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Welcome back #NeonFam to our latest Neon Soul edition, where we will be talking about being empowered by our friends to be our most-creative and authentic selves. To accompany us in this ride we have the lovely Samantha Rose (@smedz.beauty) talking to us about where her inspiration for the quirky and creative makeup looks she creates comes from, some of the best-advice she's been given and more! Don't miss her interview to really get to know her and make sure you check out her incredible creations below...

Hi Sam, can you give us an intro into who you are on and off social media?

Sam: Hi! So obviously on social media I am a content creator/beauty influencer- I love doing editorial, theatrical and glam looks. I keep it very real on Instagram and am transparent with my community when it comes to acne, skin texture as well as when my look doesn’t go to plan. However, outside of social media I am quiet, but love spending time with family and friends. I’m currently in makeup school as well as working part-time; but besides that, I love shopping, going to concerts and spending time with my pup. I would say my personality is the same both online and offline - but maybe a little bit more enhanced online (if that makes sense lol). 

Sam wears her Velvet Liquid Lipstick in shade
Iconic in the center of the lips.

Sam: We love your theatrical and creative way of doing makeup. How did you come up with this style? What was your journey to achieving your aesthetic like?

Sam: I love turning ugly things pretty! When I started my Instagram, I used to do very glam and fashion makeup because that’s what everyone else was doing. However, when it comes to Halloween, I dove more into the weirder looks and it just felt more like me. So, I started experimenting with adding more of an editorial flare to my looks and just making it a lil weird and unique to me! I also bring this with me when I do my makeup assignments at school- gotta add a lil smedz beauty weirdest. 

Sam wears her Velvet Liquid Lipstick in
shade Winter Is Coming as lip-liner

HN: We want to celebrate our BFFs and lasting friendships this month at Hola Neon. We really do believe that friends are the family we make along the way in life. Do you have friends within the beauty community? How have they impacted you? Or do any of your friends outside of the makeup scene ever express curiosity to try what you do? 

Sam: Yes! I made a few friends through my beauty community and they’re all amazing! They each have their own style of makeup but it’s so comforting to message them and pick their brains for ideas or help me embellish a look. I often go to them when I need help with brand collabs or finding new content to add to my roaster. Definitely keeps me grounded. 

Sam put on Williams all over her lips for a
candy-apple-red glossy finish.

HN: Your style is super unique and fun, not many would be secure rocking the gorgeous looks you produce. If you were to give a makeover to a close friend of yours who would it be and what type of makeup look would you give them?

Sam: This is such a good question because all of my friends have that natural/clean girl aesthetic. If I had to pick, it would be my university roommate and my best friend, Cheyenne. She’s a very natural girl but I think adding a pop of colour to her every day makeup routine would just be *chef's kiss*. I’m thinking of adding a bright blush like an orange or purple- that would really pop on her! Or even something more subtle, like adding sparkle on the lid just to add that little something something- really elevates a simple look. 

Sam completed this fun look with her
Lipstick Balm in shade Trust Me

HN: We know being a beauty creator can be fun and inspiring, but also tiring at times. Who do you go to when the world (not just the makeup world) becomes a bit too much and need some understanding and perhaps advice? What is the best advice this person has given you?

Sam: Oh, another good question! Definitely my boyfriend, he’s been there since the beginning and is my rock. Sometimes I get a little lost in my social media world and start to go into a dark place where I compare myself to others and he really pulls me out of that. I think the best advice he has given me was to keep going.

Sam added her High-Gloss Lacquer in shade Williams
on top of red lipstick for a super pigmented glossy look.

HN: If you were to gift your besties some Hola Neon products which would you choose and why?

Sam: I would gift any of the lipstick balms because the formula is so hydrating while giving a pop of colour- plus it’s so versatile, I love using stick lipsticks as a blush because it gives a natural flush! 

Welcome Neon Fam! We are super excited to share with you this month's Blog and tips. We have been going through it with the crazy heat and weather. As much as it's true that Hot Girl Summer has been a must for the past few years, and we are totally here for the experience and vibes... This weather still got us thinking: this is all part of something bigger, the Earth and environment are telling us something with the crazy changes and temperatures we've been experiencing. So what can we do as #makeuplovers to stay #HotAndConscious in the way we do our makeup and shop for our favorite lipsticks? Keep reading to find out!

Pictured above: Lipstick Balm in shade 69 Me.

1. Panning: a challenge to finish up your beauty products.

We are all guilty of buying countless beauty products while we have drawers full of makeup sitting at home. We totally get the self-indulgence every now and then, but try starting your own "Panning Project". What you do is you consciously decide to; finish a particular product and not to buy anything similar while you’re using it up. This will change the way you look at your makeup products and even your beauty routine.

Stay glossy with a High-Gloss Lacquer in shade Goodall

2. Recycling: a tale as old as pollution...

We know everybody tells you to reduce, reuse, recycle... but how often do you actually do this with your beauty products? It's a great practice that every time you take out a Lipstick Balm out of its super-cute (and degradable) carton box, to cut up the packaging and dispose of it correctly! What's even better is to take all the little cartons and packaging from your makeup to your nearest recycling center: the paper fiber contained in cartons is extremely valuable and useful to make new products.

Find your summer fling in Trust Me, a lipstick balm that is super pink and creamy.

3. Pass it on!

A lot of times we are gifted, given or even buy ourselves products that once we  look at them at home we realize "I'm never going to wear this". A sustainable and kind practice to have in these types of situations is to donate them. There are different kind of organizations that will take your unused makeup and prevent it going to waste. Try: local women's shelters and girls' programs, you'll likely be able to coordinate a drop-off for the applicable items you're no longer interested in. Some other great options are: the Beauty Bus, Project Beauty Share, and Share Your Beauty these are all organizations that help to provide a bit of spark and dignity back into the lives of those in need of a booster. 

Pictured above: high-gloss lacquer in shade Williams

4. Go Cruelty-Free!

We love the vegan-way of life so with our own products we have implemented a completely cruelty-free manufacturing and testing policy. We love our furry friends and believe that all living-beings deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, which is why all your Hola Neon lippies: Glosses, Balms and Liquid Lipsticks are safe and not tested on animals.

If you're going to spend all day in the sun try our Velvet Liquid lipstick formula, it will stay on no matter what. Pictured above in shade FOMO

5. How to take it all off:

What happens at the end of the day when we come home from work, a social event or just living life as the glamorous makeup lovers we are? We take off our makeup! Don't worry we're not about to suggest you keep it on to avoid pollution, but there are ways that are much more sustainable than using the typical makeup removing wipes, which as handy as they may be, will still end up in landfills everywhere. Try getting some re-washable face cloths, or micro-fiber pads, you can add some micellar water or cleansing oil and take off your glam just the same as a makeup wipe minus the waste.

Hey #NeonFam welcome back to Neon Words! This June we are all about Pride and celebrating diversity, which is so important to us as a brand, but also to us as a species. While we’ve made a lot of progress towards acceptance in the past few years, we still have a long way to go. The LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination on a daily basis worldwide. It’s tough knowing that many of our friends, business associates, customers and members of the beauty community have to face these hardships just because of who they are and how they identify themselves. Since we are a conscious beauty company we want to make it very clear that we support the LGBTQ+ community and will always do so.

So this month to get us started on the celebrations we created a set of makeup looks wearing the cult-favorite Hola Neon Velvet Liquid Lipsticks inspired by a few flags that represent specific sections of the LGBTQ+ community. We hope you find some new inspo in these looks and that you get to celebrate as loud and colorful as you want to!

-HN Team

For this look paying homage to the Bisexual Flag Jules used shades of light pink and blue on the eyes overlapped by a light purple, and Party Pop a metallic pink all over lips.

For this look inspired by the Lesbian Flag Jules used shades of deep and light pink as well as orange on eyes and cheeks and her velvet liquid lipstick in shade Exotic & Foreign an orange shade that dries completely matte.

For this look inspired by the Non-Binary Flag Jules applied Winter is Coming on the lips, a deeper shade of maroon eyeshadow and yellow eyeliner and mascara. 

This look inspired by the Trans Flag Jules used eyeshadow in baby blue & baby pink with a bit of glittery white on the inner corners and a neutral lip in shade DF.

HN: What are some tips and tricks you’ve picked up in your journey as a beauty creator to get stunning looks without going broke?
Jaz: I have learned that many products serve multiple purposes. For example, you can use one product as lipstick and cream blush. Or you could use eyeshadow to fill in your eyebrows and even to line your lips. I think this is a great tip for those barely beginning their makeup journey because building a makeup collection can get overwhelming when you feel like you need one product for every single step.

Get Dine Me for a fun moment like Jaz's above

HN: Where would you suggest someone who is new to makeup starts out? How can they get quality makeup looks without making a big investment while they are still figuring out their style?

Jaz: Like I mentioned previously, there are products that can be used in more than one way. I would suggest getting an eyeshadow palette that has both neutral and colorful shadows. That way, the neutral shades could be used as eyebrow powder, eyeshadow, bronzer/contour, and even lip liner. The brighter shades could be used as blush aside from eyeshadow. This way, they could discover their ideal makeup style, but also the undertones that work best for them without spending money on several makeup products.

Hey there Neon Fam, we are super excited for this month and the amazing creator that we are featuring as Neon Soul! We want to start-off with saying that we believe in empowering women, being a female-owned brand, and want to wish you all an inspiring Internaitonal Women's Day, whatever it may look like to you. 
This month we chatted with Robyn, a super skillful makeup lover and creator who had some wonderful and very unique insight during their interview. We think you'll really love this one... So without further ado here's Robyn aka @punkrplus

Robyn wears their high-gloss lacquer in Bardot mixed with Jolie

HN: Hi Robyn can you please give us a brief intro into who you are on and off socials?

Robyn: Hi! I’m 27 years old, non-binary, and originally from Michigan but now live in Los Angeles, California. On social media, I go by the handle “PUNKRPLUS” and I’m a lover of dramatic makeup and alternative style. Nothing makes me happier than a dark, well-blended smokey eye with some sparkle on the lid! In my real life off social media, I am a propulsion development engineer at SpaceX. I work on the Raptor rocket engine, which propels the soon-to-be most powerful rocket in the world, Starship! It’s absolutely the coolest job in the world (in my opinion, of course).

Robyn wears The Easy Sell Velvet Liquid Lipstick.

HN: This month we will be celebrating International Women's Day, which we think is a great oppportunity to highlight the women in our lives that have inspired and shaped us into who we are. Who are some of those women for you and how do they inspire you?

Robyn: Although I identify as non-binary, I was socialized as “female” growing up and certainly understand the perspective and struggles of being a woman. There are so many women I appreciate in my life! My foremost female role model is of course my mother - as a retired math teacher, she definitely fostered my interest in STEM. Teachers are truly under- appreciated! Not only that, but she raised my 3 older siblings as a single mom, while working and going to school! That blows my mind, and inspires me to work just as hard and appreciate what I have in life.

Another important woman in my life is my big sister Becca. We’re 13 years apart, so we didn’t grow up like typical siblings do. But she has always been incredibly supportive to me, and I can really go to her with anything! Now that we’re both adults, and even though we live thousands of miles away, I feel like we’re closer than ever. Oh and she’s impressive too - she’s working on getting a doctorate in education!

Robyn wears their high-gloss lacquer in shade Bardot.

HN: At Hola Neon we are all about feeling confident in our skin and being true to
ourselves. How does your makeup style and overall vibe reflect who you are? 

Robyn: I’m a very visual person, so I feel the most comfortable expressing myself via my personal style. My favorite thing about makeup is that it’s temporary! It lets you try out new colors, new techniques, or whatever you want to experiment with. My favorite colors seem to change all the time, so I love that I can switch up my style to match my feelings every day. I’m a lover of color and contrast, so applying a bright smokey eye or graphic liner is just so satisfying. I don’t know how to better express myself than wearing my own art on my face!

Robyn wears their Velvet Liquid Lipstick in shade The Easy Sell.

HN: Has makeup ever influenced your self-confidence? What would you say to young girls out there that are just starting to get into makeup and may be struggling with finding what they like?

Robyn: young people out there (not necessarily just girls) need to understand that makeup is fun, but not magic! We are in an age where FaceTune can make you feel like you’ll never look like the influencers you see online. But the truth is, they don’t look like that either! I think makeup is a wonderful tool for self expression, and not a tool to help you meet somebody else’s beauty standards. Like I said earlier, makeup is perfect for experimentation. I’d recommend testing out different trends on your own face, and don’t take it too seriously! It always gets washed off at the end of the day, and tomorrow you can try something else!

HN: Last but not least, which of your Hola Neon products had you feeling yourself the most?

Robyn: I love the Hola Neon lip products! The formulas are comfy and long lasting, and the color selection is gorgeous. I have tried every formula they currently have, but my favorites are the velvet liquid lipstick in “The Easy Sell” and the high gloss lacquer in “Jolie”.

Welcome back Neon Fam! We are super excited this holiday season to share with you some of out favorite looks of 2022 which we are sure will give you all the inspo you need for your social soirees this season. We love a bold red lip & a classic winged liner, but there are so many ways to glam ourselves-up there will surely be a look for each one of you to take inspiration from, so keep reading and grab your favorite products before the year ends!

Cherry red lips to attract love into 2023:

Karla wears her Lipstick Balm in shade Love Me over lip liner and pairs it with natural feathered eyebrows and a super fun and colorful eye moment.

A little bit of sparkle and a little bit of mystery:

Evangeline wears her velvet liquid lipstick in shade Lavender Soul and pairs it with a metallic eyeshadow with purple tones to bring a little mystery to the table.

Walking into 2023 full of shine:

Green and red for the ultimate Christmas moment:

Champagne on our lips and our lids:

Tyanna wears her velvet liquid lipstick in shade BOOM! topped with clear gloss, pairs it with a champagne-brown eye moment, and brings the whole look together with blush over nose and cheeks.

A classic glam with a modern twist:

Jules wears her velvet liquid lipstick in shade Hola, Lover, pairs it with a classic black wing and blush on cheekbones.

We hope you all have a wonderful holidays season and a happy new year! We will see you all very soon...

HN Team

The witching hour is near... and that means all the moody, sultry, femme-fatale shades are here! We love fall, halloween, and the mystique that comes with October. We can't help but feel like our energy shifts and gives way for a more sexy and sultry vibe to take over our makeup and our mindset. This month we caught up with Evangeline Molly and she let us in on her witchy side both as a person and as a beauty creator. Make sure to read all the way through to check out her must-have Hola Neon shades and her gorgeous makeup looks!

Starting off Evangeline gives us this beautiful moody moment wearing her Velvet Liquid Lipstick in shade Lavender Soul 

This glowy moment is achieved with Kahlo on lips

And all that to say… yes, I would call myself a witch! I love owning that word and all the weight it holds. I’m an eclectic witch in my personal practice and a glamour/makeup witch in front of the camera!

Evangeline wears shade BOOM! on lips

Evangeline: Absolutely, yes. For many people, applying makeup is a meditative practice; one that hones in on creativity and self-care to the point that it’s transformative. And I don’t mean just on the outside. As most makeup junkies know, it can transform the way you feel and be a way to bring your inner energy outward. If that’s not a ritual, then I don’t know what is.

For my own makeup ritual, I like to check in with how I’m feeling that day and what energy I want to channel into my look. I find this is often influenced by the season at the time. As you can imagine, autumn is my favourite season for makeup and I find myself really inspired by all the moody colours and vibes. So every day is basically engaging in a bit of colour magic, honouring where I am that day, and connecting with the outer world. And of course, skin care and sun protection are a must.

Evangeline: It can definitely be hard sometimes to take a step back and connect with yourself in these crazy times with the constant stimulation we always have around us. I try every day to claim a couple moments to myself, and I mean really to myself - no work, no social media, no TV or book, or errand, etc. I’ll use these moments to do something like pull a tarot card, drink a coffee and just listen to the world around me, or do yoga. Basically, just slow down! And then on a bigger scale, I try to drive out of the city for hikes sometimes or for a couple nights camping. Spending time in nature and in silence is a medicine we often forget about or take for granted.

Evangeline wears her Velvet Liquid Lipstick in shade BOOM!

HN: Out of all your Hola Neon products are there any that made you feel especially witchy and powerful while putting them on?

Evangeline: Definitely the liquid lip in the shade Lavender Soul… there’s just something about purple that feels ultra witchy and mystical! 

 
We hope you loved this witchy inspo from Evangeline and that you loved reading about her as much as we did!

Until next time, 
Hola Neon Team

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

Erika: Ohhhh wow I’ve actually never thought about this! I think Adam McKay. I love comedy movies and “The Other Guys” and “Step Brothers” are two of my favorite movies. I feel like my movie would need to be a comedy/dramedy and he would do a good job. I would want Megan Fox to play me—she has a more dry humor like myself and she’s just too gorgeous. 

Erika wears Kahlo