5 Women Making the World a More Beautiful Place
SOME PEOPLE LOOK ON THE BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL SIDE OF LIFE. OTHERS DON’T. IF YOU’RE DETERMINED TO FALL INTO THE FORMER CATEGORY, THESE ARE THE FIVE WOMEN YOU NEED TO FOLLOW.
It’s a cold, hard truth in 2024 that social media has the ability to be both incredibly uplifting and low-key depressing. Our Instagram and TikTok feeds are truly what we make of them – meaning the right people can take our day from zero to hundred (while others are capable of the complete opposite).
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of people in the former category. The internet is full of charismatic creators – especially female creators – who specialise in drawing out the beauty in our minds, hearts, bodies, and surroundings. From sustainable activists to make-up artists, here are five women to put on your radar if you want to experience more beauty in all its forms.
Jazmine has dubbed herself the Sustainable Baddie, which is probably the most apt title possible. She’s dedicated her social platforms to holding brands accountable for their sustainable misgivings and misdoings.
Unafraid to call out the big dogs for their unethical practices, she has the unerring ability to pick apart and realign your own consumption patterns without compromising your own personal style. This is much easier said than done, so trust us when we say that the New York-based creator’s content is an invaluable goldmine for anyone wanting to reassess the environmental impact of their shopping addiction.
“Creativity is enhanced by limitations, and I think sustainability provides a lot of limitations. So I feel like it makes me a way more creative person. I think that's what really dictates the outfits I put together. I couldn't just readily buy the clothes I own online—they're one-off pieces that are either thrifted, secondhand, passed down or DIY. I see those limitations for sustainability as guardrails and tools that I can work with rather than as hindrances to my life.” – Jazmine Rogers, sustainability activist
Green-fingered tips aside, Jazmine is the queen of accessorising (so be prepared to start whipping out your hats, scarves, and jewellery more often than ever once you start following her). Her feed is one of the warmerst, most colourful and conscious corners in Instagram’s fashion community.
Raisa Flowers
The status quo isn’t Raisa Flowers’ shtick. With her bleached brows and penchant for avant-garde eyeshadow and cyborg-esque contacts, she’s established herself as one of the most exciting names in the beauty industry – championing that notion that there’s not just one way to be ‘beautiful.’
Born and bred in New York, Flowers got her start doing makeup in the underground club scene (an influence you can still see in her work today). She later trained under the beauty behemoth that is Pat McGrath, so her makeup chops were always going to be next-level. However, it was her work with Rihanna that really sent her stratospheric. After being cast as a model in the Savage x Fenty fashion show, Flowers went on to collab with the Fenty Beauty founder on multiple occasions – as well as picking up clients such as Simone Biles, Precious Lee, Paloma Elsesser, and Joan Smalls.
“I try my best to cater to Black people because I feel like we are the ones who are the most under-represented in the industry. I make it a point to work on Black women because I feel like I can help change the industry in some shape or form with my work. I love using Black people as my canvas for my creative work because I feel we aren’t seen so much in the creative makeup world.” – Raisa Flowers, makeup artist
When Flowers isn’t working her magic with the makeup brush, she’s keen to advocate for other Black women to have the same opportunities – frequently challenging the lack of diversity in the industry. “I feel like my ability to make people feel beautiful, especially black women and other women of colour, is really important to me,” she told Dazed. “A lot of times I feel like we’re overlooked in the industry.”
There are two kinds of skincare creators: the skinthusiasts (those who rely on lived experience, not training) and the out-and-out pros. Kristen Collins can be defined as the latter. Despite studying chemistry at university, Kristen considers herself a latecomer to the wonderful world of cosmetic science – and wants to make sure that Black girls are exposed to STEM from a young age so they don’t miss out on the same experience.
"I remember when I was struggling in organic chemistry and I had one professor tell me, all of the makeup that you wear, all of the products that you use, that's organic chemistry. And that's the first time it was ignited inside of me that there are so many avenues of science in our everyday life." – Kristen Wells-Lewis, Founder of Black to the Lab
Today, Kristen runs Black to the Lab, an educational programme that aims to teach young Black girls about STEM’s impact on the cosmetics industry, as well as giving them the chance to experiment with creating their own products.
Each and every post is pure joy as you see groups of girls excitedly discover a whole new love that could last a lifetime. It’s a corner of beauty that doesn’t get anywhere near enough exposure – which is why we’re so glad that Kristen is making it happen.
Ever looked at someone’s skin on social media and thought “that looks absolutely unreal?” Well, that might be because it is. Instagram, TikTok, and the inventor of the first filter have a lot to answer for when it comes to unrealistic expectations of how soft, smooth, clear, and bright our skin can be.
That’s what makes voices like Alicia’s so important. The esthetician, beauty writer, and skinfluencer has a no-nonsense approach to beauty which follows science, not fads. Her feed is awash with natural and unedited pictures of her skin – whether that’s mid-breakout or during the glowy post-haze of a laser facial – supported by some cold hard truths shattering the falsities of the skincare industry at large.
“I try to keep things simple when it comes to skincare – instead of using twenty different products, my biggest tip is consistency. Most people don't have the time to keep up with so many steps every day, so by streamlining the products you use you're more likely to stick to a routine.” – Alicia Lartey, esthetician
That might sound like skin positivity 101, but Alicia has qualms about using that term nowadays. “It’s gotten to the stage where it’s been so commercialised,” she told Refinery29. “I don’t think it means anything anymore. Every brand can attach themselves to it and sell something, and I don’t think that’s what it started out as. Plus, when you see a lot of the imagery touting ‘skin positivity,’ it’s one person with one spot.” Her approach is more about realism – and what’s more beautiful than that?
Born and based in the lush paradise that is Guadeloupe, it should come as no surprise that Mlle Belamour’s distinctive art style is so bright and effervescent. Driven by her home’s “ambience, colours, landscapes and beaches” – not to mention the perpetual inspiration that is women in general – her work captures the beauty that surrounds us in the small, quiet moments of day-to-day life.
“I think it’s really important to keep our minds open in order to be inspired by our environments; I am lucky enough to be living among amazing people and I feel the need to share that through my art.” – Mlle Belamour Laetitia, artist
Scrolling through her feed, you can get a quick sense of the self-love, female friendship, and all-round good vibes encapsulated in her work. She’s especially careful to more often than not put Black women at the centre of her illustrations, hoping to bring more diversity to the visual realm by “presenting us in a natural way.” Over the years, her flair has caught the eye of everyone from Target to Lizzo, making her a go-to for joyful digital art.
WHATS UP NEXT…
