Latina #GirlBosses You Should Already Be Following on Instagram
With the rise of social media just at its peak, women have been able to find, connect, and interact with other women around the world who share common interests
Photo: Unsplash/@brett_jordan
With the rise of social media just at its peak, women have been able to find, connect, and interact with other women around the world who share common interests. While we all know that technology has its pros and cons, connecting with people you otherwise wouldn’t have is undoubtedly one of the best pay-offs of today’s social networks.
For me, personalization is the coolest thing about social media. No one’s feed looks just like yours. But if you are anything like me, your feed is flooded with three themes: fashion, beauty, and media. On a daily basis, I spend hours scrolling down my Instagram explore page, constantly trying to find new sources of #inspo. And while there’s hundreds of accounts I’d love to highlight, there are four women who have kept me (and thousands of other fans) inspired over the past couple months. So, take out your phone and get ready to follow these talented #GirlBosses.
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First up is Elizabeth Gomez (aka Ellie). Currently, she describes her career as “stylistically helping people” but this is all modesty. Elizabeth has an undeniable keen eye for fashion and styling. She attended High School for Fashion Industries in NYC, a place she commemorates for helping her understand the logistics of constructing a garment from start to finish. At the same time, she was utilizing Tumblr to start building her personal brand. Through tons of reblogs and likes, Elizabeth grew her social media account, @evolelizabeth.
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After high school, she went on to SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology, where she developed an expertise for the fashion business and what it takes to build a fashion empire. She has interned at Marc Jacobs and Nylon Magazine, and is now working alongside her longtime BFF Selangie, who is an up and coming designer, aka @sel.xo. Recently for NYFW, the duo put on a fashion show which featured Selangie’s designs and was styled by Elizabeth.
Till this day, Elizabeth spends a ton of time on her favorite apps – Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. She uses Instagram as her own personal mood board – constantly compiling a ton of inspiring imagery based on her life and creations. She credits the app for helping her aesthetically and visually share with her followers who she truly is.
Tumblr is her go-to archive of images filled with facts and tips. She tells us that she has learned so much just by scrolling through the pages and finding out things she otherwise wouldn’t have. Lastly, Twitter! I mean, who doesn’t love Twitter?! She relies on the app to serve as her voice – although it has sometimes backfired! Nonetheless, she loves to find news and fun memes on the app to share with her followers.
So, what does Elizabeth foresee in her future? She wants to continue creating content with her designer best friend. She told HipLatina that they’re currently looking to put together lookbook shoots and pop-up shops, something plenty of NY gals can’t wait to see!
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Our second girl boss is someone you’ve probably seen on your feed before – Farah Vargas. She is the founder of Pinkness.Co and the face of @farahpink. Her newly found brand is composed of a multitude of platforms – including a coveted skin-care line. Women all over the US are obsessed with the 29-year-old’s holy grail Forever Flawless Beauty Oil.
Farah says her long-term goal is really for women everywhere to know and love her brand. She has put her heart and soul into this, especially after leaving her full-time corporate job. The now entrepreneur and hustler handles all aspects of her brand, from social media to PR, to finance, etc.
Who does she owe this success to? HERSELF! This gal is all about women empowerment and she’s not afraid to give credit where it is due. “I guess by just being myself and not caring about what people think of me,” Farah says. Her originality has not gone unnoticed. Recently, she’s worked with brands like Rebecca Minkoff and Johnny Walker. She doesn’t want to jinx any upcoming projects but she did reveal that she has a few things in the works and I’m sure we’re all eager to hear more!
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Next, we want to highlight on-air personality and social media queen – Thatiana Diaz.
Thatiana currently works for People, as a digital writer, editor, and on-air host. She frequently interviews Latino celebrities and influencers on-camera touching on subjects such as societal issues, their aspirations, and their historical background. This gal is the pure embodiment of her life motto: “The harder I work, it seems the luckier I get.” While many may think she got to where she is now based on pure luck, it was nothing but hard work. In the beginning of her career, she interned at publications like Vogue, Seventeen, AND Latina. This gal tells us that once upon a time, she was a criminal justice major. She owes this career change to her roommate, who helped her discover a hidden passion she hadn’t tapped.
However, her thick accent has caused her to face many hurdles as she works her way to the top. “People will tell me to get a speech coach to get rid of my accent or speak less with my hands,” Thatiana says. But this Latina girl boss will not kneel down to societal standards. “I only hope to make it further while embracing my Latina characteristics to show girls that even with their baby hairs, even with their accents, they can be where I am!”
Thatiana is currently working on multiple projects, but she’s most excited for what’s to come for PEOPLE Chica. She has helped build a subset platform for the brand where she hopes to continue to serve as a voice for Latinos everywhere. We’re rooting for you Thatiana!
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Lastly, HipLatina wants to shed light on this beauty guru, Stephanie Flor.
Now, Stephanie isn’t just a beauty influencer – this #GirlBoss does it all! She is a celebrity make-up artist by day and the founder of beauty & travel blog “Around The World Beauty”. In the last couple of years, she has expanded the business to hosting beauty workshops and global beauty tours around the world – taking place in countries like Peru, India, Morocco, Mexico, and Japan. She creates travel content that is integrated in major online websites for the Millennial Latina and holds up her own personal brand by speaking on behalf of brands as an influencer in the beauty space.
She tells us that that to get to where she is today, she had to follow three sayings: 1) Always be your word 2) Surround yourself with the best and 3) Ask for what you want. Following these mottos has helped her succeed because she was able to be herself and demand the opportunities she has longed for. In our day and age, sometimes we find ourselves “sugar-coating” what we have to say or doubting ourselves when wanting to demand something. Stephanie has spent a chunk of her time attending leadership seminars, reading motivational novels, and learning from her peers to solidify her positioning in the industry. As a Latina, she faced a lot of challenges not being able to relate to other peers in her workspace. She’s had to surpass those by believing in herself and finding the right mentors to push her to success.
What’s next for this super successful gal? Writing a book! Stephanie wants to put together a book that is inspired by the global beauty secrets of women all around the world. In this book, she’ll document what she has been able to discover as she travels the globe, sharing the nitty-gritty and hidden beauty gems from her adventures. After that? “I would love to launch a small product line sold in boutiques!” As an avid follower, I can attest that many women around the world would be interested in shopping Stephanie’s products – let’s be real, who wouldn’t want the world’s hidden beauty secrets in a small little bottle?
