The Sunday Sanctuary With Lara Eurdolian
A weekly series that profiles the most fabulous, hard-working, 24/7 hustlers, and how they spend their Sundays.
Lara Eurdolian is a fashion + beauty expert, on-air-talent, entrepreneur, and founder of Pretty Connected (prettyconnected.com), the award winning, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle blog. Her background is in marketing having worked the past 15 years in the beauty industry building top brands as NARS Cosmetics, Jurlique, and Kiehl's and hosting media events and consulting for countless more. As a much sought after fashion and beauty insider, Lara has appeared in publications including Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Marie Claire, Glamour, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Allure, New Beauty, and Health. In 2018, she launched a signature Pretty Connected accessories line specializing in fashionable multi-use straps that can be used to carry bags, cameras, water bottles, flip flops and beyond. Most recently the straps gained international attention as the original mask + multi-use strap as seen in Good Morning America, Today, DailyMail, Refinery29, NewBeauty, Shape, InStyle, New York Magazine, Bustle, USA Today, FabFitFun, Extra, Good Day NY, CNN, Fashionista, Better Homes and Gardens, Footwear News, SheKnows, Seventeen, Well+Good, PureWow, Guest of a Guest, Yahoo!, StyleCaster and more!
Lara also co-founded the non-profit, 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. Lara Lives in NYC with her fiancé and senior Pomeranian rescue @pompomcharlie. You can follow her adventures @prettyconnected.
Q: What time do you wake up or does the alarm go off ?
A: I’ve always felt alarm clocks are bad for us so I try to avoid them at all costs. That said I generally set them as reminders throughout my day to keep me on track for meetings and action items. When you work for yourself the lines and hours you work are blurred and most evenings I’m working and find I naturally wake up around 7am when my work load is full and my brain can’t fully shut off so I don’t have to rely on them, so I set them more as a back up/reminder for a morning agenda item or meeting I have to attend.
Q: What is your morning routine (specifically the first 15)
A: I wake up, snuggle my Pomeranian, Charlie; get a glass of water, brush my teeth and make coffee while I check my email and social on my phone. I then process any orders from my accessories line and drop them off before 9am since that’s when the post office windows are closed by drop off service is allowed so the post office is empty. I also use that time to walk Charlie so by the time I’m home I can jump into work.
Q: What is your Sunday mantra?
A: Self care and it’s my “me” day. Watch television, relax, make my to do list and get myself ready for the week!
Q: What’s your go to breakfast/brunch?
A: Coffee and banana, unless I have plans with a friend or meeting, then some type of healthy brunch. Generally eggs or granola.
Q: Do you give yourself any Sunday self-care treatments?
A: Always! Masks, and a full skincare regimen, micro-current devices. I pull out all the stops.
Q: What song is a good representation of your Sunday?
A: Todd Rundgen - Bang the Drum all Day
Q: How has your Sunday routine changed over the years?
A: I’m less social, even pre-Covid. I started making Sundays less about going out and being social and more about staying in and mentally recharging.
Q: Do you exercise?
A: Generally, yes. However I have a few sports injuries I haven’t been able to fully take care of or do physical therapy but I walk a lot. It helps me mentally and having a dog is a great reminder to go outside, take 20 minute breaks and to move.
Q: Do you like to spend your Sunday alone or with family/friends?
A: There’s always exceptions but it’s generally a day I spend with alone/with my fiancé and Charlie since we’re usually so busy during the week. And we all value a day of quiet and recharge.
Q: Do you use any apps or products for relaxation?
A: Mostly Spotify, background music always helps me relax.. I love Headspace and some of the other meditation apps but find myself not committing to them the way I’d like.
Q: What is your ideal bedtime?
A: 10pm-1am
Q: What are some of your favorite Sunday activities?
A: Netflix, sweats and skincare masks.
Q: How do you prepare for the week ahead?
A: To do lists. They keep me sane and putting deadlines and agendas for each day.