Fenty Has Never Been So Savage

 In a world of so many divisions and separations , we need a company who focuses on inclusion for all and that's exactly what Fenty Beauty does. In fact when looking up their website you will see that next to the brand name, it says, "Beauty for All". 

Since its initial launch it came out with 40 different shades. Which goes to show the goal for inclusivity to this company. Women of all different skin tones and skin types can purchase this product because there's a shade for everyone, which is why I love this company.

Fenty Beauty was founded by singer, Rihanna. She uses multiple outlets to market Fenty Beauty products such as YouTube, Facebook and Pinterest. The company makes sure to keep a frequent social media presence to market their products.

Rihanna

YouTube

 

When going on the "Fenty Beauty by Rihanna" Youtube page, you'd be intrigued. It shows many diverse people doing makeup tutorials the makeup products, advertisement videos for the new launches and tutorial Tuesdays with Rihanna. The page looks professional, fun and refreshing.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna has 732k subscribers. Despite the number of subscribers some videos gain a million views or more. The highest gained views are videos of herself doing a makeup tutorials or other celebrities. The engagement and subscribers could be mostly from Rihanna and some from the people she features on her page.

Overall I love the whole lay out of the page. The only improvement I'd suggest is moving the popular videos to the top so that it'll be easier for viewers to see.

Facebook

When going on the "Fenty Beauty by Rihanna" facebook page, you see aesthetic like marketing pictures, makeup tutorial videos, sale items and beautiful people modeling the looks they got with Fenty makeup products. The page itself is so eye-catching.

It's Facebook page has 854,431 followers and 752142 likes. The page also is rated 4.6 stars. Constant postings and models showing their looks with the help of the makeup tremendously contributes to the page's following and engagement.

I like the entire layout of the page. I do think that there should hav been a mission statement visible somewhere at the top of the page. I also think there should have been links ro the other social media outlets.

Pinterest

When clicking onto Fenty Beauty's Pinterest page it is very eye-catching. It has all the different product layer out for potential buyers to check out. Everything is organized in such a vibrant way. The page also has 10,341 followers.

 

I like the fact that it shows at the top, what websites the products can be bought from for viewers and followers. The link to the Fenty Beauty page is another thing they have that's easily accessible for followers and viewers at the top. 

Voting for the Greater or Lesser Evil

For a long time people having been waiting for a change. People have been hoping for a chance to right their wrongs and trying to make the world a better place. They bestowed the power to make this change into whoever holds the position of being the future president.

The 2020 election allowed people to place their vote in to the hands of whoever they deemed worthy of entrusting their livelihood to. Things were highly controversial with the election when it came to the two major candidates, Joe Biden and the current President, Donald Trump. Emotions were high as some people expressed who would be the best and worst choice.

Joe Biden

President Donald Trump

Voting is very much important for all people because everyone's voice should heard. Especially for African Americans though, being that our ancestors were deprived of the right for so long. As a black person, I understand that having the right to vote is pivotal because it allows us to be heard and voice our opinions, when once before it wasn't even an option.

During this time, I intended to vote because I have never done so before, and now was the best time as any to exercise the right to vote. I say this was the best time to vote because it seemed like America was on the verge of danger. Personally, I believed that if Trump were to remain President things would've went from bad to worst.

Throughout the time of Trump's presidency racist people weren't hiding their feelings anymore, they were expressing it in distasteful ways. People were rioting, fighting and harassing non-Trump supporters at any given moment in time. All of this was happening because President Trump himself was provoking and condoning this behavior.

Even though I felt it was necessary to vote, I actually never did for a few reasons. First and foremost, I missed the registration period. Second, was because I had mixed feelings about both of them. I absolutely did not want Trump to be president anymore, but I had also heard some pretty bad things about Joe Biden as well.  

I felt like it would be choosing in between who is the "lesser evil". That maybe harsh to say, but honestly I've always felt President Trump was horrible and the things I heard about Biden, I just couldn't overlook. As a result of this, I felt like it may have not been good idea to vote because I didn't trust any of the candidates.

When I heard about Biden's likelihood of winning and Kamala Harris becoming the new Vice President-elect, strangely I was relieved. Despite the fact of my mixed feelings towards Biden, I was extremely happy to hear about have the first ever female African American Vice President-elect. Any achievement from any black woman is an achievement for all black women. Yet again, black women as a whole got to celebrate black girl magic.  

Kamala Harris

Aside from all that, a politician that I admired was Jaime Harrison, who was running for senator of South Carolina. Even though he didn't win, he intrigued me with how he used youtube for his campaign. Every time I clicked to watch a video I would see his ad without fail. He was aggressive with his marketing, but in a good way. 

Jaime Harrison

       

Once the election was pretty much over and it was announced that Biden had enough votes to win, he was very adamant about equality, unity and healing in America. For some reason I believe him and will hold him to his word. Despite my initial doubts, I feel like both Biden and Harris will make necessary positive changes that America needs. 

A Familiar Stranger to Racism

 A lot of people come to America thinking that it's going to be this free space. A place that is different. A place of serenity where all their troubles from their previous country will be gone. Many face the tragic reality that America can be very similar to the hostile environment they did everything to escape from. 

Many European immigrants who traveled to America in the 1940's face the rude awakening of America's discrimination and unpleasantries. One person in particular was Malvina, a 11-year-old refugee from Belgium.

While in Belgium Malvina faced discrimination heavily. Teachers would check her hair to see if she had lice. They'd even go as far commenting that she was "clean and well groomed for a Jewish child".Things got to the point where Malvina and her family had to flee the country in fear for the lives and what would've happened to them if they stayed.

Once Malvina reached the United States, she hoped she had left all her troubles behind. Little did she know she would face them again in a different form.

Malvina got her first experience of what racism was like once she saw separate restrooms and drinking fountains for black people and white people. She was confused at the sight of this because they came to America to get away from this same kind of discrimination and had no idea that would have to revisit it.

Nobody Wants Us - Malvina Trailer

It had to have been quite traumatizing for a child to see that. For all Malvina knew she was one the colored people who had to separate from the white people.

Moments like these are pivotal and quite scary to think that we have not quite moved from this trauma because people still face these same kind of sentiments when coming to America. Being able to hear the story of these survivors and how they made it through their suffering could teach America a lot about the beauty of equality and how helping immigrants can change the world for the better.

To find out more about Malvina and many others like her during this time watch the film, "Nobody Wants Us" by Laura Seltzer-Duny.

What's the Media ?

Who said you can't be a jack of all trades? Better yet, who says that you can't do it all? Especially if everything you're trying to do correlates with each other.

Kris Kaylin Bennett, a South Carolina State University alumna of class of 2016, could definitely be considered a jack of all trades. During her time at SCSU she started Bulldog Bite, an entertainment video show, in which she adapted the concept from MTV. After completing her college career at SCSU in 2016, she eventually went on to work as a weekend radio personality for one of Charleston's most popular radio stations , Z93 Jams. She also runs her "Next Up Charleston" series, does brand management, and is a creative director for Black Southern Belle,     

When asked about her all her involvements and which one she likes the most, Bennett said, "I definitely love radio the most because I actually get to be my full self. I get to show my personality."

"Right behind that would be blogging" Bennett says, "because I still get to do my Next Up Charleston series."

Bennett got into blogging after graduating and meeting Michiel Perry, founder of Black Southern Belle. Perry was looking for a college intern. Despite already being a college graduate, Bennett reached out to Perry expressing that she is in fact a college graduate, but would still love to be apart Black Southern Belle.

 

One of the first things Bennett had to do while working with Perry was to plan a retreat Perry had in Charleston. Bennett's task entailed  reaching out to people and making flyers using Canva.

"That's when I first discovered Canva, which is amazing," she said. "If you can't use photoshop, Canva is your best friend."

According to Bennett, since Perry doesn't travel much anymore, due to having young children, Bennett is her "second in command". Especially when companies and PR firms reach out to BSB. For instance, the Emeline Hotel's in Charleston reached out to BSB to have them do a hotel stay. Bennett also got to go to an influencer dinner at the Bennett Hotel, where she got to meet and network with other social media influencers in Charleston.

Emeline Hotel Room

Bennett Hotel

The process that PR companies will reach out to Perry who then reaches out to Bennett. Bennett's job is to create content for these establishments like taking pictures of the food and getting videos of the room for promotional purposes.The expectation is that Kris Bennett uses certain hashtags given by the hotel and tagging the pages that needed to be tagged.

The perks of this for Bennet is getting a stipend (consisting of $100-$175) for her hotel stay from Perry, complimentary dinners from the hotel or credit to the room.

"Something is always included in the package," Bennett says.

Even though she is involved in all these opportunities now,  she recalls her the hardest thing for her was simply getting in the industry. Once her foot was in the door all the opportunities started to flow. 

"Once you get your foot in the door, kill it !" she said.

Aside from her many jobs, she does other things like making sure senior citizens have what they need for Covid,  being super involved in her community and doing giveaways.

Her advice to people coming in the communication field is to always be their authentic selves.

Social Media Success and Sorrows

Since its creation social media has grasped the time and attention of millions of people all over the world. It has connected people across the country to each other and kept people updated with what's going on all around the world.

Whether on a train, plane or taxi cab people are most likely on their phone and nine times out of ten their on social media. People could be at a wedding recording videos on Snapchat, at a family reunion taking pictures for Facebook or on Instagram live at their graduation. Whichever situation they make time for social media.

Social media is like a double-edged sword. Although it has its charming pros like business opportunities, entertainment and access to new friends, it also has its cons as well. Some of these cons can cause detrimental outcomes to social media users.

Initially I didn't recognize major cons with social media until I read the article "20 Social Media Problem and Solutions in Society Today". Some of the cons listed that many people face based on the article are, neglecting family and responsibilities, reducing attention span, wasting time on social media, lack of focus and productivity, and seeking validation just to name a few. All of which I can relate to.

Typically people aren't aware of certain issues until they come face forward with it. After reading this article I've come to realize my own cons with social media. The major ones for me personally are neglecting family members and responsibilities, lack of focus and productivity and seeking validation.

I've noticed that I could be at an important or major family function but consistently pull out my phone to be on social media. Rather than fully enjoy the opportunity of being with my family, that I don't see everyday, I record things just for Snapchat. My family told me multiple times, "Rabia get off that phone and enjoy yourself!" 

To be honest, I got distracted multiple times writing this blog post because I was taking a social media break. I procrastinate a lot and in doing so, I end up on social media scrolling way longer than I should. As a result of that, task I could have done ahead of time or on time gets delayed.

Checking to see how many likes and shares I get on pictures and how much views I get on content videos is another problem. Though it may sound like a normal thing to do, I consistently check like every five minutes which is bizarre. I ponder on how come work that other people do of lesser value (in my opinion) gets way better likes, shares, views, and feedback than I do.

Even though these are all cons that many people face, it doesn't mean it's a problem that can't be fixed. Social media is great to have and use, it only becomes a problem if you make it one. Our way of maintaining control is how we use it. So it's your choice if you get social media success or sorrow.

Does a Follow Make Them a Role Model

Social media has become a virtual world where anyone can be a celebrity! Fans can also become "friends" with their favorite celebrities by following them, but just on social media. In other cases, fans can actually be acquainted with celebrities in real life or become an overnight sensation themselves.

Strictly focusing on following people on social media, the privilege of it is reserved for several different purposes. For some, the purpose of following certain people is because the people they follow are their role models, they actually know them personally, can learn something from them, idolize them or are entertained by them.

I follow several people for all of the above reasons on apps such as Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.

Instagram

1. Beats by Deb 

I follow Deb on Instagram @beatsbydeb. She is an entrepreneur and beauty influencer. I follow her for several reasons but mostly because her content is creative, her makeup tutorials are informative and her marketing skills are remarkable.

I actually came across Deb and her Instagram page through YouTube. I was just starting to be intrigued by makeup and she happened to pop up in my recommendations. After viewing her videos, I looked her up on Instagram as she suggested and I was hooked.

What I like about her page the most, is that her tutorials don't just teach you how to "beat your face" as they say in the makeup world, but she makes her content so intriguing with her cool edits. I also love how she promotes her own personal business Beats by Deb Cosmetics through this creative content.

On her page she has videos of herself doing her makeup with popular music. Within the video she promotes her products and other popular brands' products like Morphe and Juvia's Place. In fact, she influenced me to try those products, do makeup videos, and follow her makeup tips.

If you're inspired by her essence and black girl magic you should follow her too.

 

2. Saweetie 

     

Saweetie is a brand ambassador, rapper, fashion icon, beauty influencer and vlogger. I follow her on Instagram @Saweetie and I am subscribed to her YouTube channel. Saweetie and her team are masters at marketing her music and being a brand ambassador. She also produces content that is so engaging. 

Saweetie's aesthetics on Instagram has such an amazing pop of color and 90's fashion. I follow her on Instagram because of her aesthetics and her amazing personality.

Anytime she posts, I am immediately drawn to her page because of her fun and bubbly personality. Having that kind of personality is great when it comes to being a brand ambassador because it'll  influence her viewers to purchase whatever she's promoting.

I am always entertained by her whenever she posts on her page but I also learn from her as well. She has taught me that it's not only about what you're selling, it's about how you pitch it.

3. Mariam Makeup

 

In so little time my admiration for Mariam has flourished. I came across her artistry on the explore page of Instagram. One random page posted her creative makeup tutorial video and I went straight to her page @_Mariam.Makeup_ . There I found how she incorporates music , creative edits, smooth transitions and makeup tutorials all in one.

She creates videos like no other. She draws you in with several posts. She also shows that makeup isn't just to make over your face, but you can also create different things on your face as you see above.

Her videos truly inspire me especially since I am trying to be a videographer and a better editor.

Youtube

DDG

DDG is a YouTube vlogger turned rapper. He is one of the most successful people on that platform and one of the few vloggers who have a pretty successful music career.

I subscribed to his YouTube channel "DDG Family" a few years ago and was highly entertained by him vlogging about the Los Angeles lifestyle. It's one of the places I've always dreamed of going and he makes me want to go even more.

He collaborates with a lot of other successful YouTubers and makes the most humorous content. From talking to his luxurious cars and making the voices talk back to him, to having funny sound effects when he takes in "L" in certain situations, DDG does it all.

He truly knows how to keep his audience and create content out of nothing. He turns his normal day life into a television series for his audience. He even carries his charisma to Instagram where he promotes his music videos. You can follow him on Instagram @pontiacmadeddg.

Snapchat

Chythegreatest

Chy is the epitome of girl boss. She is a YouTuber and influencer. Straight out of high school she moved into her own apartment by herself with her name being the only one on the lease. 

I follow her on Snapchat where she promotes her small business selling merchandise and other miscellaneous items. On Snapchat she shows how she handles her inventory and package her items for customers. Other than promoting her business on Snapchat she also does it on her Instagram @chythegreatest.

On Instagram and Snapchat she also gains a big following with her funny personality and creative videos. She also has two puppies who wins her audiences over and keeps ups her views.

What's Really Social About The Media?

 There was a time when being social consisted of talking face to face and if you lacked that privilege you'd write a letter or send a telegraph. Well, those days are now gone! Everyday people are "social" on social media. Whether it's for marketing/business purposes or connecting with someone old or new, social media platforms are a major part of billions of people's everyday lives. 

Some of us use it entirely too much just for fun, when really we can get paid for it. Social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube give you the luxury of deciding to do whichever you prefer. Meanwhile Pinterest is more so an app for spending money or making money, while advertising or being intrigued by the advertisement.

I was surprised to gain knowledge from the "social media users demographics of 2020", that females use majority of apps with the exception of LinkedIn, more than males. It makes sense, but naturally as a female, I wouldn't have considered us to be such social media fans. I was also surprised to gain knowledge that Facebook is considered the "king" of social media according to the oberlo article. Statistics may rank Facebook at the top of the list of social media but they aren't at the top of my personal list.

My most favorite to least liked/used social media platforms are:

1. Instagram 

I was never really a big social media person but when I started my Instagram in 2018 I instantly fell in love with the app. I feel its a free space for creatives to express themselves and their talent. Instagram has opened so many doors for "regular" people and turn them into social media influencers like you wouldn't believe.

People like B. Simone, Desi Banks, Mariam Musa and several others started as regular people and thrived extremely using this app. Not only that, but Instagram has allowed people to create and advertise their businesses on a global level.

Even though Instagram doesn't quite match up to Facebook's 2.41 billion monthly users, Instagram has become an amazing and helpful platform for users. 

When you click on this app you will either entertain, be entertained, sell or buy. My personal use of this app consist of entertaining as well as being entertained. I love creating content on Instagram such as skits, how to videos, or posting well thought out photo shoot pictures. Using this app has really brought me out my comfort zone. The free space you get in expressing your talents and interest is exhilarating. 

One negative thing I can say is that people abuse the purpose of this app. People have used it to cyberbully and harass regular celebrities just as well as regular people. The good thing though, is it gives you the option of putting your page private so you can be selective of who sees or comments on your post and profile.

The other negative thing is that people have allowed likes to dictate their worth on this app. Views and likes have taken over self-worth. People also have lost touch on how to actually communicate in person as well.

2. Snapchat

Oh how I love this app ! Fifty-three percent of users within the age of 15-25 (which is the highest group) use this app. Which explains why I love it so much because I fall in that group.

I like to think of this app as a 60 seconds or less daily vlogging app. On this app you can post short clips of your choosing, message people, advertise and so  much more. It has allowed people to connect from all over. I've even caught up with old friends that I haven't seen in a while using this app.

This app has 314 million users accord to the "Top 10 Most Popular Social Media Apps to Follow" article by Morris Edwards. I guess this app attracts all these users because of the fun filter options. These option range from dog faces to even spiders crawling on you when you're in the camera!

I've used this app to advertise my YouTube videos and cake jar business, but I also just use it for fun. There is not much bad things about this app, the only thing I dislike about this app is that people feel their worth is dependent on their snap score number.

3. YouTube

 If no there platform has provided streams of income and jobs for creators, YouTube has. People like DDG and Queen Naija have literally gone from YouTube vloggers to artists reaching grammy nominations or awards because of their use of youtube.

YouTube has 2 billion active users. These users either consist of content creators or viewers. You can have a YouTube that can get monetized or you could just use it to put out whatever information you like. 

Not only does celebrities use this app to promote music and their music videos but regular people can too. YouTube also allows users with YouTube pages to post content like pranks, vlog, reviews, how to's , drama reporting and gaming to get monetized for it once they reach 1,000  subscribers and obtain 4,000 watch hours.

I've personally used it to post vlogs on my personal channel. I also like to watch makeup tutorials, vlogs, mukbangs, etc. from other content creators. 

My only dislike is that people use this platform to cyberbully and stalk.

4. Facebook

Even though this app is the king of all social media apps, I have a love-hate relationship with this app. I had an account in high school, but deactivated for years because of all the negative energy it has.

It consisted of so many negatives, I couldn't see the positive side. People thought your worth was based on likes and shares. People also watched the amount of "happy birthdays" you got to determine your popularity status and the list goes on. Im not going to say much has change but I will say I have.

 

I've gained a new perspective. I now see that this is one of the best, if not the best app, to advertise for your business and reconnect with old friends. On this app people actually support your business a whole lot more than they do on Instagram. 

People basically live on Facebook ! Out of all apps on my phone people are the most active on this one. I guess the statistics aren't just a gimmick.

5. Pinterest

This app right here is where creators get inspired. Theres so much things to get from this app. You can get fashion ideas, cooking recipes, diet plans, decor ideas, etc. There is absolutely no wonder females dominate this app. It's like a virtual cookbook or diary for us.

I’ve personally used it to get fashion, photoshoot, hairstyles and dinner ideas. Other than my personal use I know that companies used it to bring revenue to their pages and products. I could go as far to say Pinterest is the home app for marketing and advertising. So many businesses have thrived because of this app.

Surpisingly I have no dislikes for Pinterest. I can only say it's just limited to looking an not much of connecting with others on a personal level as opposed to the other apps.