March is Women’s History Month, or as we like to call it here at BEAUTY BAY, the month of calling out your hype women and supporting the women around you, no matter what. This is the month to feel empowered, inspired, and be the hype woman you wish you had. It’s all about being a cheerleader for your girl gang and embracing all women.
To celebrate this iconic month, we’ve been chatting to inspirational women, from brand founders to activists about what International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month means to them, how they use beauty to empower, and their biggest inspirations.
Read below for our interview with NikkieTutorials, makeup artist and creator of the NikkieTutorials X BEAUTY BAY Pressed Pigment Palette.
What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty is so much more than piling on a beautiful look. Beauty to me is when you can sense self-love and confidence in a person. It is so inspiring to me when you can feel the aura and the vibe of ‘I’m good with myself, with my surroundings, I’ve got this.’
Who is your biggest inspiration in the beauty industry?
Oh my! I think my biggest inspirations in the beauty industry are my Glow Babies, the people who keep me pushing, the people who always have and always will support me no matter I do in life. If I didn’t have by Glow Babies, I wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t have achieved anything in my life that I’ve achieved so far. I thank everything to my Glow Babies and their loyal support and their constant warm bath of love. They always keep me growing and trying to be better than the last time they saw me.
What beauty product makes you feel empowered?
The number one beauty product that will always make me feel empowered is the NikkieTutorials X BEAUTY BAY Pressed Pigment Palette. I know it’s a very easy answer but this palette, I’m not going to lie, has changed my life. We all know the history of some other palettes that have happened in my past, and this one from step one has been a magical journey. I got total freedom, I could do whatever I wanted, we created my dream packaging, and the palette is such representation of who I am as a person. And the colours are just perfection. This palette means so much to be and every time I dip into it to create a look, it makes everything better. It truly empowers me.
When do you feel the most empowered?
I feel most empowered when something transphobic happens on the internet and my Glow Babies are going in. My Glow Babies will always stick up for me, they always have my back. They will always tell people the truth. When a community fights for a person, I feel so empowered because I don’t feel alone, I truly feel like I have my people backing me up and that is the most amazing feeling ever.
As a trans woman, what advice would you give to other trans women to empower them?
First of all, I want to say that I am so incredibly proud of you for taking this step in your life to truly be you. By you just stepping into your light and following your path, that already is empowerment. I think if I could say one thing it would be to keep going because you’re doing exactly what you should be doing. But also know, that if you’re not ready to come out yet, then you’re not ready yet. Nobody should pressure you into coming out at any certain time. This is your speed, this is your tempo, you’re the boss, you decide.
How to you think the beauty industry can grow to empower all women?
I think the beauty industry has come a long way. I feel like we have started to empower all genders, not just women. But I think one super important lesson we can all learn is that makeup has no rules. Makeup is so amazing because you can use it in which ever way you want to and that in itself is empowering. As long as all these brands keep coming out with products that enable us find out inner fighter, our inner self, and empower our inner self, then beauty brands and the industry are doing a good job with it. They have to keep coming out with products that we can use in our own special ways.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given by another woman?
The best piece of advice that I have been given by another woman was from Kim Kardashian. When we filled our collab a few years ago, we spoke about how online hate can really drag you down and she gave me the best piece of advice I have ever gotten and ever since she told me, the way I look at online hate has completely shifted for me. She told me: ‘If someone leaves a hate comment, they spend about five seconds in their lives typing out and sending it out to the world to hurt you. That takes a maximum of ten seconds in their day. We must never let someone’s ten seconds of pain affect our day or our life. Never should hate that only costs people a couple of seconds of their lives, affect our entire journey.’ Ever since she told me that, things clicked for me and totally changed.
What is the best piece of advice you could give to another woman?
I think the best piece of advice that I could give to another woman is to not tear each other down, let’s support each other and lift each other up. So many times, our self-doubt or self-hate can really get in the way of lifting each other up and it’s because of our own insecurities that sometimes, we take it out on other women, and that is not the way to go. The next time you’re feeling insecure or you’re not liking the way you look, and you see someone who’s having a good day, don’t take it out on them. But don’t take it out on yourself either. Instead, maybe take that brush and a palette and have a nice little makeup session. I like to call it makeup therapy. Anything you can do to get rid of those thoughts and not take it out on another woman.
How will you be celebrating International Women’s Day?
Honey listen up. I’m going to be sitting my ass on the couch because it’s still very vital that we stay inside and follow the rules. But I’m going to be liking and supporting every woman in this industry that I come across. If I see you, I support you!
Who is your hype woman?
I think my hype woman is low-key my mum! My mum always supports me, whatever I do she reposts it on her socials and she’s always got me. Even when I decide to take the day off and sit my ass on the couch and not do anything, she is like, ‘Yes honey, you go and do that! You take your rest; you’ve been working so hard, and you deserve it.’ And I’m like: ‘Damn! I do deserve it!’ We all need a Mama Tutorials in our lives because she will hype you the house down!
