Neon Souls: Erika Sandoval @erikasbeautycorner
Hey Neon Fam, we have been obsessing with the red carpets from festival season... the gorgeous dresses, incredible glam, and iconic attendees have us in an inspo-frenzy, so this time we around we want to talk about; the directors, actresses and movies that have inspired makeup as an industry and an art form. To get us going with our "Ready For My Close Up Miss Director" theme we have the lovely Erika from @erikasbeautycorner who chatted with us about who would play her in the movie of her life, some of the gorgeous actresses she draws inspiration for her makeup, and her advice for any new creators out there reading about her.
Erika wears her High-Gloss Lacquer in Kahlo
HN: Hi Erika, thank you so much for taking the time to answer some of our questions! Please tell us who you are in a nut-shell:
Erika: Hi I’m Erika! Im obsessed with coffee, my dogs, and makeup. I’m all about natural looking makeup but making it fun and adding a bit of glam into the mix. I LOVE natural skin without filters and makeup that looks good in real life. That’s what you’ll see on my page :)
Erika wears her Velvet Liquid Lipstick in the shade The Easy Sell patted lightly over lip liner
Erika gives us a super juicy pout wearing her Glass-Shine-Gloss in Winfrey
HN: Now we want to talk about the goodies we sent you recently, we've just been dying to know which one of your Hola Neon products has been your favorite so far?
Erika wears Kahlo
Neon Souls: Annie @anns.glam
Annie wears The Easy Sell
Hola Neon: Hi Annie, we're so excited to feature you this month as our Neon Soul! Can you give us a brief introduction to who you are?
Annie: My Name is Annie and I'm a beauty content creator on various platforms. Makeup is my passion as well as a way I express myself. Since I struggle so much with my mental health, doing my makeup is a nice way to get my mind off of things. I am a strong advocate for mental health and love to express that there is no shame in struggling. I decided to start sharing my makeup with people in hopes that I could brighten people's day and make new friends!
Annie: I stay colourful and true to myself in my daily life by wearing what makes me happy. My makeup isn't always extra but I like to make sure at least one part of my outfit is. The feeling of wearing what makes me happy despite what others think gives me so much confidence and makes me truly feel like myself.
Annie wears Winter Is ComingHola Neon: Love that! How did you find your unique and creative style?
Annie: I found my style through a lot of trial and error. I used to do a lot of plain eyeshadow looks and I even tried doing creative full face painting looks.But when I got sent my first set of graphic eyeliners I instantly fell in love. I found that I love the challenge of doing the most detailed graphic liner looks I can find because the feeling of satisfaction I get in the end when I see how well it turned out is one that will always leave me coming back to try some more detailed looks.
Annie: I was never scared to incorporate color into my looks! My first posts on Instagram were actually really bright and colorful! I also do not tend to worry about what others will think about my makeup. I know I do makeup for me and me only! So if other people have a problem with it I brush it off and continue with my day!
Annie: Some advice I would give to someone just starting out as a content creator is to find what style works for you and to never give up. There's lots of different ways to be a content creator. There's humor, beauty, sports, etc. Even as a beauty content creator I see lots of different content styles. You don't always have to show your face. Some people just take eye pictures, some just take pictures of their favorite products and post them as recommendations. There are a lot of different ways to post content, you just have to find the one that works for you. Once you find that style, don't give up on posting if it doesn't do well! Starting out it will be really hard to grow and it gets hard to stay positive. But if you keep working hard it will pay off! But don't forget content creation is supposed to be fun, so if it starts to feel too overwhelming, step back, take a break, then come back if you want!
Rocking the Y2K trend with Hola Neon
Up next we want to share some ideas to get your Y2K vibe on while using your favorite Hola Neon products.
Melissa wears her Glass-Shine Gloss in shade Bardot
1. All About the Pout:
To get the perfect glossy pout try out our Glass-Shine Gloss. With its super long-lasting and hydrating formula, you’ll get the perfect 2000's lip without the stickiness from the time.
Until next time,
Hola Neon
Neon Souls: A.J. Guyony + Mona Peng for Pride
A.J: I started my account when the U.S. first shut down, back in April 2020. The beauty space has grown a lot in the wake of the pandemic because many people, myself included, found makeup and the beauty community to be a welcome escape and wonderful creative outlet. I had always wanted the opportunity to share my art, but never found the time - when I found myself stuck at home, doing online school, starting my account was the perfect way to connect with other creators and grow as an artist!
A.J: I do think that as someone with a platform, I have a responsibility to spread awareness about social justice issues - I just always make sure to do my own individual research first so as to not spread misinformation. I also have a degree in Political Science and Criminology, so I am incredibly passionate about human and civil rights and want to share that with my audience.
Mona: I'm really glad to see that voter registration has spiked in recent years and young adults my age have been particularly active on all social platforms and in protests. Many queer Youtuber's, Instagrammer's, and Tiktoker's are taking up space and acting as role models for the youths who may not have the support in their immediate communities. Even in the college scene, it always warms my heart a bit when professors have their pronouns up so that my non-binary peers feel safe. I'm also really hoping that the Equality Act gets passed soon! A big opponent to this crucial legislation has been homophobes, transphobes, and trans-exclusionary radical feminists which is ironically rooted in cognitive bias and misogyny. I just want to see legal protection for our citizens but it's sadly been 46 years in the making.
Mona: To some degree, yes. I may have started this account for fun, but I don't take that as an excuse to stay silent. It's my responsibility as much as anyone's to educate themselves/spread awareness to harmful social issues. I think social media serves as a wonderful tool to increase the efficacy of social movements since it's not hard to reach even an international audience these days. And if I can reach even 1-100 people, then I'll use my platform for that. I also think that if someone claims politics isn't for them, it just means they're in a place of privilege to not have to care. But I say to some degree because it's not my place to take up space for certain voices. I have a philosophy degree so I can say that I genuinely think moral knowledge is situated. That is, oppressed individuals are more likely to have the most accurate picture of the social injustice carried out against them. So while I do speak out for the AAPI/LGBTQIA+ communities as I identify with them, I do choose to listen and uplift the voices of my fellow creators when it's more appropriate.
Mona: First, it's okay to not put a label on it. Or if you do, you could always take on an umbrella term. I think the process of discovering who you are takes time, especially if you grew up in environments lacking the hermeneutical resources to fully understand what you're feeling. It honestly took a few years for me to process the concept of heteronormativity and allosexuality. You may feel like you're not "normal", but that's a social construct to oppress the queer community. Your self-identity is not delegitimized just because the systems and biases in place frame you as different. And remember that no two experiences will be identical. I've realized that identities are intersectional and often on a spectrum. For example, I might be ace but I'm also grey-romantic and biromantic. It is confusing but you don't need to have everything figured out and there's no pressure to explain yourself if you're not ready to. Lastly, just find a good/safe support system. I think befriending compassionate and understanding individuals created the space for me to truly embrace who I was when it seemed like society rejected me most.
We hope you loved getting to know our two incredible Neon Souls of the month, A.J and Mona and that the conversation sparked you to ask the important questions that we need to ask in order to continue moving forward towards a world where everyone feels safe and uplifted to be themselves.
The Neon Souls project is so important to us because we love exploring the personal side of social media and getting to know the person behind a picture. If you love this project and think that you would be a great creator to be featured in future editions, send us an email to hola@holaneon.com to introduce yourself and explain why you'd be an amazing Neon Soul. We can't wait to get to know all of you.
Neon Souls: Mackenzi Straub
We’ve all been there. Hitting the back arrow over and over on a new song (so much so that we end up never being able to listen to that song again without our eyes twitching). The thrill of Spotify’s Discover Weekly being the only thing that makes Mondays exciting. Going to a concert or music festival and feeling so alive thanks to the beats per minute on the loud speaker rising our heartbeats…. music connects us. It connects us to ourselves, to friends, to our culture, to the artists singing, composing and playing and to the strangers next to us dancing to the same beat. Everything has been different since the pandemic started but creativity and innovation have helped in keeping us as connected as possible through live streams, digital events and in the world of music, digital concerts. Empowering lyrics, inspiring artists and unique beats have been a source of inspiration for us since the beginning and so this month we shift our focus towards these bonding moments that we can all share and rejoice in. Who better for this month’s Neon Soul edition than Mackenzi Straub? (@satinsilkskin). Mackenzi loves to create eye-catching looks inspired by popular TV characters, fashion runway looks and, you guessed it, popstars! Mackenzi reminds us that makeup can be daring and outside of the box while keeping it sophisticated and classy. Join us as we catch up with Mackenzi on all things beauty, music and inspiration.
Mackenzi Straub
Mackenzi has been in the makeup industry for about 3 years now. She started when she was 17 years old. Mackenzi first got into the makeup industry in order to express her creative side and to represent people that have “imperfect” skin — such as acne and large pores. For Mackenzi, being unfiltered and showcasing her so called imperfections is really important and making others feel beautiful no matter wether they fit a box or not is the reason why she does not filter any of her tutorials. It is refreshing to see that Mackenzi uses her platform to inspire others to be authentic and to keep it real in a time where so much (or probably even all) of what we see in the digital world is altered.
Mackenzi wears the Tinted Lip Balm 'Call Me'
HN: How have you been staying connected (digitally) with friends and family?
Mackenzi wear the Liquid Lipstick 'The Easy Sell'
HN: What makes you get out of bed every morning - what is your motivation?
HN: What is the most important beauty advice that you can give to women?
Mackenzi: The most important beauty advice I can give to someone is to not compare the way your makeup turns out to some makeup you see online. One thing that always puzzled me growing up was, why does my foundation not look airbrushed? Why does it look like foundation, not skin? It’s because it’s makeup! It’s not meant to look like a second layer of skin or completely smooth! It’s important to know that sometimes not everything is as it seems on social media!
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The Neon Souls project is so important to us because we love exploring the personal side of social media and getting to know the person behind a picture. If you love this project and think that you would be a good match, send us an email to hola@holaneon.com, introduce yourself and explain why you'd be an amazing Neon Soul.
Keep it neon,
Team HN
International Women's Day: Womanspiration Spotlight
Neon Souls: Kelsey Hopman + Kyah Even
Neon Souls: Melissa Nuy + Karla Fortea
Starting this February and every month after, our Neon Souls monthly edition will be highlighting creators that we truly love. The people we choose will be highly curated and inspiring in unique ways - be it through their inspiring energy, the way they interact with their audience or their creativity and visual aesthetic. These are creators who inspire us deeply and lead in their own unique ways.
Mellisa Nuy (@makeupbydutch) and Karla Fortea (@karlafortea) kick things off with refreshing and always jaw-dropping content.
Style your lipstick - what to wear with your fave fall shades
‘Tis the season for longer hemlines and heavier fabrics, but most importantly, bolder lips (at least in our books). Whether you prefer ruby reds or exotic oranges, we're ready to show you how we pair our fave Hola Neon products with this season's fashion colour trends.
Juicy oranges that will brighten up your home office outfits
Upgrade your loungewear with a bright orange lip. Whether you’re in the mood for a striking, highly pigmented liquid lipstick like Exotic & Foreign, or a more subtle option like our lipstick balm in Dine Me, an orange lip is a sure fire way to brighten up your camel coloured sweats on days you want to dress up for your own. damn. self.
Vibrant purples paired with an all-green-look to make you forget that summer is over
In the mood to dress up for your trip to the grocery store? Berry shades are a fall staple and FOMO, one of our iconic shades is completely transfer-proof and perfect to wear under your mask. Contrast it with pistachio hues to really turn heads on your walk back. Keep Wine Me handy in case you’re in need of extra hydration.
Warm reds to keep you flamin’ this fall
A luscious red lip can pull together any outfit. Love me, the balm, can be blended to a stain leaving your lips looking like you’ve just enjoyed the sweetest raspberries. Or turn up the heat by layering on Hola, Lover for a stay-at-home dinner date. Let your lips do the talking with crisp whites, denim blues, and gold accents.
Charming nudes perfect for your cotton candy pink cravings
Looking to dress up for that socially distanced outing but not ready to ditch the summer palette just yet? Try pairing your millennial pink wardrobe with our long lasting lipstick in DF for a monochromatic palette that’s feminine and flirty. Call Me is our go-to for like, everything so
So there you have it! Four lipstick shades and a perfectly curated fall quarantine wardrobe.
Let us know, what’s your favourite look? How’s quarantine treating you? Leave us a comment!
Xx,
Team HN
Are you wearing makeup during social-distancing?
Animal testing is still prevalent... even in the US
