Author: Shikara Franklin

My name is Shikara but I go by Shy. I am 21 years old and go to school for Digital Marketing. After graduation I plan to open a fashion boutique and continue blogging. I love all things fashion, beauty, and lifestyle!

Is Your Instagram Grid Missing Any of These 5 Crucial Things?

Instagram is huge these days, and we all want to be on our “Insta game.” Here are five tips on how to step up your Instagram feed.

First, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking your pictures with natural lighting. Natural lighting is key to a great shot. You don’t want to be in direct sunlight because that will cause awkward shadows, which is a big no-no for your feed. If you post flat pictures of items, try to find a solid color or piece of fabric to lay everything on. Make sure your items all relate to one another. If you’re doing a candid outfit post, make sure to have a nice background. A white wall or another colored wall that goes with your outfit are great options. Try to take outfit pictures outside in natural lighting, I swear it makes your photo ten times better!

My favorite apps to edit my Instagram pictures are Snapseed and VSCO. These two apps can do just about everything you’ll need to do to your photo. If you need to whiten and brighten, use Snapseed. For filters and other quality editing purposes, use VSCO. Both of these apps are free in the app store and are super useful to us Instagrammers.

Next, if you want your Instagram to represent you in a professional setting. Or, if you want to use it for branding, read Capture Your Style by Aimee Song. This is a book I refer back to often. It has so much useful information from structuring pictures to how to take a selfie. This is a book that every Instagrammer needs to read.

My next tip is to be true to yourself. It’s so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing on social media. The best way to stay relevant and keep an audience interested is for you to be yourself. Post pictures of things you actually enjoy and love. Post realistic pictures that are relatable. Some things I like to do to keep it personal and post pictures of my planner, what I ate today, or what I’m doing this weekend. This way, your followers have a sense of who you really are.

Last but not least, incorporate your personal style. Wear pieces that show who you are. Whether it be funky glasses or cool shoes, make sure to share those things on your feed. Incorporating your personal style into your feed shows that you can be versatile while still being yourself. After all, it’s just social media. So have fun with it, but be you!

Show off some of your favorite Instagram looks on social media and tag @CFashionista!

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Going for Glowing Summer Skin

Everyone loves a sun-kissed, bronze glow for the summer. For the hot and muggy months, I prefer to look effortlessly glowing with minimal makeup—New York humidity doesn’t go well with layers and layers of makeup. Here are some key pieces you need in your makeup bag this summer to stay cool and glowing.

The key to keeping your makeup on through the humid weather is a good primer. The last thing you want is to be sweating in the middle of the work day. Most people instantly think primer will take away from their summer glow, but that’s hardly the case! A radiance primer is the way to go; it keeps makeup on all day and provides the natural glow we’re looking for.

Up next, you need a natural bronzer. Our skin is naturally bronzed from the sun, but it doesn’t hurt to enhance what we already have. Gently applying bronzer to the edge of the face and top of the forehead gives you a beautiful, bronzy glow. Remember, the key to bronzer is to look sun-kissed, not orange. Using a light hand while applying is very helpful.

The next item you need in your makeup bag is a highlighter. Whether you prefer a liquid, powder, or both, having a good one is crucial. Highlighting is all the rage right now, so there are plenty on the market. Everyone has their perfect shade. Whether you’re fair, olive, or darker, there’s a shade for you out there. When applying highlighter, you should apply it to the highest points of your face so the sun naturally catches it. Apply as much or as little as you would like, but remember, it’s summer and highlighter can be mistaken as sweat. You don’t want that!

The last two essentials you need in your makeup bag this summer is mascara and lip gloss. Every girl needs a voluminous waterproof mascara. If you plan on going near water with mascara on, make sure to use a waterproof option to prevent black smudges all over your face. Lastly, glossy lips tie in the highlighter perfectly.

These simple products will have you looking and feeling like a bronzed, glowing goddess. Remember, less is more, especially in the summer.

What’s in your makeup bag this summer? Show me on social media, and be sure to tag @CFashionista!

3 Summer Trends Every Girl Needs to Know

It is finally here, what we’ve all been patiently or not so patiently waiting for…summer! Which means lots of summer trends to play around with. Every summer I get so excited to see what crazy trends are going to hit the stores. This season the market did not disappoint. So if you’ve been waiting to revamp your wardrobe now is the time! There are so many popular trends right now but were going to talk about the three hottest on the market. Whether you’re more girly or have a chic casual style, I’ve got you covered this season!

First, let’s talk shoes. Who doesn’t love a great pair of shoes to throw on with just about any outfit and run out the door? I have been seeing platforms in just about every style of shoe out there. Platforms are perfect because they give you the height we all need without the physical pain of heels. For me platforms are a win-win. They go with jeans, skirts, shorts, and even dresses. I love to be super stylish and cute but also as a girl on the go I need to be comfortable!

Up next we have the denim skirt! I have been LOVING the denim trend in general but something about a denim skirt makes me so happy. Denim skirts are so versatile, they can be street chic with a pair of sneakers and a graphic T-shirt, or dressed up with platform sandals and a blouse. The options are really endless.

Lastly, we have the distressed dermuda short trend. My all time favorite trend so far this season! This is definitely a bold trend that will take time for a lot of people to get on board with but, just like the choker trend I know it is going to be big this summer. As overwhelming as they might seem they are so easy to style with a simple tank, belt, and sneakers. Distressed bermudas are the perfect trend for all of my girls out there who are into “street chic” and “off duty model” wear. Not only are they super cute but they are so comfortable and easy to wear. To me life is about being cute and stylish but also comfy and these are just that!

How do you feel about these trends—are you loving them? Leave a comment below of your favorite trend this season!