Neon Souls May 2021 Edition - Mackenzi

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

(@satinsilkskin)

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.

Liquid Lipstick, Neon Souls, Hola Neon, Call Me
Mackenzi wears the Tinted Lip Balm 'Call Me'

HN: How have you been staying connected (digitally) with friends and family?

Mackenzi: Honestly staying connected with family and friends has been kind of easy for me — since most of my friends and family live in a different state. I also have a long distance boyfriend of almost four years, so I am no stranger to a FaceTime call!

HN: Are there any female artists (singers) and songs that empower and inspire you?

Mackenzi: A female artist that inspires/empowers me is Ariana Grande! I absolutely love her music and so many of her songs make me feel powerful. The makeup she has been wearing in recent music videos as well as performances has also inspired me creatively! The song, "Therefore I am", by Billie Eilish makes me feel ready to take on anything!

Liquid Lipstick, Neon Souls, Hola Neon

Mackenzi wear the Liquid Lipstick 'The Easy Sell'

HN: What makes you get out of bed every morning - what is your motivation?

Mackenzi: One of my biggest motivations is makeup. A huge goal of mine is to broaden my platform so that I can not only inspire, but empower others. I want people to know that it’s okay to not have perfect, airbrushed skin! Personally, acne has always been one of my biggest insecurities, but I have learned to embrace it, and I hope that I am able to inspire others to show off and accept their “flaws.”

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!

We hope you loved getting to know Mackenzi as much as we loved talking to her. She is an inspiration to others in so many ways and we're so excited to share her with the entire neon squad.

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.

We can't wait to get to know all of you!

Keep it neon,
Team HN

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