Mikayla Nogueira is quickly becoming a household brand in TikTok cosmetics.
Glamour Magazine, who interviewed her at the time, called her “the most real influencer on TikTok” because of her 11 million followers and her reputation for publishing make-up recommendations with a personal feel and her characteristic Boston accent.
After nine months, Nogueira’s reign as the internet’s go-to beauty expert may be coming to a close. The online beauty community quickly turned against her after she published a contentious sponsored post for L’Oréal mascara and was accused of editing images of her physique, which she later denied.
Many of her former supporters, who formerly admired her for being forthright, have turned on her and accused her of lying to them. Here’s how 25-year-old Nogueira catapulted to popularity as an influencer then began to fall from grace.
Tiktok Star Mikayla Nogueira Career’s Rise and Fall
For a long time, Nogueira told Insider, she resisted the urge to become a social media influencer. When asked about her decision to work in the cosmetics industry, Nogueira said, “Growing up, I was never encouraged to pursue a career in the beauty industry.”
The influencer told Insider that she felt different from her peers in Boston, Massachusetts, because of her affinity for dramatic eye makeup and glitter.
Nogueira told Insider that she felt discouraged by family members who did not understand the beauty industry before she launched her TikTok account in 2020, despite the fact that she had been posting beauty content “for fun” on Tumblr and YouTube for over a decade (these accounts appear to no longer be publicly available).
According to the influencer, her penchant for cosmetics stems from a deep well of insecurity.
In an interview with Brennan Kilbane of Allure Magazine published in October 2022, Nogueira said that as a child, she had a more “masculine” appearance and was bullied at school for the way she dressed and appeared.
She revealed to Allure that she has long worn cosmetics due to insecurity about her appearance and a desire to blend in with peers.
Everyone is constantly curious about my cosmetics education, so I thought I’d share my story. The woman informed the media that she had begun using cosmetics because she was so unhappy with her appearance.
In an interview with Allure, the influencer discussed the “dark” parts of her history.
Nogueira told Allure’s Kilbane that she was raped at age 12, and then “experimented with self-harm” and became involved in a relationship, which she described as abusive, with an 18-year-old when she was 13.
In the conversation, Nogueira reflected on how receiving a full scholarship to Bryant University marked the beginning of positive changes in her life. As a result of her vivid eyeshadow, she was dubbed “bold eyeshadow girl” and found a newfound freedom of expression in her new community.
“College was the best four years of my life,” she gushed to Kilbane. Do watch out for more updates!
