Nicole Chen and Sabrina (@thenictionary and @sabrinalexandr on TikTok) bonded over their love for makeup during the pandemic. Before even getting to meet each other offline, they launched a collaboration with other beauty content creators for a makeup series on TikTok that quickly drew attention to their talent.
On the beginnings…
NICOLE I used to feel insecure about my body and I didn’t like the way I look. When studying abroad in the UK, I started to learn makeup and it helps me feel great about myself — not to cover who I am, but as a practice of showing up for myself and exploring different sides of myself. It eventually evolved into a passion and endeavour.
SABRINA I started just creating content. After some time, people came to me and asked if I can also do makeup for them — I was like, why not? When the pandemic hit, I noticed the audiences were more engaged with short-from videos that are less than 60 seconds. From there, I started to experiment with more bizarre makeup content on TikTok. Now, Instagram is more of a portfolio for me as a makeup artist, whilst TikTok is where I express and explore my creativity.
On finding one’s voice..
NICOLE On TikTok, being talented and having your own style are not enough, you need to have a personality that people can latch on to. You have to carve a niche out for yourself. For me, being authentic to myself and my audiences without giving away too much of my personal life hasn’t been the easiest, but I found humour a good way to give me sustainability over a long period. With that, I get to interject my personality, and at the same time, protect my own energy.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of L'OFFICIEL Malaysia.
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This story is from the August 2023 edition of L'OFFICIEL Malaysia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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