Aging Unfiltered in the Social Media Era
Over the years, I've always seen people say, “Instagram is just a highlight reel.” And while yes, that is largely true— I really believe in challenging that narrative because if we want social media to feel more real, then that requires the people participating to keep it real. But I get it, in reality, it is much easier to share aesthetic, curated, and filtered versions of life that fit perfectly into a 4:5 photo or 16:9 video. It feels safer—there's perhaps less room for judgment and criticism. Although, it is pretty much impossible to escape judgment on social media.
I think it's easy for people to forget though, that we are complex beings who can hold multiple truths at one time. Sure, I want to share my cute little outfits every day, but I also care about the Supreme Court striking down Affirmative Action and allowing businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation. I want to look hot some days and other days you're going to see that I struggle with acne, and I've tried every remedy in the world. Yes, I'm so fortunate to travel a lot, but said travel is also a huge source of anxiety for me. Despite everything that comes with working in an industry widely viewed as “glamorous,” I still struggle with anxiety and insecurities. I've felt lost, stagnant, and I'm constantly challenging myself to be a better person.
Whether we like it or not, having a platform comes with responsibility, and I believe that power should be used for good and to help others in whatever ways we have the capacity to do so. I wanted to highlight these three women because the beauty industry is a powerful one—and I always feel inspired by their approach as women in their late 30s, 40s, and 50s in our world that's dominated by algorithms that prioritize youth and Bold Glamour filtered faces. Not only are they beauty creators and trendsetters, but they are business women who are trying to chart a new path forward to challenge what typical beauty and success look like. Below, Katie Jane Hughes, Danessa Myricks, and Nam Vo share their journeys to the top, struggling with insecurities, their views on cosmetic procedures, celebrity beauty lines, and what the future holds for their businesses.
Katie Janes Hughes
“I was definitely under pressure a lot from the media, kids at school, or other people that I looked up to fit into these body norms. And some bodies just aren't built that way.”
What were you like as a child?
I was the baby of the family. I was a bit teased and, therefore, a bit sensitive. I hated school, so I used to pull all the tricks. I didn't feel like I fit in very well, so I was always fighting to fit in and trying to conform. There were always confidence issues with me as a kid. I was never super comfortable in my body. I was definitely under pressure a lot from the media, kids at school, or other people that I looked up to who fit into these body norms. And some bodies just aren't built that way, and you're just not educated on that, or you're not told that growing up.
Where did your interest in makeup come in?
My mom was a singer, and seeing her in her house clothes all the time until Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays when she would go out on the singing circuit. She was a cabaret singer in lounges and a working man's club (like a labor club where all the local townspeople go). Seeing this transformation of my mom into a pristine, immaculate stage queen in probably 20 minutes—the hair was perfect, the red lipstick was perfect, loads of bronzer, the thickest, blackest like Tammy Faye-vibe eyelashes, that's my mom.
So how did you start to pursue a career in beauty?
When I first wanted to explore makeup, it was prosthetics in film and TV. I looked into makeup schools that teach that because it's a totally different skill set. And then, one time, I remember flicking through Love magazine. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was on the cover in leopard print with copper hair and a bold red lip. Charlotte Tilbury did the makeup for that— it was the most epic cover I've ever seen. I was like, "Holy crap. I want to do that.”
Cut to me working in Space NK a couple of years later in London and meeting other makeup artists. I remember just chatting to somebody being like, "What do you do?" She's like, "I'm a makeup artist." I was like, "Oh, cool. That's what I want to do." The conversations started to happen, and then I started to assist.
What would you say was your big break?
When I keyed my first show for Libertine for both makeup and nails because I was working a little bit as a bit of a multi-hyphenate at the time. I just remember having hours and hours of prep because I was the boss of two teams that day. When I came off, I just burst into tears. I was just overwhelmed with it with joy and then also exhausted from the week leading up to it.
How did you grow a celebrity clientele?
The clientele grows mostly from word of mouth. I have a lot to thank Glossier for. They brought me in, and I helped them develop a category of makeup that I think was a bit too soon for their community called Glossier Play. It was heavily inspired by my social media, which was cool, and it focused on little intricate eye details that weren't too overly complicated, but weren't boring either.
Rosie Huntington-Whitely found me on Glossier's feed. We DM'd, and then I did her makeup for an event. I then worked with Rosie a lot on Rose Inc and the conception of her website, helping to set the tone for what that was when it was just an editorial site. Actually, I would say that one definitely trumps my Libertine experience because, for me, that was just a more evolved version of that. I don't think there's ever one moment in one's career where you're like, "That's the eureka moment.”
How do you feel you challenge beauty norms in your work?
When my social media career took off in 2016, I wasn't in a brand contract, I just was doing my thing freely. I was posting a lot of skin with pores and peach fuzz, and not much of that was being shown at the time. Not many makeup artists in the editorial space were posting looks on themselves. I think that also set me apart.
I was trying to fill a void of that hybrid between an influencer and a working professional on-set artist and showing how if you're a person at home and you love the looks in the glossy magazines, here's how to achieve it versus being taught a full beat from a YouTube video. This was the opposite end of the glam spectrum, but there's space for both to exist.
With the amount of time you spend on social media, do you feel pressure to be perfect on there?
No, there's definitely pressure to be on, though. I think there's a lot of pressure from your community, but I'll always speak up and be like, "Listen, I'm taking some time right now. I have to protect my space," whatever.
But I chipped my tooth four years ago, when I opened a tube of eye shadow with my teeth, and my tooth just popped off from one of my two front teeth. I left it for almost a year because I just wasn't in a rush to fix it, but there was a woman in my DMs that was adamant to tell me how disgusting I looked and how dirty I looked with this tooth chipped. I actually felt cute and charming, a little bit cheeky, whatever. She's like, "No, you work in the beauty industry. You should have better standards and all this," and I'm just like, "What?"
What's your stance on injectibles and cosmetic work?
I've tried Botox in my forehead once or twice. Baby Botox. I'm always a bit scared of anything too extreme. I don't want to not look like myself. There's room for evolution in anybody's beauty journey, and I think we should never ever put pressure on somebody not to try something. I'm very much like, "Hey, if I want to do something, I will," but I'm a little bit scared of adverse reactions.
I look at you as someone who is very confident in who they are. Where do you find that confidence to be exactly yourself and put yourself out there on social media every day?
I think if I lived in LA I might be different. Last March, I was having lunch with a publicist in LA, and I was like, "I think if I lived here, it would only take about six months until I maybe didn't look the same." Everybody's so perfect, and everybody's just had something—it seems. Whereas in New York, I think everybody's a bit more real. Everybody looks a little bit more natural. I think you can also do a lot to reduce the appearance of things genuinely just from hydration. Also, the people around me give me confidence. And just being in New York. I think New York is a really easy place to stay real and stay humble.
What do you think about the beauty vibe in London vs New York? I'm always surprised by how much the girls in London get dolled up, but I also spend a lot of my time in central London.
Yeah, it's totally different. You should go to Liverpool; you'll see a whole different side of dressing up. The girls going around town doing their Saturday night outfit shop with rollers in their hair and maybe in pajamas. That's what I also love about beauty, how every single different area of the planet has its own little beauty language.
So true. What do you associate with New York?
There are two different groups, I'd say. There's a bit of an alternative, sort of mullet, cool girl, bushy brows, a little bit of a glossy pink or orange lip. I'm literally describing one of my best friends. Then, there's that Ralph Lauren chic. I would put you in that, like just a bit of liner, a little bit of blush, and a lip. Naturally done and polished versus the tried hard to get there. That's just naturally who they are.
So what's on the horizon for Kate Jane Hughes?
In September, I'll launch a highlighter under my own brand name. I'm really excited about that. There are four shades. It's very customizable. I wanted to do almost the opposite of the Glossier effect. Glossier was easy to use. You didn't need education. You just pull it out of the packaging and whip it on. I want the opposite because I want to be able to educate my community, and I want to be able to educate the user on how to use this product so, so deeply that they will therefore know their makeup bag's other contents even better because of this.
Is your dream to have a full-blown makeup line? Let's manifest right now.
I'm launching one product at a time because I just don't even know if this is going to be something I love. What if I get into this and I'm like, "Oh my god. I hate this," or people might not even buy it, they might not like it. They might be like, "Oh no. I really just want content from you. I don't really want a product from you." You don't know until you try.
Speaking of, what about all the celebrity makeup lines and skincare. Is there space for all of this?
I definitely think there is in some capacity. I think if the celebrity launching a brand has shown insane interest and has a background in the category, whether it be multiple beauty contracts, genuine ones, whether it be that they're just so invested in that category and it's clear from social or whatever. I think, "Okay, cool, this is their hobby. This is their passion." But then, when your Brad Pitts come out with a skincare line, I'm a little bit confused.
What advice do you have for someone who is an aspiring makeup artist? Or beauty creator?
Try different things and experiment, whether it's content, assisting, test shoots, or whatever lane it is that you want to go in. And just don't ever be too shy to just ask.
When I first started assisting, there was a makeup artist based in London, Alex Burn. I got her phone number off of some sheet of makeup artists that a girl I knew from Space NK had from her job at BBC. I googled a bunch of people. Alex Burn's work was super inspiring, and I just called her and left a voicemail, "Hi, I'm Katie. I work at Space NK. I really want to assist if there is ever any opportunity." She called me back and was like, "That was pretty ballsy and almost intrusive of you, but I like the go-get-them attitude, and I'm going to give you a try." We met for a coffee, and in the following weeks, I was helping her on a graduate fashion show she agreed to do for MAC Cosmetics.
Danessa Myricks
“I want to give people their power back, as it relates to their beauty, because I know how I felt powerless.”
What were you like as a child?
I was super quiet, very much an introvert. I literally would just lock myself in a room and just read books. I lived in a dreamland. I was always in my head about a life that I wanted to have or some kind of fantasy situation, and I thought it was so much easier to get there in books. I think one of the reasons why I stayed to myself is because I did not feel beautiful. I grew up in Queens, and I went to school outside of my neighborhood—and so I was usually the only Black person. Maybe there were two others, but I was always the darkest. My hair was always completely different than everyone else, and I was not a small child. I was always juicy.
When did you start to notice an interest in beauty?
I always thought that my mother was the most beautiful person. She was into beauty, and I have memories of her putting on red lipstick or staining her cheeks the perfect burgundy red, lining her eyes. I remember I was going through a really bad time— my acne was at its worst, and my mother was like, "I don't even know what you're worried about. Look at your eyes. Nobody's seeing anything but your eyes. And you know how to make those brown eyes pop more? Wear blue eyeliner." And literally, that was my makeup staple from my teens through my 30s. It really helped me to fall in love with myself a little bit more.
How did you get your start in the industry? Take us through your career.
I started to work at a publishing company that published Black hair magazines. That's where my love of beauty really kicked in because they would have photo shoots and invite models, makeup artists would come from all over, and the transformations that they would make were mind-blowing to me. Just seeing the way that people felt after their makeup was done was heartwarming to me.
But then they closed the business, and everybody lost their job. The owner let me know early because I was a single mom with two kids. I was just like, "Wow, my whole life is being turned on the dime just like that. It's somebody else deciding for me." And it took a lot to even get to where I was at that moment. So, I decided first that I want to be in control of my income, my destiny. I want to always be able to provide. I cannot allow somebody to be able to take that away from me. Secondly, I wasn't passionate about what I was doing. I was going to work every day because that's what I was told. I got my degree because that's what I was told. It was all of those first-generation things. You're the first to do dot, dot, dot, but at that moment, I wanted to feel passionate when I woke up every morning, and I wanted to be creative.
I decided I was going to be a makeup artist. I wanted to make people feel like that. I want to give people their power back, as it relates to their beauty, because I know how I felt powerless. So I taught myself. There was no YouTube, Instagram, nothing, and if you didn't have a mentor, you were on your own. So I would buy random pieces of product and read books like Fine Beauty by Sam Fine, and I read Kevin Aucoin's Making Faces. It was French to me.
In the beginning, I just didn't get it, but what I did connect to was what happened to me when I saw the images—how their work spoke to me, how it looked different than other people just doing makeup. I worked very hard on my own to figure out how to create that aesthetic. I worked for free for a year, just volunteering so I could understand, learn, and practice. I would do temp jobs in the morning to make sure I could feed my kids—but I just spent a lot of time just figuring it out.
What was your first big break?
Working with a photographer, Eric Von Lockhart. All the Black hair care brands worked with him. He recommended me for a Luster Products perm box shoot. I think that's when people started to take me seriously because I had something tangible. It was on the shelves. That relationship was the building block for my entire career. When people saw my name in credits in magazines and saw perm boxes on shelves, they started to ask me to teach them.
And I started hosting small classes in that same photographer's studio. I'd start off with maybe five people; it grew to 10, then 20, then it got too big to have in his studio. So I was like, "How can I scale it?" And I created DVDs with the photographer. I had a series of makeup DVDs, each two hours long. I think I sold 100,000 DVDs early in my career because no one was doing it at that point, and there was no other way to access information to learn makeup. When people saw these DVDs everywhere, there was an assumption, "Oh, they must be an expert." So they assumed me to be an expert and would invite me to speak on larger stages or to consult with their brands, and that's how my career started.
That's pretty amazing because you essentially democratized the process of becoming a makeup artist in an industry that is pretty big on gatekeeping.
When I first started doing makeup, it was so hard to get information. People would put tape around their makeup because they were protecting themselves and their career. And so I always felt that if anybody ever asks, I'm always going to tell them because I know how I felt so desperate for inspiration and information. I know how that made me feel powerless. That's been the baseline for building this brand. It's just sharing, teaching, sharing, teaching. It changed my life, and I'm hoping that doing that helps change other people's lives as well.
So now tell me about how you decided to start your makeup line Danessa Myricks Beauty?
When somebody asks me in an interview, I usually say 2015. In reality, I have been making products since the early 2000s. I would teach these classes, and at the end, people were like, "Okay, I want what you used." Teaching is one thing; having the information or the education is one thing, but it has to be paired with tools.
So it started there. It was really homegrown in my basement. Through my consulting, I had the opportunity to work with a lot of brands, mass, prestige, and drugstore, helping them develop products. Through that process, I learned how to develop things for a broad audience. I always had ideas that weren't met with a smile or, "Yeah, let's do it," because it didn't align with the DNA of that particular brand, and that would repeatedly happen. I was like, "Well, if I want it, I know somebody else does. They do exist. I see them with my eyes. I know that this is what they need." So instead of trying to force another brand to create the ideas that I have in my head, I just needed to be the brand that I always wanted to see. That's when I decided to just commit myself to creating Danessa Myricks Beauty.
Obviously, you're a Black woman, so just your existence in this space is challenging beauty standards—but how does your business also propel this mission?
I lean into the fact that there are a lot of people who aren't being represented, a lot of voices that aren't being heard. For me, it was always beyond skin tone. If you are a beauty creator, if you are making cosmetics, skin tone, that's the baseline. If you want more people to consume your products, you should make sure that they can wear them. The fact that that needs to be said is weird to me because that should be fundamental.
But in the beginning, it was really about the personalities, the people, the age groups, the styles of makeup, the context in which people wear makeup, and how they identify. It's men wearing makeup, women wearing makeup, and everything in between. Those conversations were never had with the brands that I would consult for. So for me, I know how difficult it feels to be on the outside trying to participate and not being seen. I want people to feel safe here. I want to be that safe place to land when you're exploring with beauty.
And tell me a little bit about actually creating that business because it's not cheap to start a business. How did you figure it all out? How to scale it, how to grow?
It's challenging on so many levels because there's a lot that you need to know. I really grew the business failing over and over and over again. We just failed forward. I always continued to do makeup and consult. I would get a check for a job and put it into my business. There was no roadmap. Being an entrepreneur is hard, but take that and layer being a woman on top and all that comes with that, and then layer on top of that, you're a Black woman—it's a sandwich of hard.
It's hard to get support. It's hard to be taken seriously. I ran the business from my home up until March 2020. My home was a bed, a rack of clothes next to my bed, and the rest of my house was my warehouse. In March of 2020, we were profitable enough to move into a place. But for two years, I had been looking to move. Even that year, when I finally found a place, I had to bring somebody with me who looked the opposite of me to get somebody to show me places.
You're a beauty founder, but you're also a beauty creator yourself—do you feel pressure to be perfect on social media?
Oh, absolutely. If you're in beauty, it's all about criticism, judgment. You're being judged by your artistry. What makes her better than this one? How straight are her lines? How good are the brows? You're judged by the final result and what that looks like. When you're on social showing up as you are, there's no retouch, there's no "Let me fix that," it's like, "This is your face, this is you." And having the comfort level to be present and hear their words, good or bad, in the comments of how they feel about how you showed up that's hard for anyone. And then layer that with all of the insecurities from your past and childhood.
But I will say that the moment I started showing up, my business grew proportionately. I think people want to see who's behind the story, they want to know that it's real and it's authentic. I also think using me, 52-year-old me, speaks to people differently.
Where do you stand on injectables and cosmetic work?
One thing I will never do is fault anybody for doing things that make them feel confident and make them feel their best. We're all on our own very specific and unique journeys. I think the landscape should be free of judgment. What I do feel sad for is anyone feeling the need to do it to belong to this social space. That's when it becomes challenging, and I feel sad that it's being perpetuated. That idea that people may need to show up any differently than who they are right now. I just hope everyone's safe, and it's actually making them feel good and feel more confident.
I always think about my daughter. She's 22 years old now, and that generation grew up in the digital space. There's just so much awareness of everything, everyone, and it's in your face. My childhood was not sweet; the bullying, all of that, is one thing, but to be bullied by millions of people is another thing. So I just really feel like I have to do my part in changing the narrative so that it looks different for her when she's 52.
Where is the Danessa Myricks brand going from here? How do you see yourself continuing to grow?
Wow. Lots of new things are coming along the way, some that I can't share just yet. We're literally going from zero building to 100. I feel so much more connected to my purpose. I really do feel that beauty is a vessel for us to connect the hearts and minds of people globally and just understand the power of that and how we can change the world. How people unite around a blush or a lip color is so fascinating and so powerful. I'm very conscious of everything that we do and create every story that we're telling. How are we connecting more instead of pulling apart? How are we appreciating and loving everyone for all of their differences? How are we bringing people together within the work that we're doing?
What advice would you give to your younger self or anyone who is struggling with self-confidence and wants to really experiment and explore who they are with beauty?
All the not-so-positive things that I said to myself on a daily basis throughout my life affected how I contribute to the world today. The things that I got teased for back then are all the things that everybody loves as I'm older. So I would say, just know that it's okay, and soon you'll understand that you have everything that you ever wanted to get to wherever you want to go. Today, who you are, and where you are in this moment, you have everything you need to get everything you want. When we recognize that, that's when our lives really begin. You are enough. You are absolutely enough.
What were you like as a child?
I've always been funny and inappropriate. I was known at ages 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old to tell dirty jokes. I don't know where it came from. And I was really into beauty—so the same person I am as an adult. I would also say, I think I've been an influencer since I was four years old. I remember being on the playground and being like, "You need to braid your hair like this, and you should tell your mom to take you to Macy's and buy you this dress." I always went around telling people what to buy. I do the same thing now, but I get paid.
You were always drawn to makeup and skincare?
Yes. I didn't grow up around glamorous women, but I watched my mom, who was in the nail business like a lot of Vietnamese people. They would go to TJ Maxx and buy $10 or $15 dresses, but they would buy $100 face creams. Since I was a child, I always knew where my priorities were. She was always really, really scared of sun damage, thank God because she taught me that. I've been wearing SPF since I've come out of the womb.
Did you grow up feeling beautiful?
To be honest, in Vietnamese culture, we're very, very blunt. My sister and I had nicknames in Vietnamese, she was called the smart one, and I was called the pretty one. On the weekends, my parents would get her a tutor because they're like, "She's probably going to go get an education and be a lawyer." They would send photographers to photograph me. It was never, don't make the smart one feel bad or don't make the pretty one feel dumb. It was just the way it was.
When did you decide you wanted to pursue makeup? Lots of girls are interested in makeup in their teens but don't pursue it as a career after school.
Well, I dropped out of high school in the 10th grade. That's why I don't know how to spell. I always hated school. I was only good at socializing and doing makeup. I remember being a little girl and going to the MAC counter, and all the girls had crazy intricate makeup. I would watch them put on 10 eyeshadows with these brushes. I think MAC is probably the reason that I really fell in love with makeup.
I started my career doing a lot of bridal makeup. If you can do that, you can do anything. Brides are insanely picky and emotional. I learned a lot about people. I learned to really use my, I call it, “Dr. Phil Vo.” I would have to be like Dr. Phil Vo and their makeup artist. I would have to do a lot of things. I saved money, and I always wanted to be a fashion editorial makeup artist. I wanted to be Pat McGrath, I wanted to work with Steven Meisel, and do Italian Vogue.
Then, I came to New York, and I did the starving artist thing, and I did fashion editorial. My God, it was really the cool kids club. Not only was it competitive, but it was so ego-driven. Then, about five years ago, my Instagram started to pop off, and my career went in a whole other direction that I'm very grateful for.
You also worked at a strip club, right? How did that happen?
I moved to New York with $35 and a dream, like Madonna. I went to a Helmut Lang party, and I had $2 to my name. I met this fabulous gay boy, and I was complaining that there were no jobs because the economy was collapsing. He was like, "Girl, I make six figures a year at Penthouse." I was like, "You make six figures at Penthouse magazine?" And he's like, "No, silly, the strip club." And he goes, "They just bought out Scores, and they're looking for hair and makeup people." I was like, "Sign me up!"
What's funny is I went to Scores, and they're like, "You know how to do hair, don't you?" I wanted the job so badly because I was so poor. I was like, "Sure." Then, I went on YouTube and I went to Ricky's at the time. I bought a bunch of curling irons and hair tools. I was doing hair and makeup, and I don't really know how to do hair. One day, I was trying to flat iron a stripper's hair, which I wasn't good at, and I guess it was still damp, I fried it off, and they fired me.
Then, they brought me back in just as the makeup artist. I was crying, and he was like, "Nam, you don't do hair. You should have just been honest. You're a makeup artist."
What was that job like overall?
Oh my God, it was insane. I would come in at 4:30 PM and leave at 5:00 AM. It was like three days on, three days off. First of all, no one's stripping to pay for college. That is a myth.
They also taught me a very valuable lesson. I thought it was all about beauty—the hottest girl's going to make the most money. No. It's not about being hot. It's about making someone feel special. There was one girl there, she had a house in Miami, New York, and Las Vegas, a bikini line. She was 45 years old and was still making money. Maybe she did more than dance around naked, but she always told me, "You have to make the people feel important." The girls that were bringing in hundreds of thousand dollars a year knew how to talk to men. They knew all their children's names. It's about energy and knowing how to work it.
You know, another thing I learned is there's a shortage of Asian strippers. Every night they'd be like, "Nam, get your ass out there." I never did. I kind of regret it.
How do you think you challenge beauty norms?
Well, first of all, I'm not a spring chicken. I'm 42. I am a woman of color.
When I came on the scene, it was that heavy, heavy Kardashian makeup where you would have to spend thousands of dollars. I think I took it back. As a makeup artist, people always ask me, "How do I create the illusion of the dewy dumpling? How do I conceal this? How do I get glowy skin?" I tell people, "Stop buying expensive foundation. Take that $60 and invest in skincare." I think that I have really celebrated just healthy glowing skin, and that's not a marketing scheme.
Do you feel the pressure to be perfect whenever you're sharing on social media?
Yes and no. I like to feel pretty and look pretty, but a lot of the content in my stories is me in my pajamas, laying in bed, and talking shit. Yes, I think that social media is not good for self-esteem. I'm mindful of it, but I can't help to be like, "I don't have a six-pack. I'm not on a private airplane with my fiance.” You can't help it to have a little envy or comparison. That is something that fucks with my mind, and I try to be better about it. We're all hypercritical of ourselves. I'll look at a video of myself and be like, "Your chin looks a little rounder today." I look at my sister, who is a mom, and she's so normal, looks at social media once a day, is so present, likes to look nice, but isn't too invested, and I'm like, "Good for you." But I'm telling other people to look cute and take care of their skin. If I look busted, I'm not a great role model.
Can we talk about injectables? Have you experimented? How are you taking care of your skin outside of your product routine?
Nobody believes me but I have zero fillers and injectables. The three things that I love doing are micro-needling, radio frequency, LED lights, and a little microcurrent. Those four things have really polished me up like a little diamond. I'm totally down to get a facelift, plastic surgery, all the things, but I don't think I need it because everything is good.
Do you believe in preventative Botox?
I don't know enough about it, but I guess to me, the idea of putting a toxin and freezing your muscle is not that appealing. When I do radio frequency, what it does is, and maybe I'm not articulating this the way a doctor would, but it heats your skin to a certain dermal level, and it wakes up and tightens the collagen. It's like a corset for underneath your face. If the time comes when I feel like that would be a good situation for me, I'll totally do it.
How do you stay confident when you have to be on social media every day?
If I'm being honest, I struggle with that. Everyone's younger, with a six-pack. I'm never going to be Gisele, but I could just be the best version of myself. I think the more I invest in myself and being the best version of Nam Vo Glow, it makes me feel better. When I fuck off, and I eat whatever and don't exercise, and just being in a slumpy mood, that's when I don't feel good about myself.
To be in this business, you've got to really pull your shit together and pull your mental health together. It's a tough business, not only on your ego, but your soul. It's not easy. How do I do it? I do Pilates. I have a really, really great network of gays and girlfriends. I can't believe my life. I look around, and I'm like, I can't believe it, I seriously think I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I've hit the lottery of good karma, so I might not have a six-pack yet, but I definitely think that I have very good karma in life and just to be grateful.
And where do you see the standards of beauty evolving to? Where are we going from here?
Well, I do love ridiculous beauty. I love a symmetrical face. But I also think that there is something for everyone. From the time I started as a makeup artist where everybody was blonde hair, blue-eyed, to now, whenever I'm on set, there's an Asian girl, a Black girl, somebody could be 5'3" with a skin condition.
Back in the day, we never casted models with a nose ring or anything like that. I think that the Barbie standard of beauty is always going to be there, and that is always going to be seen as attractive. But I think if you're an awkward girl who's not a size two, who doesn't fit in, there's somebody for everybody. There's all kinds of influencing that isn't so cookie-cutter anymore. As for me, a woman in her 40s, I actually think it's a very interesting time. I was talking to a friend the other day, she was like, "I'm going to listen to you. I don't want a 20-year-old to tell me how to have good skin."
So I think it's headed in a much better place—but no matter what, let's just be honest, when you look at social media, it can't be good for your self-esteem. Even outside of beauty, when you see these over-the-top vacations and this and that, social media all in itself doesn't leave most people feeling good.
What's next for Nam Vo Glow?
I don't know where I'm going, but know this, it won't be boring, and it won't be basic. I think that I'm a natural influencer, so if I decide to be a shroom influencer, a mommy influencer, a whatever influencer, whatever is going to happen in my life, I think I will share it in a tasteful way. I love skincare and beauty and all of the things, but I think in this world, we need more realness and human connection.
Let's talk about the mushrooms for a minute. How has it been beneficial for you?
I'm an undercover shroom influencer, the dewy shroom. I definitely am an anxious person. I think really fast. My thoughts come a mile a minute, and that's probably why I have trouble sleeping. Probably a lot of creative people are this way. The best way I could articulate it is that shrooms open up neural pathways and expand your way of thinking.
I remember years ago, I got dumped by someone I met on Hinge. The next week I was on Hinge again, and I saw him and was so embarrassed. I'm like, “Oh God, I feel like I'm still left on the shelves.” I felt bad about it. My friend Megan also got dumped and went back on Hinge, and she's just like, "I can't wait for him to see me. I want him to know that I'm out dating." It's all perspective because I'm used to thinking a particular way. I think shrooms really expanded my way of thinking. It does things that maybe 15 years of therapy would do for you. If I were triggered, I would be so stuck in my own head, only thinking about myself. Now, I'm more expansive, more empathetic.
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to pursue either being a makeup artist or a content creator?
NV: Number one, check your ego at the door. There are a lot of people out there that want to do what you want to do. Number two, say yes to everything. Early in my career, you want me to powder a rat's ass in Staten Island for $20? Yes. You want me to do the producers' neighbor's cousins for $40? Yes. I would say, say yes. When you're a starving artist, it's not the time to have standards. I worked for 10 years to have some standards.
I'd become friends with the hair assistant and stylist assistant, and we'd shoot small editorials, and before you knew it, the team grew. I would say, say yes as much as possible, even if it doesn't pay you a penny. A lot of the time, you're going to be wasting your time, but you don't know the connection, the experience, and what you're going to learn.
Another piece of advice I give, I think you and I are an example of this, go meet people in real life and take them to lunch. When you go to lunch with people, you learn about them. I'm like, "Oh, you grew up in California. I grew up in California.” I just think that it's very important to have that human connection. I see why brands spend so much money on influencer trips. It's not even getting digital content and digital impressions, now it's about building personal relationships. So say yes to everything, build personal relationships, and work hard.