BustleBeauty / Culture
TikTok Thinks Your Celebrity Twin Holds The Secret To Better Makeup
A look at the beauty trend sending people searching for their celebrity lookalike — and what it says about how we learn makeup online.
Link coming soon
New York · Journalism
Laili
Shahrestani
Journalist. Writer. Storyteller.
Covering the stories, people and culture that shape the way we live.
Laili Shahrestani is a New York-based journalist and recent Summa Cum Laude graduate of Manhattan University whose work spans lifestyle, entertainment, culture, beauty, relationships and news reporting.
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Introduction
The person behind
the byline
Laili was born and raised in Orange County, California, and took a leap by moving to New York to pursue journalism — the kind of decision that only makes sense to someone who already knows what she wants to spend her life doing.
She transferred to Manhattan University in 2024 and quickly became involved with The Quadrangle, the university's student newspaper. In roughly a year and eight months she went from contributor and staff writer to Features Editor, and ultimately to Editor-in-Chief.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, a concentration in Journalism and a minor in Psychology, carrying approximately a 3.90 cumulative GPA — and received Manhattan University's 2026 Achievement in Journalism Award.
Since then her work has expanded from campus journalism into professional digital media and editorial publishing, where she reports, interviews and writes for national audiences.
Featured Work
Selected stories
Reporting, conversations and stories by Laili.
Elite DailyLifestyle / Culture / Reporting
I Spent July 4 At House Of GOAL, NYC's Largest Soccer Culture Festival
On-the-ground reporting from New York's largest soccer culture festival, where fandom, fashion and music met on a holiday weekend.
Link coming soon
Elite DailyRelationships / Celebrity Interview
Paige DeSorbo 'Would Rather Die' Than Be In A 'Situationship'
An interview with Paige DeSorbo on dating labels, boundaries and the modern relationship vocabulary her audience lives by.
Link coming soon
Elite DailyEntertainment / Culture / On-location reporting
A Look Inside Gracie Abrams' Daughter From Hell Pop-Up
On-location reporting from inside the Gracie Abrams pop-up, and how fan spaces have become their own kind of cultural event.
Link coming soon
Recognition & Education
3.90
Cumulative GPA
Summa Cum Laude
Manhattan University
2026
Achievement in Journalism Award
Editor-in-Chief
The Quadrangle
BA Communication
Journalism Concentration · Psychology Minor
Strengths
What I bring to the story
01
Reporting & Interviewing
Finding the human angle and asking questions that move a story forward.
02
Feature Writing
Turning ideas, experiences and interviews into engaging narratives.
03
Culture & Entertainment
Understanding the conversations, personalities and trends shaping today's audience.
04
Digital & Social Storytelling
Creating journalism designed for the way audiences discover and consume stories today.
05
Editorial Leadership
Experience progressing from writer to editor and Editor-in-Chief.
06
Research & Curiosity
Approaching stories with preparation, curiosity and attention to detail.
What's Next
The next
newsroom
Laili is looking for the right opportunity to continue learning, reporting and growing alongside talented journalists and editors. She's particularly interested in environments where curiosity is encouraged, strong storytelling matters and emerging voices are given room to develop.
She's open to opportunities across journalism, editorial, digital media, culture, entertainment and related storytelling roles.
Let's Connect