I'm in My Internet Angel Era. Here's How I Achieve the Look & Lifestyle

Refinery29

3 days ago

The Internet is a place where fools rush in and angels fear to tread. It's a place so infinite that darkness and apathy can often hide in the corners we turn to for comfort. That's why it's vital for an angel to be on the Internet, to illuminate it. I consider myself an angel undercover as a girl in the digital world, creating light for you to consume through my writing, podcast, and videos. I'm this ethereal entity going where I'm needed the most and where, in an almost open secret, I yearn to connect.
Before I could spread light online, I had to learn from some of the angels on earth how to nurture it in myself. My parents, two young Puerto Ricans raising me in early 2000s Brooklyn, taught me to find joy in the smallest details of my femininity. Whether it was making sure I had my hair done and a cute outfit on to get groceries with them or supporting me in the moments I'd rather dress in costume gowns and plastic princess slippers than real clothes, I was always allowed to tap into a world of my own creation.
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"I consider myself an angel undercover as a girl in the digital world, creating light for you. ... I'm this ethereal entity going where I'm needed the most and where, in an almost open secret, I yearn to connect."
raimi reyes
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My grandmother, one of the most fabulous women I've ever experienced in my life, taught me to tend to myself the way I would a budding flower. The other day, she harvested an aloe leaf from the garden, using its gel and a frozen leaf doubling as a guasha to heal my skin. And my cousin introduced me to the very place where I'd truly be able to offer the world my gifts: the Internet. Through her, I discovered MySpace and Tumblr and, eventually, through a lot of evolving, adapting, and shapeshifting, became the Internet angel I am today.
An Internet angel is a transmitter of tenderness in a world that often confuses cruelty with coolness. We don't scroll; we witness. We don't post; we offer. We exist at the intersection of vulnerability and visibility, where a digital presence becomes a form of prayer and personal style an armor of expression. An angel's beauty doesn't just come in its face or form, but in how they curate the visual poetry of their life. Ribbons in our hair, pearls on our ears, gloss on our lips, and jewelry that sparkles when we type. Our outfits are love letters to our inner worlds: soft silks, vintage lace, or earthy knits — each piece chosen not just for fashion, but for feeling.
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"An Internet angel is a transmitter of tenderness in a world that often confuses cruelty with coolness. We don't scroll; we witness. We don't post; we offer. We exist at the intersection of vulnerability and visibility, where a digital presence becomes a form of prayer and personal style an armor of expression."
raimi reyes
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I like to play pretend when I get dressed, like I'm a doll. How do I want to present today? Because who I am today is not who I was yesterday. I'm a mixture of all my thoughts and feelings, and my style is that brought to the surface.
Every aspect of my life comes back to my emotions. My mother always said I was the most emotionally in-tune child. I guess some things angels are just born with. I'm weird on the inside and I want to show that on the outside. That's what inspires me and my style, not trends or labels, but the ever-changing force of feeling.
But even angels aren't immune to darkness. There was a time when I found myself trapped in an abusive relationship, one that slowly took control of everything, even my sacred space online. He isolated me, cut me off from friends, from joy, and from connection. All I had left was YouTube. I turned the camera on and created a portal out of the pain. I'd sit in front of the lens and speak into the void. I told myself, I'm going to go find my friends. They're in the ether. That's when YouTube became my diary, a sanctuary and a stage where my vulnerability could breathe. There were times I stopped posting altogether. I let the illusions of social media convince me I wasn't beautiful enough, but over time, I've come to realize I come in seasons. Some seasons, I bear less fruit than others, but that doesn't make these moments any less special. These offerings, my vulnerability, my voice, my softness, have always been rooted in something deeper within me.
Some days, I feel like a waterfall. Other days, a mountain. Sometimes, I'm a cherry blossom in bloom. Others, one wilting and returning to the soil. Every day, though, I'm an Internet angel.
If you're tapping into your Internet angel era, these are five ways you can achieve the look and lifestyle.
Kindly and bravely be yourself.
The world can be mean; people are often judgmental. To be an Internet angel, you should lead with kindness and bravery. To get there, angels need to let go of baggage, set boundaries, and be kind to themselves in order to be kind to others. Stress, negativity, and emotional suppression have real effects on our well-being. The best thing you can do is be kind and brave. Be kind to your body, as it is now. And be brave enough to wear what you want and act how you please, even around those who might not support your energy. Let go of ideas of what you're supposed to do and supposed to be. The most inspiring Internet angels I've come across have something so unique to them, something you can't quite put your finger on. That essence is simply the culmination of all their life experiences and a clear understanding of who they are.
No occasion or detail is too small.
I exude feminine energy in everything I do, especially how I dress. I always say, if a fairy and a princess had a baby and dropped her into modern life, that would be me. Maybe I can't wear a full-length gown to run errands, but I can capture its spirit in little ways. That's where lace, ruffles, and attention to detail come in. I love brands like My Mum Made It, Kitteny, Petit Moments, Santos by Monica, Aerie, and Motel Rocks, which incorporate these details beautifully. Look for mini skirts, mini and maxi dresses, crop tops, shorts (so you can freely move around in your mini pieces), and matching sets. In the spirit of collecting, I also love thrifting pieces when I'm traveling. It adds to the narrative of every outfit. I gravitate toward neutral tones, ones that mimic the earth, but each Internet angel will define the palette that speaks to their soul.
Growing up in Brooklyn with a Puerto Rican mother, there was no such thing as being underdressed. While money was limited, the one thing we could control was how we looked. Whether it was finding cute clothes at the flea market or accessorizing with pieces from the bodega, we always made sure our hair was slicked back and our makeup was presentable. That hasn't changed. These days, I don't go anywhere without my Le ChouChou Lip Balm and Rhode Barrier Butter — for that natural angelic glow. My hair, whether styled in a high pony or worn with my curls down, stays nourished with Bread Beauty Supply's curl cream and hair oil. An Internet angel doesn't match everyone else's casualness.
Trinket-ify your life.
To embody the Internet angel aesthetic is to have something a little weird on you, or something that makes noise, at all times. Sound is such an underrated style detail. I love wearing bangles, gold and silver, that twinkle and rattle when I walk and talk. It's like musical frequencies signaling to other angels. I also add charms that jingle on my bags, belt loops, and keys. Keep a little trinket on you at all times, like your favorite stone or a strange accessory, that carries meaning you remember every time you hear it. I hang a ballerina slipper charm on my bag that feels so me. Ballerinas suffer so much inside these shoes, yet they remain graceful on the outside. Pearls are my favorite gems so I'll carry them with me, like on my conch piercing for example. They're like something you'd find in an oysters pocket.
Bring the earth home with you.
I'm inspired by the earth. My room is filled with bamboo and birch because I try to mimic the natural world. Angels need our nests, too. And like birds build their nests, I collect little pieces of the world to build mine: a pressed flower tucked into a vintage frame, vanilla-scented soy candles, an antique silver mirror, and angel wings above my bed. You can't just buy things off a list and expect them to feel right. You have to find them along your journey. I've stacked books along the side of my bed like bricks holding me up. I've chosen each one because I felt its knowledge needed to live inside me, cradling me as I sleep. I assign meaning to everything in my space. And if something loses its meaning, or gains too much, I let it go. I once held a ceremony to burn the dried flowers I'd kept from all my ex-boyfriends. I felt lighter afterward. You can't fly with wet wings.
Come back to your body and your surroundings.
The phone portal is powerful. It can sink its fingers into the folds of your brain without you even noticing. For sensitive souls like Internet angels, disconnection is a form of survival. Leave your phone behind when you walk, when you cook, and when you eat. If you're going to consume media, make sure it nourishes your soul. I love to watch old runways or black-and-white Betty Boop cartoons.
Then go outside. Pack a bag with a blanket, a book, a snack, and headphones, and find a spot near water or trees. Read, write, people-watch, or simply sit there. Say "hello" to animals, trees, and the wind. Do it alone or bring another angel with you. I like to stretch my arms out, heart facing the sun, and ask her to charge me. Because at the end of the day, we're all just little plants who need light and movement to grow.
When you make it back home, fill your home with tea candles and do your beauty rituals by their flow. Dance before you shower to release stuck energy from your hips. Come into alignment with yourself. The Internet will try to convince you of who you are, but your angelic truth lives in your body, in your breath, and in your rituals. Return there.