Years after overcoming skin issues, Nigerian, UK based content creator, Zainab Hassan has been able to amass a fanbase of 63,000 people whom she encourages to be confident in their skin. Her love for makeup and skincare has also made her become a well known rising influencer in the industry.
In her words, "Beauty is not a standard that can be measured. Beauty is confidence, individuality; being bold and your true self. I focus on having healthy skin rather than flawless skin". I had skin issues my whole life, which took years to heal, so after a while, I realized to shift my focus on just maintaining healthy skin, so whatever hits it, it can recover quicker. I want to mention a star product though is the Ole Henriksen truth serum, which has done wonders for reducing scaring and evening out the skin tone on my face and neck.
Everyone has a pet peeve. When it comes to wearing makeup, Zainab shares what she finds annoying.
The only makeup I carry around is lip gloss because I’m a strong believer that if my makeup cannot last a whale day without being topped up it doesn't need to be in my makeup bag at all. I hate topping up my complexion throughout the day; it’s a pet peeve.
She to spoke to us on her journey as a content creator as well as plans she has made for the future.
When it comes to content creation, I usually just make what inspires me at the time. If it's work with a brand, they give me the brief and I add my touch to it. I like to set a calming atmosphere with candles and incense for filming because some videos can be more stressful to film than others; so I make sure I’m comfortable working for hours if need be.
The main challenge of being a content creator is balancing a healthy work to life ratio. Social media is unique as it falls into both. It's really easy to slide down the slippery slope of an unhealthy work-life balance when you are effectively always at work. To keep the enjoyment alive, disconnect now and again or you'll end up obsessed with your phone. When I am not doing my makeup or creating content, I love to read and write. I’m a secret bookworm.
As a make-up artist, I have had interesting experiences working with prominent brands and clients. I love working with afro-beats artists, the whole team is usually a vibe! I also love working on meaningful projects because I’m passion-driven, so I need that connection to be inspired.
Moving forward, Fenty Beauty is a brand I would love to work with on a big scale; I love them and their whole ethos! I like to think I'm always evolving. Although, I have so many plans for the future regarding my brand now I'm also open to anything that comes my way that makes sense. All I can say for sure is bigger and better.
Zainab talks about dealing with hate speech on social media, as a beauty influencer, and how other influencers can tempt themselves from toxic digital environments.
The block/ restrict button is your friend. I advise anyone getting hate comments to just straight up block them. It's your account so you should control what someone's puts on your page, and there is no block limit!
Prefer listening? Listen to her interview here