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{PC Review} Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Shampoo and Conditioner

Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Shampoo and Conditioner

Winter can be brutal on my hair, which is why I generally use more hydrating products and oils to help keep it in check. Recently, I’ve been using the Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine line which stays true to their signature allure while also adding an extra touch of the islands–it smells incredible and the aroma lasts for days.  Working up to an incredible lather, the formula contains both conditioning ingredients to help cleanse the hair without stripping it and touch of Morocco’s legendary 100% natural argan oil extract for added softness and shine.  I have been incredibly pleased with the performance of this product, especially since most of the argan oil infused products on the market are double the price.  My hair feels soft and hydrated, and I even met a friend a day after washing whom commented on how amazing my hair smelled—and actually asked if it was Herbal Essences (true story)!

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

For more information visit us.herbalessences.com

{Disclaimer: I got a sample}

PC Beauty Tips Featured in the November Issue of Health Magazine

There’s always something so exciting about opening a magazine and seeing your name in print. In the November issue of Health Magazine (featuring Julianne Moore on the cover), the publication features beauty bloggers top tricks spanning across nails, makeup, hair and skin. Actually, to quote the header, it reads: ” Beauty Bloggers’ Best Tricks, Top online gurus share their go-to strategies for great hair, glowing skin, and magnificent makeup.”

I’m featured twice, once for my hair tip and another for a DIY skincare recommendation (as seen below photographed side by side with Michelle Phan’s tip in between!)

Lara Eurdolian, Pretty Connected beauty tips in Health Magazine

I have a little note to add to my hair tip, since the copy had to be condensed. The tip as it read is:  “I sleep with my hair divided into two loose buns, seared with a scrunch. To keep mu strands smooth. For adding volume in the mourning, I rely on Osis Dust It – the powder soaks up excess oils and adds lift to roots.”

The part that I should preface is about dividing my hair into the buns with a loose scrunchie — that’s only if you’re trying to preserve a blow-out. By putting your hair into loose divided buns rotating hair in sequence of the curl it helps you avoid friction and movement between the strands. The reason you use a scrunchie instead of a hair elastic is you don’t want anything too tight that would leave any lines. Then the next morning you can revive the roots with some dry shampoo.

My other tip was “Yogurt, the pain natural kind makes a great hydrating mask. I use it when my skin needs a little pick-me-up.”

Some of the other tips I loved from the article include:

“I love sparkly polish but it sticks to your nails like crazy. To remove it, I use felt instead of a cotton ball — it works like a gentle Brillo pad.” – Allison Kratzer, Makeup by Alli

“Instead of layering on powder before happy hour, press a few drops of face oil over your cheeks to refresh your foundation and create a super natural glow.” – Elizabeth Dehn, Beauty Bets

“If your eye and lip pencils are really soft, leave them in the fridge for about an hour before you sharpen them-the less creamy they are the less waste there is.” – Christine Miekle, Temptalia

“After I douse a cotton pad with my regular makeup remover, I add a bit of coconut oil and apply it to my closed eye. It helps break up the makeup, so it slides off with more ease.” – Julie Gutierrez, YouTube vlogger

“Rather than using a towel, dry hair with a soft, old, worn-in T-shirt and pat dry. Don’t rub! Rubbing hair with a towel leads to breakage.” – Michelle Phan

“When I have a breakout, I hold a vinegar-soaked cotton ball over it for a few seconds at night. It’s smaller by mourning.” – Aleigh Acerni, Indigo + Canary

Okay, that’a enough of a sneak peek, for more great tips check out the November issue of Health Magazine on stands now.

Freebie Fridays: Win My Top 3 Dry Skin Eucerin Products {Giveaway}

Eucerin giveaway

Recently, I visited Eucerin’s US home base in Connecticut to meet with the experts behind the brand and some of the dermatologist they work with. As one of the oldest skincare brands in the world, with well over 100 years of history they have embraced the medical community and created the first skin council to bring attention and provide education to consumers about skincare. Having a niche in dry, sensitive skin, and eczema, Eucerin creates simple, clean products with no fragrances added that are heavily tested to be effective and safe.

New to the Eucerin family, their Eczema Relief Body Creme which is specifically formulated to protect and soothe skin irritation and itching! It’s thick and rich and creates this extra hydration layer on skin. Appropriate for babies and adults alike, it contains licochalone (a natural licorice root that soothes skin), natural oatmeal (which calms dry, itchy skin), Ceramide-3 (that helps strengthen the skin’s barrier to lock-in moisture) and Castor Seed Oil (to make skin smooth and soft). I only have eczema on my eyelid (I know, strange), but my body, especially my feet get super dry so this has been a savior.

My other two Eucerin obsessions are their multi-award winning Intense Repair Extra-Enriched Hand Creme and Intense Repair Extra-Enriched Foot Creme. Both are  non-greasy formulas that intensively moisturize, and at 3oz are perfect for travel. I just got back from a 2 week trip from Costa Rica where my hands and feet were so dry from the beach and surfing and these were a savior. I used them at night (or after the sun goes down) since they are enriched with buffered alpha hydroxy to gently exfoliate and with any exfoliator (no matter how light), and in this case, you can’t even feel (there’s nothing granular about the formula), you should avoid direct sunlight after application.

Win them! We’re giving away a set of these 3 products to 3 lucky winners (one on the blog, instagram and twitter!). To enter:

1. Leave a comment on why you want to win

2. Follow us on twitter tweet about the giveaway using the hashtag #PCgiveaway OR TWEET: RT & follow @prettyconnected for ur chance to #win my top 3 @EucerinUS must-have products for dry skin! #PCgiveaway http://bit.ly/13Ue2mm

3. Follow @prettyconnected on Instagram and like the matching post on our page (going live this next week) on instagram.com/prettyconnected

**Extra credit if you “Like” Pretty Connected on Facebook at Facebook.com/PrettyConnected

Each option counts as a separate entry.

The Perfect Mid-Summer Pout: 11 Shades We Can’t Keep our Lips Off

The only thing hotter then the heat wave of July is a bold lips we’ve been rocking all summer. Keep your look simple (it’s too hot for heavy makeup) and stand out with a playful pout! Here are 10 new(ish) shades to brighten up, exfoliate, stain, add shine, and protect your lips all summer long.

Clinique Celebrates Dramatically Different Lotion+

Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion+

Rectangular bottle, green writing, yellow moisturizer… it can only be one thing: Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion by Clinque. We all know it, most of us have used it — it’s the essential last step in the Clinique’s 3-Step Skincare System. Now it’s common to have a skincare routine but growing up this was my first introduction to a ‘cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize’ regimen. My story, coupled with the millions of people globally who share a similar experience is what makes this brand and this lotion so iconic.

On Tuesday night, Clinique invited me to Dramatically Different Party. Hosted at 620 Loft and Garden in Rockefeller Center, the party celebrated the launch of a NEW Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+.

Here’s a taste of the evening…

So why after so many decades did Clinique reformulate such a staple product?

9 Last Minute Father’s Day Gifts Sure to Please Dad!

Father’s Day is quickly approaching so there’s no time like this Sunday to give Dad some extra attention. Looking for the perfect gift can always be a challenge. Experiences (from a coffee tasting to wine tasting, taking in a baseball game or spending hours at the driving range) go a long way. There’s nothing quite like spending quality time with Dad (or planning a date) to ring in the holiday.

Sometimes, the best gifts are those that hardly cost anything, a handmade card or making Dad a playlist (if he’s like my dad though, opt for music from his generation–Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, rather then your modern day favorites). The other piece of advice I took from my dad in the gift giving department is opt for presents that go in or fit on their dresser. We did our best! Here’s 9 gifts to help inspire you to find the perfect gift for Dad.

Screen Shot 2013-06-11 at 2.18.23 AM

1. Watches! With the variety of fun watches out there, this staple father’s day gift always makes our list! And a great site to get learn about different styles or help you pick a look for Dad is watchco.com. Here are some of our current favorite styles (displayed left to right as seen above):

PC Partners with Wantable for Makeup + Jewelry Box

I have an exciting announcement! I’ve been asked to extend my partnership with Wantable to help curate their makeup and jewelry box for this month’s June box!

Lara Eurdolian, Wantable

Wantable is a subscription service that helps you discover new jewelry and makeup brands and products for $36/month or $40 for a one time purchase. Based on your style and beauty profile, they hand pick 3-5 boutique jewelry pieces or 4-6 full-size cosmetic items and ship them to you direct. (Think Birchbox, only with Wantable you’re getting full size beauty product instead of samples and there’s also a jewelry option). Best part is the shipping is free and your purchase is 100% guaranteed. If you’re not satisfied there’s a return slip included so you can ship the items back for a full refund.

So while I have no idea what you’ll get in your box (it all depends on your profile settings, ie. if you only want lipstick, that’s all you’ll get, if you want a combination of eye and nails then that’s what you can expect… and then of course shade ranges and other details you share). Here are my picks for this month’s beauty box month! (Pssst, click HERE to enter for your chance to win some of my favorite products)

Face Stockholm, Knockout Cosmetics, Lise Watier, Susan Posnick

Knockout Nail Polish – My favorite matte nail polish line. We have a full range of shades! There’s so much you can do with matte nail polish it’s is great on it’s own or as a single nail as an accent. Also with nail art being such a huge trend this season, matte makes for a great base or fun opportunity to mix textures.

Lise Watier – One of the top prestige brands in Canada, Lise Watier has a full line of luxurious products which I’m so excited you may see some of their eye or lip gloss products in this months box. Their lip gloss lights up when you open the packaging, offering a flawless application no matter the lighting. I’ve spent a lot of time with this makeup brand and could not recommend it more.

Besame – Wantable actually introduced me to this makeup line and their red lipstick is beautiful. Gorgeous packaging, great pigment, it’s so glam!

Susan Posnick – We’re debuting her line of ColorEyeDefine this month that has an eye liner pencil on one end and self-dispensing eye shadow on the other! The eye liner is at an angled slant making for a flawless application and coupled with a complimentary eyeshadow on the other side, it’s a must-have for any makeup bag.

FACE Stockholm – one of my favorite makeup brands. Wantable is carrying a wide range of products from blush, to eyes and lips. It’s a

6/6 Join My Twitter Chat with Essence Cosmetics For Your Chance to Win a trip to LA, Meet Justin Bieber, Products + More!

Essence Cosmetics

One of Europe’s top selling cosmetics brands, Essence Cosmetics is making a splash in the US! And not just with their beauty products, but also as the official make-up partner of the Justin Bieber Believe Tour 2013! On Thursday, June 6th from 7pm – 8pm EST  join me (@prettyconnected) along with Essence for a twitter chat. During the hour we’re giving away an all-inclusive trip for two to Los Angeles for 3 days/2 nights, 2 concert tickets and 1 meet and greet with Justin himself! Additionally every 10minutes we’re giving away a Limited Edition concert bag, poster, and essence makeup samples. So be sure to tune in and follow @Essence_US and tweet with us using the hashtag #essenceJB to automatically be entered.

Mom’s Top Picks!

Lara and Audrey
My mom and I when I was just a little jelly bean

Happy Mother’s Day! As part of this day of celebration I wanted to highlight my mom, Audrey who is most definitely the reason I landed myself in the beauty industry. She’s someone who taught me to always invest in good skincare and beauty products and to keep experimenting. StyleBlazer recently did a feature asking bloggers to share what their mother’s taught them. (You can read what I wrote HERE.)

Now the thing about Audrey, she’s a tough customer. I give her products all the time, and very few make the cut. She’s not impressed by high price tags or

Clinique Introduces Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skin

Clinique A Different Kind of Nail Enamel

It’s been a big season for Clinique, last month they dazzled us with launch of their CC cream that is still brightening even the dullest days, but now it’s time to give them a hand, literally so they can polish it with their new line of nail enamel. Of course this isn’t just any line of finger paint, Clinique is all about products that provide a beautiful solution. So what’s the problem you ask?