Interview with Lara Eurdolian
Firstly, introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Lara Eurdolian, aka @prettyconnected. I’m a beauty expert, on-air-talent, entrepreneur, and founder of Pretty Connected, (prettyconnected.com), the award winning, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle blog. My background is in marketing having worked the past 15 years in the beauty industry building top brands as NARS Cosmetics, Jurlique, Avon and Kiehl's and hosting influencer and media events for countless more. I’ve been in several campaigns and appeared in publications including Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Marie Claire, Glamour, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Allure, New Beauty, and Health. In 2018 I started a Pretty Connected accessories line, which specializes in multi-use straps. Currently our mask chains are blowing up the internet.
I live in NYC with my fiance and senior pomeranian rescue, Charlie (@pompomcharlie).
Could you outline your journey into the health and beauty industry?
In 2005 I started in International Marketing at NARS Cosmetics, I then went to Julrique as their US Marketing Manager during their major relaunch and rebrand. From there I stared my blog, launched Kiehl’s social media, and began consulting at Avon and other various beauty brands. I then started to dabble in on-air work, and was asked to be in major campaigns/ads for brands like Aveeno, Olay, Crest and Covergirl, which also gave me the opportunity to collaborate with more magazines and judge the beauty awards for Glamour and ICMAD. I’ve now landed at NewBeauty where I’m currently a guest editor and on their Brain Trust.
What led you to create Pretty Connected, and what does your everyday work for your blog entail?
I started over a decade ago before blogs, blogger or influencer were coined terms. At that point I had done so many amazing beauty trainings through NARS, Jurlique, Avon, Kiehl’s… and used to joke there wasn’t enough good beauty information on the internet. Now it’s completely saturated but back then I was trying everything and getting constant beauty questions so I decided to start a blog. I never thought I would turn it into a brand or work for myself. It was a casual hobby really meant to help my friends and family take better care of their skin and learn about the latest beauty products. I used to blog 3x’s a day and was very committed. I still blog but with Instagram, DMs, my ever exploding inbox and constant beauty projects make it tough to commit to my blog the way I used to. Which is why I started a column for NewBeauty, it’s a place I can put the best of the best I try every month. I’m also very active in Instagram Stories where we do daily beauty chats and try products together. I do have plans to expand and do more content with founders of brands but with all the new legs of the business, it’s a juggle as to what gets my attention. Although now that blogs and beauty is so saturated I needed to evolve in a bigger way.
We understand you’re involved with many different groups and projects! What are some of your favourites that you’ve been involved with?
I really enjoy helping to curate NewBeauty’s subscription beauty service, TestTube. It’s bi-monthly and $30/box and includes 8 full size, editor approved products that retails for over $180. It’s really fun sharing products the NewBeauty team loves and making them affordable. Our may box was over $230 value and so good!
I’m also very proud of the non-profit work I do. I co-founded Share Your Beauty, an initiative that collects unused, unopened hygiene and beauty products and delivers them to shelters in NYC and the tri-state area. Since launching in 2014, Share Your Beauty has collected and distributed over 150,000 products to those in need.
What are a couple of makeup and beauty products you can’t live without?
Black eyeliner (I usually get the Kohl liners from the Indian markets, or I’ll pick up Sephora’s name brand or Marc Jacobs), but I’m always trying new ones. My NARS Laguna bronzer and their Kabuki Brush. Laniege Glowy Makeup Serum, NARS foundation/concealer or It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Illumination SPF 50, Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads, Isle of Paradise spray tan, Isdin or EltaMD SPF, I could go on all day!
What inspired you to create your own line, pretty connected shop? What makes your range of accessories unique?
It was very organic. I used to go to events and have a camera and hated being all dressed up and carrying around my mirrorless camera with it’s big Sony logo strap attached. I wanted something simple and chic but nothing existed so I started making my own. It was always a thin chain and I’d add charms to them. I was getting requests for it all the time so after years of people asking I put them into production.
The chain then became a true multi-purpose chain when I started using it as the first water bottle strap last year and my readers started to explode with creativity. I was getting posts of them wearing it as a necklace, bag strap, for flip flops, strapped to their belts, on their strollers… and beyond.
One of my friends then started using it as a mask chain and as soon as I put that on my instagram it began to blow up. So we’re also the first mask chain holder on the market.
We also have BOSS rings that have Pretty Connected inscribed on the inside. We made them for our launch party (they weren’t supposed to be sold) but we had such an overwhelming response to them we put them into production.
In your opinion, what is the link between beauty and women’s empowerment?
I think anything that makes you feel, strong powerful and beautiful is linked with women’s empowerment. So much of it is self confidence and taking care of your skin, putting on a lipstick that makes you feel like you can conquer the world can aid in that!
Do you think the beauty and health industry is an enabling place for Asian Women?
I’d like it to be! I think we’re all looking for more diversity but I personally am obsessed with Japan/K-Beauty and admire women like Charlotte Cho and Alicia Yoon and what they have done for this industry and the brands they have launched. I was supposed to be in Asia for 3 months visiting with beauty brands before COVID hit.
For those of us in self-isolation, do you have any health tips you could share with us?
Take care of yourself. Right now there are few luxuries that are accessible but candles, taking a bath, putting on a mask... Add some music and the beverage of your choice and use it as an escape. Also keep your immune system up, wear SPF and make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D (or take a supplement).
Thank you for having me!
You can find me at prettyconnected.com and @prettyconnected
