NEW BEDFORD—When Mikayla Nogueira created her first makeup on TikTok video, she never imagined that two years later she would have 13 million followers, showcase two palette kits and be the face greeting customers Sephora shops across the country.
“It’s just unreal that I keep growing every day and I’m really, really grateful for it all the time,” he said 23 year old beauty professional originally from East Freetown.
Since The standard times last checked in at Nogueirashe got engaged, bought a house, co-released a line of sunglasses dime lookco-hosted a live makeup lesson L’Oréal in Los Angelescreated a Glow Recipe Kit in Sephora and met Rihanna and Selena Gomez.
“I’m tired,” Nogueira said, laughing, during a Zoom call Aug. 14. “I would even say I’m on the verge of burnout … but it’s the passion that keeps me going.”
She said her love for beauty and makeup continues to grow and that drives her to create more content on TikTok.
On July 2, Nogueira launched a collaboration with Glamlite that includes a 30-color Mikayla Eyeshadow Palette with a highlighter, two sets of false lashes, and three lip glosses.
“This collaboration is a much bigger collaboration than the first,” she said.
Collaboration on “Paht 2” with Glamlite
Nogueira said she chose to work with Glamlite because they were the first company that asked her to write a sponsored post about her liquid eyeliner when she started trending on TikTok.
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“It was the very first brand deal I ever did. It was on Instagram. It’s still there today,” she said. “And I think it’s just great that they wanted to give me a chance, they saw potential in me and wanted to give me the opportunity to fulfill my potential.”
Glamlite is also a small indie company with only five employees. “I liked that because they tend to give you a little more creative freedom that way,” Nogueira added.
The line includes multiple glitters and intense shades, which Nogueira says may not be the current trend, but she said there are still people willing to experiment with color and be bold with their looks.
“I definitely enjoyed seeing people that you just want to have fun with,” she said, adding that many people in the LGBTQ+ community used her palette during Pride month.
Meanwhile, the Apponequet Regional High School graduate said the new lineage reflects her pride in Massachusetts. “The collection is dedicated to Boston; I have a shade called Fall River,” she said, adding other names including Freetown and Rhody.
“It’s just very me.”
She visits New Bedford frequently
Her TikTok fame began in March 2020. After being sent home from her senior year at Bryant University due to COVID-19, Nogueira posted her first 60-second video — a transition from no makeup to a full face from cosmetics.
It went viral within a month.
Since moving to Boston last year, Nogueira says she still visits New Bedford about every two weeks because her family still lives in the area. Recently she attended the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in August.
“New Bedford will always just be my home, a special place that I will always love,” she said, adding that she has no plans to move to New York or Los Angeles.
“My whole life is here,” she added.
Nogueira said she’s been trying to keep her feet on the ground for the past two and a half years since she found fame through her TikTok channel.
“I always try to be really grateful. I keep thinking about the past. And do you know where my life has been and how far I’ve come … it’s just unreal to me that I’m in the position that I’m in,” she said.
Nogueira also said she only works with a small team and one manager and never wants to be seen as a corporate puppet selling and marketing various labels, as she’s observed some of her other influencer friends do.
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“My goal is honesty, that’s my truth,” she said. “If you are a truly creative person, a visionary, working alone is best because that way your full creative vision can come to life, especially when it comes to makeup.”
Starting a new TikTok channel
Since her first though standard times In an interview, she said it was harder to go public on my own.
“I was already struggling with social anxiety,” she said. “Then you add that extra layer of people that come at you, that actually makes it quite challenging.”
During a concert at the XFINITY center, she had to be escorted out by security guards due to the chaos that ensued as people queued to meet her. The same happened in July as well. at a recent Tate McRae concert at the Royale Boston.
“It’s something I’ve had to get used to,” she said.
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Recently, Nogueira has quietly launched a spin-off TikTok account, where she shares her daily activities in raw, unedited videos shot on her iPhone, mostly about how she’s feeling about her life.
“It’s going to be the complete opposite of my current side,” she said. “This new side is pretty much vulnerable, which makes me happy and what I think people can do to help their mental health.”
Got a tip from Lady Gaga
Nogueira, who explained in an Instagram post that she struggled with an eating disorder, body image issues and was bullied at school, hopes her videos will break the stigma of talking about mental health.
“It’s something that people in general should talk about more and feel comfortable talking to each other,” she said.
On Aug. 31, Nogueira shared that her “self-loathing” thoughts were at an all-time high: “I have zero confidence. I hate how I look. I haven’t felt beautiful in months and I don’t know why this is happening to me… Well, that’s a lie [know why]. It’s this job.”
Pop star Lady Gaga commented, “I’ve been through this before and I still do sometimes, and sometimes it’s good to take little breaks from the mirror/camera just to calm the mind,” she wrote.
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A new business plan in the works
Since she’s planning her upcoming wedding on July 1, 2023 (and no, she doesn’t do her own makeup), her next step is to go to cosmetology school.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to get a real cosmetology license,” she said. “And my dream, like my ultimate goal, is to open a beauty spa.”
Noqueira said she’d love to open a store in Massachusetts, but she hasn’t ruled out the South Coast.
“New Bedford is a nice place to do business,” she said. “It’s definitely something I’m considering across the board.”
Standard Times editor Seth Chitwood can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
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