What is beauty? Beauty has always been defined by certain standards, set by multimillion dollar companies and represented by the models we see in fashion magazines and the actresses we see on the big screen. A symmetrical face, a perfectly-shaped hourglass body, beautiful flowing hair, and skin as clear as a newborn baby’s. You know what that is, though? That’s bogus. These are nothing but boxes they try to put women in and everyone who falls outside of them is deemed unacceptable.
These days, however, things are changing. Big companies are no longer telling us what’s beautiful and what’s not. Why is that, you say? Because we have our own platforms on which we speak. We own the narrative. We now have women who have their own blogs and have shown us that beauty has no set definition. They have shown us that self-care and self-love regardless of what we’re told, is key. Here are 5 beauty bloggers who say it like it is.
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Ziena Qussay (@selfcarebyziena)
Ziena Qussay, founder of @selfcarebyziena
Ziena’s beauty blog has evolved throughout the years. Due to her passion for skincare (and the insistence of her friends) she decided to create a public Instagram account for tips and tricks. Over the years, this blog has evolved into so much more. With marriage, pregnancy, and motherhood. Ziena’s blog evolved from merely skincare tips to everything self-care. Not only does Ziena provide much-appreciated honest reviews, she also talks everything regarding self-care post pregnancy. She tackles so many issues like body image issues, prioritizing self-care while being a mom, and the change that comes with the gift of motherhood. What we especially love about her are her Instastories where we feel there’s a true human being talking to us, not a mere “influencer” behind a façade.
Hagar’s blog focuses primarily on skin and haircare. However, what’s really special about it is Hagar’s very young age. This girl, at only 18, managed to create a great, informative, body-positive blog. She’s very open about her journey with acne as well as her medical treatment, unlike many others. She doesn’t market products she doesn’t believe in merely for publicity, which is very valuable in the blog-sphere these days. Instead, she focuses on the products that actually work for her and tries to present all her knowledge through a medical scope. We’re so happy to witness such young women with great passion as well as integrity.
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Menna Yasser (Reviews by Menna Yasser @growanddglow)
Menna Yasser, founder of @growanddglow
Menna describes her blog as a place where she shares her “love for self-care, mental, and physical health.” Truer words have never been spoken. While Menna is considered a “beauty blogger”, her blog is not just about makeup, skincare, or haircare. That’s not saying these aren’t a big part of her blog, they are, and she’s very good at giving us amazing tips and tricks when it comes to all three of those. That is, in addition to no-nonsense, honest reviews. However, this girl also talks overall wellbeing. She shares her experience with healthier eating habits (i.e. intermittent fasting) and is always posting mental health-friendly advice. Thank you, Menna, for reminding us that letting ourselves have bad days actually is a form of self-care.
The first thing that caught our eye when checking out Maryam’s blog is the aesthetic. We were sure there was an artist’s touch somewhere around there, not just a beauty blogger. Aside from being the art director of cool new brand @cairetro, Maryam has created her own very unique brand of a beauty blog. Maryam’s blog focuses on beauty from within. Not only does that mean skincare, haircare, and natural beauty products. Maryam also focuses on how to grow from within; she provides healthy wholesome recipes, wonderful book recommendations to enrich the mind, and posts wonderful artwork (some hers, some credited to other artists) to feed the soul. Maryam has added her touch to every part of her blog and we love it.
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Sandey Elmalatawy (@whysandey)
Sandey Elmalatawy, founder of @whysandey
When scouting for no-nonsense beauty bloggers, Sandey was one of our most obvious choices. It’s clear from first glance that this woman is a force to be reckoned with. Her blog screams strength and badass-ery as well as character. Sandey’s curls are a huge part of her identity; she provides lots of curly haircare and hairstyling tips. Moreover, this powerhouse has founded her own brand of curly-friendly, satin-lined hats called @curlsdefy. Additionally, Sandey never shies away from fighting the good fight against sexual harassment, and is always brutally honest when it comes to mental health.
There’s so many more of where these 5 amazing women come from. As we said, time’s up for industries to speak for us, we’ll speak for ourselves and say it like it is.