Let’s face it we are all out here influencing each other. None of us invented the wheel here when it comes to blogging and influencing. Even if you aren’t an influencer or blogger I’m sure you and your circle of friends influence each others beauty routine, favorite hang out spots and more. It’s just human nature to connect with our friends and family that way. When something is GOODT GOODT, we can’t help but share the wealth with those who matter to us. I decided to put together a list of amazing people who I love following on Instagram and in LIFE! This is literally the shortest that I could get this list. I know and follow so many amazing people, if I listed them all it’d take about 20 blog posts. I find new amazing people everyday, so perhaps I will make this a quarterly thing so you all can keep up with who I’m keeping up with too. Here are a few of my favorites in the Beauty, Fashion, Writing, Motherhood and Trailblazing industries.
[one_half padding=”0 15px 0 0″][/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”]BEAUTYDiarrha N’Diaye @diarrhaxo — There’s no one I trust when in comes to skincare information more than Diarrha. She is literally the melanin skin whisperer. I interviewed her last year for Fashion Steele Magazine when she was the Social Media Expert at L’Oreal (check out her amazing video interview for a glimpse into her Brooklyn Brownstone and stellar medicine cabinet full of beauty goods). She is a certified expert on products and ingredients and the effect they have on your skin. Plus she’s just super cool.
Sisi Nike @sisi_nike — I’ve been following her MUA career for years. She has done some of the most well known peoples makeup. I find her makeup videos and lives super informative and interesting and I always learn something that I can immediately apply to my routine. By the way her and her husband are hilarious and I love how they love on each other. Their wedding pretty much shut down instagram. She’s who I’d trust to do my makeup should I ever get married myself one day. [/one_half_last]
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Amanda Murray @londongirlinnyc is my boo! I say that from the bottom of my heart. I’ve been following her for years on Instagram and it’s safe to say that nobody has style like she does. She is one in a million. She’s even put me onto designers I need to follow from Dries, to Sies Marjan. I follow her fashion so closely when I’m shopping I often say to myself, Amanda would definitely wear this. She recently wrote this amazing piece for Teen Vogue. She inspires me to GET DRESSED, even if it’s to go to the bodega to buy some coconut water.
Oumayma Elboumeshouli @oumaymaboumeshouli is that girl. She oozes style and I’m here for it. I’ve been following her for a good while and this past February during New York Fashion Week we were seated next to each other at the Tibi Show. We have been Insta-BFFs ever since often sending copious amounts of YAS on each others photos. She is super sweet and she has indeed influenced me to buy several things. [/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 15px 0 0″]Brea @littlebreathatcould is my darling darling stylist. I love following her antics on Instagram. She has styled some of my favorite shoots and what I love is that she does it with things she finds at thrift stores. She is a natural born hustler and go-getter and I’m sure her work will be filling the pages of top magazines in the upcoming years. I actually ran into her on the street one day and fan-girled all over her. She was super sweet and humble and just had the most infectious amazing energy. I also love her train thoughts segments on Instastories, her unique style and her twerk sessions.
Hajra @hajra_aaa just has that chic lewk down. She has to be one of the chicest women I follow on Instagram. Every time a new photo pops up on her feed, I hold my breath. I love her style and her grace. Modest dressing has never been so highly coveted and she does it extremely well. [/one_half] [one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”][/one_half_last]
[one_half padding=”0 15px 0 0″][/one_half] [one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”]CHIC MOMMASNya Richardson @myepiphany is one of my blogger boos. I absolutely love watching her instastories. Her son Nolyn is darling and I love watching them travel the world together. She really inspires me with how she raises her son. She not only is she a mother she is an entrepreneur and makes it all look so effortless. Not to mention she is vegan and her son is vegan as well. I just love the two of them.
Mikaela Pabon @mikeala.pabon has a GORGEOUS family. Seriously she and her husband make gorgeous children. I love watching Mikaela be an amazing mother to two and run her own business as well as work a 9-5. She is basically super woman and does it all mixing patterns and looking effortlessly chic. [/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 15px 0 0″]Chris Bright @chrismiss_ is just an inspiration. She keeps it so real when it comes to the trials and tribulations of co-parenting as well as taking a leap of faith and working for yourself. She has had me in tears on more than one occasion watching her stories and I just love how authentic and humble she is. She is a true inspiration to me and I’m just glad I get to watch her flourish. She is all about helping women which is hard to come by these days She’s also STUNNING and you may have seen her cameo in the new She’s Gotta Have It movie.
Meryem @meryemsfirst is basically my sister. I have been following her evolution for years! She’s consistently open about her issues with depression. I love how honest and relatable she is. She also is a sneaker hoarder in the way that I am a heel collector so we connect on that wave length as well. I’ve watched her adorable son Nori grow up and he’s my Insta-Godson. Seriously, we send each other videos LOL. Though we have never met we plan to link up in Ibiza next year with @spicymayo in tow. [/one_half]
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[one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”]INLUENCER MOGALS
Chriselle Lim @chrisellelim is a badass. When it comes to this blogging thing, she has done and seen it all. She has a popping youtube channel, an office that dreams are made of, a clothing line, a funny husband and two adorable daughters. I’m not sure how she does it all but she does it well and when I need a swift kick in the ass, I head over to her blog. She’s one of the very few people who’s blogs I actually check daily. She also inspires me to level up when it comes to blogging and influencing.
Kéla Walker @kelawalker is the homie! We both hail from the same small town in North Carolina and I just LOVE HER. Her Instastories are hilarious and she is 100% authentic. From hair, to makeup, to nails and lewks she always nails it. It amazing seeing her knock everything she does out of the park, from red carpets to hosting panels. She also schools me on a regular basis on what I need to aim for in this influencer game.[/one_half_last] [one_half padding=”0 15px 0 0″]Nicole Warne @nicolewarne is the OG. I was following her when she had an online vintage shop (and actually bought a few things from it). She has parlayed her styling talents and her now husbands amazing photography into a full blown empire. She was the first blogger to be signed to IMG. She consistently works with top tier luxury brands. She works smart. Although she rarely posts anymore she does do a lot of elaborate campaigns. The campaigns are so stunning its worth the wait. She kills every editorial. Her wedding was also the stuff dreams were made of, so much so that Vogue covered it.
Tamu McPherson @tamumcpherson just oozes talent. She started as a photographer (a highly sought after photographer at that) and parlayed that into an empire. She has such an eye for fashion, storytelling and styling. She has worked with all of fashions heavy hitters and is an expert on panels. She is super talented and really inspires me to reach for the stars.[/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”][/one_half_last]
[one_half padding=”0 15px 0 0″][/one_half] [one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”]STORYTELLERSMarjon Carlos @marjon_carlos is your favorite cool aunty. I’ve been following her since her writing days at vogue.com. She has since gone on to freelance and is killing the game with articles in numerous publications and regular features in your favorite print and online publications. She’s probably moderating the next panel you’re attending too. She is a beautiful writer and she has the coolest girl gang of friends. We’ve met a few times and she doesn’t know it yet, but I’m gonna make her one of my BFFs.
Nneka Julia @nnekaj is one of the most talented storytellers on the gram right now. I literally fell in love with Wednesdays because of her Waste His Time Wednesdays series on Instastories which were hilarious. She has since delved into the world of Podcasts with her Passing Through series. She’s also well adept at creating stunning images and engaging captions. I adore following her for inspiration and just a breath of fresh air. She’s not the same ole, same ole you see every other post.[/one_half_last]
Lindsey Peoples Wagner @lpeopleswagner is the new Editor and Chief at Teen Vogue and I’ve been following her career since she wrote at The Cut. She wrote one of my favorite articles this year, What It’s Really Like to Be Black and Work In Fashion. She has a truly unique writing voice and she’s one of the women I admire in the industry. She’s also been super kind the last few times I’ve meet her and proceeded to fan girl all over her.
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[/full_width]Photography by Rose Lazard || Editing by Monroe Steele
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[one_half_last padding=”0 0 0 15px”]TABLE SHAKERS
Ericka Hart @ihartericka and her partner Ebony are in my top 3 of people I follow on Instagram. I love how they love on Black People. I love how I ALWAYS learn something just by watching their Instastories. I mean WHEW CHILE. Their podcast Hoodrat to Headwrap is my go-to when I’m stuck on a long train ride or cleaning my house on a Sunday morning. They are always speaking out on adversities and I also just love how they love on each other.
Denisse Benitez @chasingdenisse is my blogger boo. Not only is she a super amazingly talented award winning photographer but she also is a brand expert! She has amazing presets that make melanin pop too. I actually first fell involve with her writing. She is a beautiful writer and I LURVE watching her Instastories. Her and her fiancé Chase are just adorable. Denisse always keeps it gully and if there is an injustice happening she is one of the few people not afraid to call it out and I love her for it.[/one_half_last]
Shelby Ivey Christie @bronze_bombshel is a walking encyclopedia of fashion history. If you don’t do anything in 2018, go follow her in Instagram ASAP and watch all of her insightful highlights! She is currently the media manager at L’Oreal USA and I love her sense of style. She stays killing it in her ensembles. She’s also always on top of the latest in fashion news. Her Podcast, Girl with a Bamboo Earring is worth Subscribing to with interviews with the fashion elite from Stacy Beverly to Bethann Hardison.
I just want to thank all of you for constantly inspiring me to level up and also for teaching me new things on a regular basis. Speaking of Bloggers & Influencers, EVERYTHING in my ETSY Shop is now 40% Off until Monday December 24th with CODE: SECURETHEBAG. Make sure to check out my new So You Wanna Be A Blogger eBook as well as The Ultimate Pitch Template Package + Instastories Pro eBook. Happy Holidays from me to you!
Please drop some of your favorite people to follow in the comments! I’d love to check on some new folks.
xx
Monroe
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Thank you for sharing all this inspirational women
We love when women support each others 🙂
Merry Christmas xoxo
Author
Thanks so much for reading!
x
Monroe
So much talent to be found. It is always exciting to discover more beautiful sistahs. Supporting each other is so important because if we don’t, who will. Stay forever beautiful inside and out, Monroe. May you be richly blessed. Happy New Year!!!
Author
Thanks for reading Gloria. I hope you have a wonderful New Year. I appreciate you so much.
x
Monroe
I am late to this post but you’ve given me so many new people to follow. That’s so kind of you to share the love!