“TO SEE HOW THEY TOOK A PLATFORM LIKE INSTAGRAM TO CHANGE THEIR WHOLE LIFE ENCOURAGES ME NOT TO GIVE UP!”
Can you tell us bit about yourself. When and how did you got interested in social media?
I never thought I would find myself in the makeup or even social media industry! I’m actually quite a shy and conservative person and never really liked being out there, this is something that changed with social media. When I saw what effect my work had on others it encouraged me to carry on.
I actually graduated in photography at university and makeup was something quite spontaneous! I just thought to myself ‘let me practice doing makeup myself’. That way on shoots I could achieve the exact look I wanted instead of relying on a make-up artist and feeling anxious about the outcome. That’s when I started blogging my progression in makeup on Instagram cause I thought it would be a lovely little image diary to keep track of how well I got.
What is beauty for you? And what inspires you for your makeup looks?
Beauty can be seen in so many different ways. For me beauty isn’t just someone’s face and appearance but an actual personality. I believe that if you see the beauty in someone’s soul and spirit they are instantly beautiful in your eyes inside and out.
A lot of things inspire me, mostly actual beauty bloggers. To see how they took a platform like Instagram to change their whole life encourages me not to give up! As for looks, I am really inspired by artistic, abstract looks as well as full on clean glam! I always try to create looks that would make someone think “oh I might try do this for a night out” when they come across my page. I would love to dive into the creative and colourful side of makeup but I’m just not that con dent yet! It all comes with time and practice I still have a lot to learn!
How do you maintain your youthful radiant looking skin?
Thank you! To tell you the honest truth, I thought skincare and all that jazz was a total myth! I never used to moisturize or do anything to my skin until I saw it getting so dry I couldn’t wear makeup. For the past year I’ve been using my Holy Grail moisturizer which is the Benefit Cosmetics “Total Moisture” and the eye cream “it’s potent”. I never fail to use these every night and I’ve seen such a big difference in my skin that I now am a true believer in skincare.
I recently bought my first ever Clarisonic too and I’ve been loving it to wash my makeup o every night!
FRANCESCA’S TOP 3 BEAUTY PRODUCTS:
1. MAKE UP FOR EVER ‘ULTRA HD FOUNDATION’. 2. BENEFIT COSMETICS ‘HOOLA BRONZER’.
3. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS ‘BROW WIZ’.
What do you love the most about being a beauty influencer?
I love everything about it! I love connecting with brands, trying out and voicing my opinion about the latest products on the market, I love inspiring people and seeing them grow and follow their dream too!
We know that you graduated in photography. How important it is to have great photography skills for a successful Instagram profile?
Yep I did! I wanted to be a photographer until I got into makeup! To be honest I don’t even use all the skills and techniques thatI learnt in photography for my Instagram. You don’t need fancy cameras, lenses and lightings but it is ideal as it catches more people’s attention. The more detail the better! More brands will reach out to you to also showcase their products in your style etc.
Beauty Instagram profiles have become a major influence to the beauty industry, what would you say is the toughest thing about maintaining a successful social media? How do you deal with media trolls?
Growing up I was really picked on about how I looked, without going into too much detail it really effected my confidence so at the very start when one hate or negative comment appeared it killed me, made me want to give up and feel like I was not good enough. After a while you learn to get over it and ignore them all, just remind your self that they have nothing better to do and are probably jealous! The good comments outweigh the negative 2/3 you will get so it’s okay, there will always be someone that will try to bring you down. It’s something you should expect especially if you are putting ourself out there as a influencer.
What are your thoughts on post processing photos to help beauty gurus represent their work?
I don’t mind it at all. I do it myself if it’s a small pimple, eye bags, wonky lip liner or a at piece of hair is fine. As long as it is to help enhance your look. Cameras don’t pick up all the details you see in real life so a little extra boost is nothing to be ashamed of. As long as you are not literally painting on the makeup that was not there there’s nothing wrong with it, haha!
What are your top 5 beauty don’ts?
I don’t want to come across as if I 100% know what I’m doing! I’m still practicing and developing my skills as I type this but here are some do’s and don’ts I’ve learned along the way!
1. Don’t copy every other Instagram video and apply it to yourself. Especially cream contouring! Not everyone has the same facial structure and the same features so it might not work for you as well as it did for the guru on Instagram. Try out different techniques to find the perfect way to enhance your features.
2. Don’t give up. I have wanted to give up countless times! I just felt that I was not good enough. My eye shape wasn’t perfect enough. My style and ideas were too boring. Don’t. There are billions of people out there and I can guarantee there will be someone that will be inspired by you! When you experience what it feels like, that encourages you to keep going for 1 or 100,000 people you inspire.
3. Don’t let other people to discourage you and put you down for what you are doing. I’ve been there, ignore and hit that block button.
4. Don’t reach out to big brands asking for free makeup! In fact don’t start blogging just for the free makeup! Build your platform and let the brands come to you. It works out much better and you build a more professional connection with them.
5. Don’t feel like you need to be normal on social media and do what everyone else is doing. It is a place to express yourself in many ways. The more unique and different you are, the more you are loved- trust me! Think outside the box.
How do your social platforms fit into your everyday life? How often do you update your social media platforms?
When I was just freelancing and didn’t have a full time job, my day used to revolve around creating content for Instagram all day every day! It’s a bit harder now that I work in retail as I don’t have enough time to really sit down and feel creative! I usually try to create looks and content on days o ! Looks harder than it seems cause I wear makeup every day I want to have a day o from wearing it at least once a week! As long as you are passionate about it you will find the time.
Who is your biggest Instagram/Makeup Guru?
Since starting Instagram Anastasia Beverly Hills and Huda beauty have to be two of my biggest idols! Huda because she built a community and brand for herself from blogging! It’s incredible to see how far determination and social media can take you!
Same with Anastasia, as an indie brand I love seeing the brand and team grow with every launch. I absolutely love both ABH and Huda Beauty products to death and will continue to support them as they have me!
Share with us 5 random facts about you!
1. I’m addicted to sushi. Sushi will be the death to my bank account. I love seafood everything!
2. I’m allergic to normal bullet lipsticks! Liquid lip sticks all the way!
3. Although it’s rarely seen on Instagram, I have big curly hair naturally! I love wearing wigs to achieve different looks without the damage and commitment.
4. What gained me a lot of attention on Instagram was actually a fee 15 second videos of me plumping my lips with a lip plumper! They went viral over night!
5. I am Albanian! I am planning to move to Albania in the New Years to open my own makeup studio! Super excited!
What would you say to someone who has a dream of becoming beauty guru? What do you think are the 3 key things of becoming noticed on social media?
1. Biggest key thing is DO NOT GIVE UP. If you are ambitious and determined to become a beauty in infuencer or guru, be consistent, POST EVERY DAY and interact with your followers. It will take a while to get out there. Be different and interesting! So something out of the normal!
2. Set a style to your feed, a photographic style that defines you, I still need to do this but my life is all over the place right now haha! Regardless I love following people who have a consistent style its aesthetically pleasing.
3. Get a ring light. At one point or another it will be needed as you can’t rely on day light to get perfect photos! Don’t dive In and invest in a expensive camera! Only do that when you have a good amount of audience that will love to see everything in HD!
4. Interact with brands and other influencers! Make connections and get to know everyone! You can learn so much from others that you can apply to your own work!
Anyone can find me and get in touch with me through my Instagram and Snapchat! They’re both @Sagerimakeup