Retro Flame aka Erika Fox

[ELT1506]

I’ve followed Erika for years, always really liked her but in recent years something has just felt off with her and she is different from when she first started out. You can tell that she comes from money, their house in Kerry is amazing. I’m not saying she hasn’t worked hard as she must have to build her reputation out there but I don’t think she has ever mentioned the grant being a massive help with her being able to set herself up in New York and you are given the impression that it was all due to just hard work. Also can find it a little tiring the way she is always ‘sooooo busy’ even when doing the most menial of tasks that people do every single day. Always saying she has a million things to do etc etc, don’t know if she realises that it can come across a little patronisingly at times - like if you’re not constantly busy or chasing your ‘goals’ then you’re a lazy bum . Now she seems to be obsessed with designer bags and shoes too which I don’t think really seem like her natural style, I think her style for the ‘gram’ can come across a little forced sometimes. I do still watch her though as I do enjoy her vlogs but you can definitely see a change in her. Would also love to know what happened with Niamh - I remember when Niamh was leaving New York and Erika was nowhere to be seen at her leaving party and thought that was really strange and then I remember Erika making a comment in a blog post that people leaving New York just don’t work hard enough to stay and I wondered if at the time it was a dig at Niamh as she also mentioned something about working out who real friends are. I really like Niamh and want to see her do well, she seems to really care about her content

 

[Mishella]

I wonder are they still talking.???

Think lcscloset is lovely, very normal !

 

[Seelfox]

I wonder are they still talking.???

Not sure don’t really watch them that much anymore

 

[Dancing Dave]

Niamh was very honest that NYC wasn't for her and I think when she decided to move home and someone went against Erika's whole "NYC is the bee all and end all" shtick they fell out. Niamh has thrived since she's been back and I adore her content, a mix of home life (she never overshares) and the cooking and sustainability angle. She's very clued into the real world and honestly seems like she'd be mates with you. I've also found her very engaging on Instagram, as I've asked her questions and it's not a "like" back she takes time to chat! Very personable.

Like 'ELT1506' said Erika's content is very different now. She's just very, very plain to follow. How on earth in this day and age did iced coffee and cupboard organisation pass as content? The boyfriend seems like a laugh, can't imagine she's any real sense of fun/humour about her. Her tik tok with her sister, they definitely suffer from "beat deafness".

 

[Peekaboo1234]

Tommy seems like he’s on an extended (lifelong) J1.The lake trip does look class to be fair. Irish people are very clannish, in cities across the globe, so not surprised their circle of friends are all from home.

 

[Panda88]

I wonder are they still talking.???

Lor

Like 'ELT1506' said Erika's content is very different now. She's just very, very plain to follow. How on earth in this day and age did iced coffee and cupboard organisation pass as content? The boyfriend seems like a laugh, can't imagine she's any real sense of fun/humour about her. Her tik tok with her sister, they definitely suffer from "beat deafness".

I think her engagement is dropping, over the few months before lockdown she posted a few stories asking what kind of videos people wanted to see, which to me suggests her followers aren't interested in what she posts anymore and she's desperate to hang on so asking what people want to see her post. Of course she doesn't actually change though and just posts the same old shite.

I don't know how accurate socialblade is but it seems a bit suspicious that her YouTube subscribers jumped by exactly 100 three times in one week, all three days apart

 

[Dancing Dave]

Lor

I think her engagement is dropping, over the few months before lockdown she posted a few stories asking what kind of videos people wanted to see, which to me suggests her followers aren't interested in what she posts anymore and she's desperate to hang on so asking what people want to see her post. Of course she doesn't actually change though and just posts the same old shite.

I don't know how accurate socialblade is but it seems a bit suspicious that her YouTube subscribers jumped by exactly 100 three times in one week, all three days apart

Madame Helena has been busy!

 

[greenglasgrass]

Omg was anyone at an event in Galway about a year n half ago. Connacht Gold “have it all” or something it was called. Retro Flame was guest of honour and they made a big hoohaa promoting her (I’d never heard of her). She got flown home, put up in the swanky galmont hotel, spa treatments the lot. She was absolute cringe tho at the event! She is a terrible public speaker everything was “like” “am”. She kept promoting some second hand website and tried to flog her own stuff on there. She was to give Christmas outfit ideas and had models with outfits on and she couldn’t remember where any of the dresses were from or the price ... turns out they were mostly her second hand ones! She was cringe loads of people got up and left towards the end. The Skin Nerd also was doing the event (although not the guest speaker) and she was amazing (again, I’d never heard of her). She was very clear and concise and gave practical advice, used her mic time wisely. Retro flame was like a little spoiled girl at a birthday party! It was so awful, raging I spent 40euro on a ticket! I remember she started with “I suppose everyone wants to know how I got where I am today” and most people didn’t know who she was. She never actually started with what she does. So we were left in the dark wondering who she was basically

 

[Oohthedrama]

Is she not friendly with Tamara anymore?
I stopped watching Tamara (Tarmar) a while back and I’ve never really watched Erika, she’s so bleeping loud!!
but I always found it weird they didn’t spend much time togetherness NYC bar a few uploads?
same with Louise Cooney/Erika/Tamara.

 

[shins]

Is she not friendly with Tamara anymore?
I stopped watching Tamara (Tarmar) a while back and I’ve never really watched Erika, she’s so bleeping loud!!
but I always found it weird they didn’t spend much time togetherness NYC bar a few uploads?
same with Louise Cooney/Erika/Tamara.

I think we saw a lot more of Erika and Louise together when Louise wasn't full time on instagram - like when she worked in NY with Tourism Ireland. I think Louise even has more instagram followers than Erika - not sure if they're bought or what.

 

[Oohthedrama]

I think we saw a lot more of Erika and Louise together when Louise wasn't full time on instagram - like when she worked in NY with Tourism Ireland. I think Louise even has more instagram followers than Erika - not sure if they're bought or what.

That’s true! May there’s some jealous/competition there.

I know this isn’t her thread but since Louise moved back to NYC her content has plummeted, she’s so boring.
If she does go back this year I really hope she leaves Cooper with the family.

 

[Realist767]

That’s true! May there’s some jealous/competition there.

I know this isn’t her thread but since Louise moved back to NYC her content has plummeted, she’s so boring.
If she does go back this year I really hope she leaves Cooper with the family.

Louise Cooney is the most boring person I have ever met. She was in my masters course and by god she is so dull. The lights are on and no-ones home

 

[shins]

That’s true! May there’s some jealous/competition there.

I know this isn’t her thread but since Louise moved back to NYC her content has plummeted, she’s so boring.
If she does go back this year I really hope she leaves Cooper with the family.

Definitely think the competition is there and that's why there's distancing.

I was never a fan of Louise, gorgeous girl but no personality and then with the NY move it got a bit interesting. That whole dog sharing situation is ridiculous, the only reason she'd bring him back to NY is for content. She has the looks for NY but no personality, same for Erika really.

 

[Oohthedrama]

Louise Cooney is the most boring person I have ever met. She was in my masters course and by god she is so dull. The lights are on and no-ones home

Definitely think the competition is there and that's why there's distancing.

I was never a fan of Louise, gorgeous girl but no personality and then with the NY move it got a bit interesting. That whole dog sharing situation is ridiculous, the only reason she'd bring him back to NY is for content. She has the looks for NY but no personality, same for Erika really.

I think she’s very very talented.....
the only girl in the world who can manage to make New York look as exciting as a town in the back ass of Ireland. That’s talent.
even her dog looks depressed in her company.

 

[Panda88]

Definitely think the competition is there and that's why there's distancing.

I was never a fan of Louise, gorgeous girl but no personality and then with the NY move it got a bit interesting. That whole dog sharing situation is ridiculous, the only reason she'd bring him back to NY is for content. She has the looks for NY but no personality, same for Erika really.

Pretty sure she lied about Cooper being a service dog on the way home to Ireland. When she flew him over she said she hated putting him in he hold and the only way dogs are allowed on the plane for long haul is if they're service dogs/support animals. On the way over he was in a crate with his documents etc but on the way home she just had him in her bag in the airport. It makes a mockery of people who actually need service dogs.

 

[Jennyfromtheblockk]

Didn't she buy new sofa in the last week or something because she didn't like it or something Tommy never seems to get a look in

At the same time , Tommy doesn't strike me as the type of lad who'd give a shite about what kind of a sofa they had.

 

[Lechat]

Tommy seems like he’s on an extended (lifelong) J1.The lake trip does look class to be fair. Irish people are very clannish, in cities across the globe, so not surprised their circle of friends are all from home.

makes sense re being clannish. But still baffles me that you’d move all the way to NYC and not want to experience meeting and becoming friends with other New Yorkers, whether native or from elsewhere in the world. That you’d rather spent 90% of your time with your sister and her bloke over building a range of friends. I thought visas to the US were hard to get, so am surprised Kaelin could get one to be an assistant to Erikas blog. Surely a US citizen could have been hired for that? It’s nepotism as well. Erika would actually benefit from having a complete outsider with her content since it’s become so dry.
Also not heard of a lifelong J1 I though as Erika has to keep extending hers that Tommy would too?

I’ve realised Erika was only interesting due to New York. She’s actually really boring, and with out dressing up and events to go to or street shots of New York as the background, her content is not interesting at all. Her apartment is very vanilla and dull and she doesn’t seem to be interested in the wealth of cultural, artistic or sporting events in New York. it’s literally the illusion of being busy with ‘work’, dinners out, walk round the neighbourhood, shopping, weekends away which she could do anywhere. But it’d be even less interesting without New York.

I really like TarMar as she seems to get out and explore new york and goes to things in her community. She also took a risk moving to that loft. After all, youre only young once so why not take the opportunity to live in a crazy, impractical but cool space as you might not get the opportunity again (i say that as someone in their 30s I could not live in a studio, I need rooms and storage!). Whereas Erika is like a stern accountant living in a dullsville apartment, agonising over pasta storage and which sofa to buy.

She’d thrive in suburbia with detached house, a picket fence and competitive school catchment area

 

[Peppy23]

Definitely think the competition is there and that's why there's distancing.

I was never a fan of Louise, gorgeous girl but no personality and then with the NY move it got a bit interesting. That whole dog sharing situation is ridiculous, the only reason she'd bring him back to NY is for content. She has the looks for NY but no personality, same for Erika really.

I don’t understand the dog sharing thing at all! Like all the hassle of moving him to New York! Would he have stayed with Louise if Covid hadn’t happened?

 

[shins]

makes sense re being clannish. But still baffles me that you’d move all the way to NYC and not want to experience meeting and becoming friends with other New Yorkers, whether native or from elsewhere in the world. That you’d rather spent 90% of your time with your sister and her bloke over building a range of friends. I thought visas to the US were hard to get, so am surprised Kaelin could get one to be an assistant to Erikas blog. Surely a US citizen could have been hired for that? It’s nepotism as well. Erika would actually benefit from having a complete outsider with her content since it’s become so dry.
Also not heard of a lifelong J1 I though as Erika has to keep extending hers that Tommy would too?

I’ve realised Erika was only interesting due to New York. She’s actually really boring, and with out dressing up and events to go to or street shots of New York as the background, her content is not interesting at all. Her apartment is very vanilla and dull and she doesn’t seem to be interested in the wealth of cultural, artistic or sporting events in New York. it’s literally the illusion of being busy with ‘work’, dinners out, walk round the neighbour, shopping, weekends away which she could do anywhere. But it’d be even less interesting without New York.

I really like TarMar as she seems to get out and explore new york and goes to things in her community. She also took a risk moving to that loft. After all, youre only young once so why not take the opportunity to live in a crazy, impractical but cool space as you might not get the opportunity again (i say that as someone in their 30s I could not live in a studio, I need rooms and storage!). Whereas Erika is like a stern accountant living in a dullsville apartment, agonising over pasta storage and which sofa to buy.

She’d thrive in suburbia with detached house, a picket fence and competitive school catchment area

I don't understand the Irish friends thing - I've lived in Boston and I live elsewhere in the US now and I have more American/other nationalities for friends than I do Irish people. I've always said, why would I travel across the ocean to hang out with people I went to school with.

She's going down the route of some preppy American influencers and I think in the next 5 years if they're still here, she'll be moving out to Connecticut or as close to the Hamptons she can get for a 'reasonable' price.

I used to really love her content and respect her hard work - because let's face it, NY is tough and the visa process is tough BUT she has to keep engaging with people in Ireland and the US if she wants to continue what she's doing. I think we'll see a change in her business plan soon, she knows people are getting bored. She had nothing to show during quarantine. She has lost whatever used to make her unique, she's all about designer now - it's not relatable.

Also didn't she hire an assistant but then a month later there wasn't a word? Does Kaelin have a degree? because if she doesn't, Erika bringing her out would be her only option because she wouldn't qualify for the H1B which is what most people come here on.

 

[Peekaboo1234]

I suppose if they aren’t in house shares or office or bar jobs, you don’t make those connections to have friends or a wider social scene. They are really living in a bubble, watching Dad and Mom’s direct debits coming in every month I suspect.
The followers have never gone far beyond the 150 mark. Maybe Erika will now get a pet to boost engagement.
I wonder will they stay long term in the US, or build a house in KY?