Meet Emily Doliner, the Illustrator Behind Beautylish’s Lucky Bag 2023

by Nurain Alicharan

Published Dec 26, 2022

Our Lucky Bags have become a much-anticipated annual tradition. And for good reason: these mystery boxes not only come filled with makeup, skincare, and haircare faves, they are also housed in custom artwork you won’t find anywhere else. And this year’s design is dedicated to none other than you.

Now more than ever, we want to celebrate community and togetherness. This year’s design is dedicated to our global community and everything that unites us. No matter where you are in this moment, we hope the surprises inside serve as a reminder that we’re all in this together. To bring our vision to life, we collaborated with Illustrator Emily Doliner. Keep reading to learn about her background, creative process, and more!

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I work almost exclusively as an illustrator and surface designer these days. I have two young kids who inspire me to look for beauty in the unexpected. I love silliness and imperfection in art—it creates a connection and sparks joy. That’s my end goal for almost every piece I create.

Why art? How did you get started?

I’m what you might call a “late bloomer.” It’s taken me a long time to arrive at a career choice that feels right to me. I’ve always been drawn to art, ever since I was a kid. I remember at around age 7 thinking I was an amazing artist. Looking back I was actually pretty terrible, but that misplaced confidence kept me on a creative path. I was initially too afraid to pursue art as a career, because it felt risky and impractical.

I have a degree in engineering and worked for a few years as a civil engineer before realizing I hated it. Then I got a degree in graphic design and I don’t do much graphic designing, either.

I still believe it’s a risky choice, but I’m glad I took the risk!

How would you describe your art style? / What are your influences?

My art is usually a mix of gouache painting and digital illustration. I’m a maximalist at heart, but I try to rein it in. I love to experiment and I try not to take myself too seriously. I just want to make people smile with my art. Children’s book illustrators inspire me often—Ludwig Bemelmans (Madeleine), Roger Duvoisin (White Snow Bright Snow), Esphyr Slobodkina (Caps for Sale), Clement Hurd (Goodnight Moon), and so many others! There are also many, many talented modern artists who inspire me daily—too many to list!

How did you come up with this year’s Lucky Bag design?

When Beautylish approached me and explained their idea—they wanted to represent as many countries as possible and really make people feel seen—I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it. I also knew I wanted to incorporate some playful and silly elements, because I love silliness! I was excited to go a little wild with my maximalist tendencies by illustrating a LOT of different landmarks from different places. It was so fun to research them all. It made me want to travel to every single place I illustrated.

What inspires you?

My kids inspire me. I love how something I’ve seen a million times can look different through their eyes. And just people in general. The older I get, the more I’m able to embrace my own eccentricities instead of apologizing for them. I like seeing them in others, too. We’re all weird, and that’s great.

Do you have any New Year’s traditions? How do you plan on celebrating?

The last few years we’ve done a balloon drop from an upstairs loft area in our house. We blow up a lot of balloons and collect them into a fitted sheet, then we do a countdown with our kids, and let the balloons drop on their heads. It’s fun and easy. We’ll probably do it again this year.

What are your hopes for 2023?

My resolutions are all very cliche: be more present with our kids, make healthier choices, grow my business, pay closer attention to my mental health. They’re very boring goals, and they’re the same every year!