At COCOTIQUE, we believe in the spirit of beauty through confidence, grace and optimism. In our COCOBlogger series, we feature women who exude those things through their personal brands, and have them share their favorite beauty and fashion secrets. In this post we present Merli Estime: Makeup Artist and Beauty & Lifestyle Blogger, Miss Merli in NYC.
In 3-5 sentences, who are you and what is your profession?
I'd like to think when you think of Miss Merli you think the happy, super positive, Jesus lover who is a beautiful go getter with the biggest smile and eyes in the world. I am a Makeup Artist and blogger.
What 3 products are in your ultimate beauty arsenal and why?
Easy! I live for MAC Girl About Town, Make Up For Ever HD Pro Powder, and Bdellium Brushes.
What drew you to blogging and what is your favorite thing about it?
My love of photography and writing is what drew me to blogging. I love the ability to share those two amazing pieces of arts with a big audience. My favorite thing about blogging is the opportunity it lends to meeting so many amazing people who I would've probably not met if I weren’t doing this.
If you had 2 hours to pick out an outfit from head to toe, where would you shop and why?
Only two hours? Welp! You'd probably catch me at... wait for it... Anthropologie! I recently walked in the store on a whim and realized I love the styles. They also carry Tracey Reese, whom I love.
Who is your favorite natural hair celebrity and why?
My favorite natural hair celebrity is Esperanza Spalding. She has all that beautiful hair, so big and oh so healthy and did I mention big! I love when it’s all blown out and she adds accessories to it. She's just so beautiful in her spirit and her musical ability is out of this world.
What is the most challenging part of blogging?
The most challenging part about blogging is cranking out great quality content on a daily basis in a saturated blog world, while still handling the rest of your life. Sometimes writers block becomes like a plague. Still working on it but I'm getting better.
What is the one piece of beauty advice you would give to all women?
Be undoubtedly who you are on the inside and on the outside. Don’t pretend or falsify who you are so you can fit in. Example: if you’re super sweet and love bright colors like I do, be that super sweet girl who says hi to everyone with her hot pink lips—even if it’s in the dead of winter and it’s not on trend. Let your light shine so bright that the entire world will see it, no matter what anyone says.
More about Merli:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Merli Estime: MissMerliNYC.com
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