First Look Fridays Interview Series: Content Creator Erin Summer

If you love color, color and more COLOR, you're absolutely going to love Erin Summer. Erin is part of the #candyminimal movement started by Matt Crump -- which basically means her entire Instagram feed makes me super happy every time I look at it! I've been pretty obsessed with her Instagram for awhile now, so I'm super excited to feature her today! Read on to find out how she got started as a colorriffic influencer, the mascara she can't live without and so much more.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Well hello there! I was born and raised in Toronto. My husband and I recently purchased a house in the countryside that has more space with a yard and a studio for my creative business. I have gone to school for several different programs, including General Arts and Science, Early Childhood Education and Fashion Design. I didn’t actually finish them ALL but I definitely tried on several hats over the years trying to figure out exactly what it is that I wanted to do. In recent years I've been working exclusively with feathers, creating one of a kind designs, under the name @erinlightfeather.

Your Instagram is super fun and colorful (I love it!). How did you first become interested in creating content, and what made you want to embrace the #candyminimal lifestyle?
In 2014 I launched my Erin Lightfeather business and I started shooting product photography for my creations. The shots that seemed to spark the most interest were clean and minimal compositions with a splash of color. Because those photos got the most reaction, I sort of tailored my aesthetic in that direction. It worked well for me because I have always appreciated a minimal aesthetic, and I found that high contrast, colorful images were the easiest for me to edit as a Photoshop newbie. I’m a lot better with Photoshop now, but the Candy Minimal look stuck! (Thank you @mattcrump for the very appropriate name for that style!)

Where do you find inspiration for your posts?
Everyday, mundane subjects. I love to take simple concepts and elevate them. To my self I call my style “maximinimal” because I try to take minimal ideas and give them maximum visual impact.

Let’s talk beauty for a moment! What are your top 5 beauty essentials?
This is a great question! It’s only in the last few years I have become serious about beauty. Since puberty I had terrible skin, and I didn’t understand makeup. A few years ago I discovered Skincare Addiction on Reddit and I learned SO much. I stopped fearing moisture, oil and makeup, and I found the right routine for my skin. Since then I’ve started to care a lot more and take pride both in my skincare routine and my makeup! Okay, my top beauty essentials are:

Organic honey. I make a honey mask several times a week, particularly in the winter months. (I use 1 teaspoon of honey and a drop of water and massage it onto my face and neck.) It keeps my skin soft and hydrated, and it really helps with the tiny breakouts I still get on my jawline.

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque. It's my most favorite thing ever! I wear it every night to bed as a night cream and I wake up with fresh and dewy skin.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. It's the best foundation ever! I can’t live without it.

I use two mascaras: Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara as a base coat and Benefit Cosmetics BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara as a second coat. Incredible lashes that always have people asking if I am wearing false lashes (I’m not).

2% salicylic acid + Nip + Fab Glycolic Daily Fix Cleansing Pads. My once a week go-to for exfoliation.

Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick (Bonus!). I can’t for the life of me keep lipstick on my lips. I always tried and no matter what I would end up with it all over the place, my teeth, et cetera. Since I’ve discovered lip stains, I have had a lot more luck, and this is my absolute favorite. It comes in several awesome colors and I can finally walk out the door confidentially with lip color on and I don’t have to worry about a clown effect!

What are your top 3 tips for creating engaging content?
1) Engage WITH your audience. Let your audience get to know you. You can have great content, but often times the people who come back repeatedly are doing so because you have a personality that shines through.

2) Have fun and take pride in whatever it is that you do.

3) Quality over quantity. Keep your standards high! If something isn’t good enough, put it on the back burner until you can improve on it. Don’t rush a good idea, give it time to evolve.

Being a content creator must be fun, but what do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time I love to read, travel, learn new skills, take photos, spend time with friends and family, cook, clean and listen to music and podcasts. I’m a bit of a homebody but I’ve embraced it!

How can The Beauty of Life readers find you on social media?
You can find me @erinsummer_ for my graphic design/content creation and @erinlightfeather for my feather art (though I’m wrapping up my work over there in the next few months).