after work drinks. With the right accessories and makeup I can transform any look to get more wear out of my clothes.

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Gilt is partnering with Dole Dippers, the LBD of sweet treats to elevate the everyday with decadence and by curating a collection of drool worthy designer Little Black Dresses at a fraction of their retail price. Both are gilt-free indulgences whether you’re shopping the collection or biting into any of the three chocolate covered flavors of Dole Dippers: Strawberry, Pineapple or Banana.
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I have confessed more then a few times on the blog that my guilty pleasure (slash terrible habit) is late night snacking. And my favorite dessert is chocolate covered strawberries so the ease of Dole Dippers Dark Chocolate Covered Real Strawberry Halves in my fridge is kind of the best ever – which is only enhanced by the fact that they are only 60 calories a bag! Made with real frozen fruit and 67% cocoa dark chocolate, day or night, and especially in this heat wave, it’s the perfect way to satisfy those chocolate cravings. Just be sure to give them about 3-5 minutes out of the fridge to thaw – although sometimes I can’t wait and take the tooth freeze.

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Gilt is also hosting a Chic Essentials Sweepstakes where you can enter for your chance to win a style upgrade which includes a $500 Gilt gift card and a Gilt shopping consultation.

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Always traveling may seem glamorous when I’m snapchatting beautiful hotel rooms and new scenery but in actuality not having access to your everyday closet and having to plan so much ahead as to what you want to wear can be a challenge. Which is why versatile fashion items and accessories are makeup play such a key role. If you pop open my makeup bag my chic essentials include:dole-dippers-chic-essentials

The new Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation stick which is probably the most perfect foundation I’ve ever used. It’s a creamy texture that offers full coverage, easy to blend and makes your skin look flawless. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage and Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed are staples. The Secret Camouflage takes any tired eyes away and the Skin Perfector is the finishing touch that by the time I’m on this step my skin looks flawless and illuminated. Dior Show Mascara and Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner I’ve been using forever. I love a big comb mascara to volumize and fill out my lashes and the Stila Liquid Liner is so easy to apply and doesn’t move. My latest discovery is Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat (lipliner) in shade Bad Romance, is the perfect wine to match Tom Ford’s limited edition Black Orchid Lip Color, which is a definite splurge, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like a million bucks every time I put it on.

Thank you to Dole and Gilt for partnering with me on this post!

DIY Dining Tips Inspired by Buzzfeed + American Express

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As some of you know, I’ve partnered with American Express to be an ambassador for their no annual fee, Blue Cash Everyday Card. It’s pretty much my dream job since the card is all about making everyday a little more epic, which you probably have noticed from my social media handles is what I’m all about. I mean, this month alone I’ve been so blessed to have had the opportunity to take a gymnastics class with Dominique Dawes, play in the mini-Instagram board room with Eva Chen and Facebook, hang out with WWE Superstars Dolph Ziggler and Charlotte, enjoy a private exhibition at Christie’s with Tom Ford Beauty, and take a pretty awesome road trip…and it’s not over yet! I’m living for the end of August when I’m back in NYC for the US Open!!!American-express-blue-cashe-everyday_7

This credit card not only fits my lifestyle but also my everyday favorite moments from entertaining and dining to Vespa rides around town. I’m also loving Amex’s latest collaboration with Buzzfeed for their “Epic Everyday” video series; sharing everything from easy DIY dining and entertaining tips to fun recipes and birthday party ideas..

I took inspiration from their 3 Living Room Upgrades in 60 Seconds video for a family dinner and double date I hosted with my sister. We had a lot to celebrate between her exciting job news with the United Nations, plus James and I wanted to celebrate with a night in since we were headed out of town for so long.

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I used a mix of fresh flowers and herbs I picked from a local garden with some dried lavender inspired by the Buzzfeed video for the place settings. To break it down here are 3 fun and simple ways to update your dinner table:  the center and put one on each plate setting. I also used it for decoration around the cheese plate.American-express-blue-cashe-everyday_6

Idea #1: Fun ice cubes with a twist

Ice trays come in all shapes and sizes, I grabbed a two pack of these pineapple sets and put some fresh mint in each socket before adding water and freezing. It’s a fun way to make a party in a glass and the mint lasts long after the ice melts.American-express-blue-cashe-everyday_2

Idea #2: Dried lavender decorations:

Inspired by the Buzzfeed video, I took a bushel of dried lavender and sectioned it into small pairings. I then wrapped raffia yarn aroundAmerican-express-blue-cashe-everyday_5
Idea #3 Flower arrangements in jars

Flower arranging is a passion of mine. I love picking flowers and creating arrangements for the table. For this dinner I was going for more of an urban rustic feel so I used jars from around the house. I found everything from a Mason Jar to glass juice bottles I saved and an actual glass vase which all worked together. Just illustrating that things don’t have to be perfect to be perfect. The variety of sizes of glass containers added to the charm.

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These are all easy ways to make a dinner extra special. Whatever Epic Everyday means to you, I hope you’re all living your best life and staying inspired. The Blue Cash Everyday Card offers all kinds of perks like 3% cash back at supermarkets to help make every dining experience like this that much better, 2% cash back at gas stations (which has been coming in handy on my road trip), 1% cash back on almost everything else and more perks you can learn about HERE.

Thank you American Express for sponsoring this post and having me as an ambassador.

JCPenney x WWE Tapout Event with Dolph Ziggler + Charlotte

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What a whirlwind of a week! As some of you know I took a break from my New England tour yesterday to head back to NYC for 16 hours to join my friends at WWE and JCPenney at the Manhattan Mall for the launch of the WWE’s Tapout performance apparel line for women. Hosted by WWE Superstars and Tapout Brand Ambassadors Dolph Ziggler and Charlotte at the Manhattan Mall, there was a line wrapped around the basement level and up through the escalator and around the first floor for the #Summerslam event!

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The Tapout brand stands for motivation, discipline and determination – all of which you saw from the crowd waiting patiently in line to meet Dolph and Charlotte. Before they opened the event to the pubic I had a few moments with the duo — just enough time to ask Charlotte her must have beauty product – “Flower Gel by Sisley” and her best de-stress tip, “Sleep”. Two things I heavily endorse. Followed by a photo opp with them!

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Dolph is wearing the Tapout Warrior Graphic Tee ($22, on sale $12.99), I’m wearing the Tapout Power Button Knot Tank ($22, on sale $16.99), and Charlotte is in the Tapout Graphic Tank Top ($22, on sale for $16.99).

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The range includes training and compression tees, sports bras, tank tops, pants and shorts that are all affordably priced from $12.99 – $29.99. The women’s collection joins the existing men’s line, which also features training and compression tees, tanks, shorts and pants and ranges in price from $12.99 – $32.99.

Check out the WWE Tapout collection at jcpenney.com

Thank you to WWE Tapout and JCPenney for partnering with me on this post!

I Interviewed and worked out with Dominique Dawes and Tide Pods

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Last week I took a gymnastics class with Dominique Dawes as part of the Small But Powerful Tide Pods event. She’s one of the Magnificent Seven and was literally one of my child heroes. Coupling that with my major Olympic fever I consider it a win that I managed to not pass out during my interview with her — although her workout had me sore for two days. Tide is a sponsor of the Olympics and of Dawes and Simone Biles who both appear in their The Evolution of Power video. Drawing parallels on how detergents have evolved from large amounts of powder, to a cup of liquid and now Tide Pods. It illustrates how the amounts of detergent have gotten smaller over time and more powerful.  Biles exemplifies this #smallbutpowerful message, ruling the sport at 4 feet 8″. Check out their campaign video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y0qluMUHQs

I think it’s great, since at 5′ 9″, I now have an excuse as to why my splits looks like this…

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Dawes led us in a stretch and gymnastics 101 class before the instructors took over to have us use the facility at Chelsea Piers, while we rotated having 1 on 1 interviews with her. dominque-dawes-tidepods

My Interview with Dominique Dawes:

PC: What would go through your head when you’re competing at the Olympics?

DD: I try to take myself back to my home gym, the gym that I started at in Wheaton, Maryland… Because that was where I started, where I fell in love with the sport, and where it was fun. It wasn’t a back job then so I would always have that vision in my head when I was competing.

PC: What are your top 3 beauty products?

DD: My top three are water, Black African Soap and natural, organic Shea Butter. (Brands were not specified).

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PC: What is your best stress management tip

DD: Breathing. Relax, take a deep breath and count to 10. Because when you’re not relaxing and you’re not breathing, and you’re not just taking things in and putting them into perspective, you over analyze. And that’s when paralyze yourself from doing things.

PC: What is your biggest stress management tip?

DD: Taking one step at a type. I used to be very type A and it was all about productivity, productivity, plan, plan, plan. But now as a mother of two and being a wife it’s about taking one step at a time and if you don’t get it all done, oh well there’s going to be another day ahead if you’re blessed.

For anyone that missed Biles Small but Powerful Tide Pods commercial it’s worth a watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRdleKwYeAY

Thank you Tide for this truly special experience!

Stay Here: Hotel Providence RI

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It’s good to be back in Providence. This time we spent two nights at the Hotel Providence, located in downtown and central to so many of my favorite shops. Charlie and I took over their Instagram since they are the only dog friendly hotel in Providence. They even have a doggie lounge with couches for them. Which Charlie clearly appreciated…

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The hotel has 80 rooms of which, 16 are suites, 4 of which are King Suites. The hotel is arts and literature themed with the suites named after famous New England creatives. We stayed in the Dr. Seuss King Suite, which had his books all over the room. Very appropriately since Dr. Seuss and I are both originally from Massachusetts and I grew up reading all of his books.

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