Beauty Blogger Nura Afia Wears a Hijab in CoverGirl's Latest Campaign
Here's why that's kind of a big deal!
Photo: instagram.com/nuralailalov
Some might say that we'd have a better chance of seeing a boy rocking vibrant makeup in a beauty campaign than a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. And while the statement is partially true (17-year-old makeup artist James Charles was named the first male CoverGirl last month), this week's release of CoverGirl's Lash Equality campaign imagery featuring Muslim beauty blogger Nura Afia, 24, is an indication that big brands are beginning to celebrate Muslim beauty once and for all.
See this Instagram video by @covergirl * 6,588 likes
Afia, a Denver-based makeup artist who has racked up over 215K subscribers on YouTube, promotes CoverGirl So Lashy! Mascara ($10.50) in a pink hijab. "It's a big accomplishment for all of us," she tells CNN. "It means that little girls that grew up like me have something to look up to. I grew up feeling like hijab would hold me back."
Last year, model Mariah Idrissi made a national debut in an H&M campaign wearing a hijab, a first for the international retailer. We can only hope that more brands will follow their lead in diversifying the influencers featured in their campaigns.
Congratulations to Afia and Charles on their monumental partnerships with a global brand. And to CoverGirl: We applaud your mission to shatter traditional beauty standards with each passing campaign. We're excited to see what's next for the brand!