When scrolling through your social feeds sucks you deep into a whirlpool of detrimental comparisons and self-consciousness, beauty content creator and entrepreneur Nabela Noor pulls you right out. In 2013, Noor began her YouTube career with clever beauty how-tos and tutorials, lifestyle trends, and real talk about confidence, her relationship, and body positivity. And if people came for Noor's clutch beauty tutorials and tricks, they stayed for the sense of community she created. In such a short amount of time, the 28-year-old has managed to build a funny, authentic, self-love empire extending far beyond the boundaries of a simple makeup tutorial or YouTube challenge.
More than anything, Noor's ability to connect with her audience is her appeal. She feels the same insecurities you do. She loves a light makeup day as much as she loves a full glam. She's a Leo through and through, and she knows it. She's working hard to build a following on TikTok. Oh, and she really freaking misses Target right about now. Even in quarantine, when true connection is in high demand but limited supply, Noor is still finding ways to connect — with her audience, with her loved ones, and with her love of beauty.
For Elite Daily, I spoke with Noor about all of the ways she's taking care of herself as many states extend their shelter-in-place orders amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Her answers are part of our How I Take Care Of platform, which features interviews with all the celebs, TV stars, influencers, vloggers, TikTokers, musicians, and politicians you love. If you're wondering what's keeping Nabela Noor going, and what she thinks about getting quarantine bangs, here's what she said.
Who she's quarantining with: Her husband and sister.
The local restaurant she can't wait to visit: The Melting Pot "because it's like the adult Chuck E. Cheese of food."
What quarantine has taught her about herself: "I've learned that I can cook, that I love calligraphy ... and [how to] be OK with the fact that some days aren't going to be OK."
Her WFH uniform: Sports bras.
The most cringeworthy beauty trend she's tried: Using mascara on her brows. "I really regret that for me," she says. "I apologize to my past self for ever doing that to her."
The fashion trend she won't be caught dead in: Bell bottoms, because she's so short.
The one beauty product she can't wait to wear when this is all over: Falsies.
She's missing her people big time.
I've taken for granted the importance of gatherings in my life — I'm not missing material things. I'm missing people, and then missing connecting with my family, and gathering with my family, and gathering with my friends, and hosting and taking care of them, and feeding them a good meal. So for me, I'll never take for granted the value of sitting together and enjoying time with each other. I think that it's just proven to me more and more that we're designed to gather.
She's TikToking with her husband — and it's calming her anxiety.
We have been having so much fun just creating these daily videos that are part of a series I started called Quarantine Routine ... So for 54 days, we have been documenting our experience through the daily Quarantine Routine videos I post on TikTok ... It started off as a way of me just coping through my anxiety during this really uncertain time, especially when my parents are stuck in Bangladesh ... Then, people really responded so well. And I found out over time that these videos were helping others with their anxiety, and they were feeling less anxious when watching them; they look forward to watching them before bed.
It became a community, and now, every night they know I'm going to post my Quarantine Routine video, and then we say goodnight to each other, and then we all go to bed. Now, they've had over 250 million views, and we're just really excited to have developed a community through this quarantine.
Full glam to the back, everyday makeup to the front, please.
I haven't picked up falsies at least for 54 days. So certain elements to my makeup that are a little bit more glamorous have been pushed to the back of the shelf.
And you know what? She's not mad about it.
I definitely think everyday makeup has just been so much fun and [I've been] really playing with bronzer on the lid, bronzer on my face, a monochromatic lip and look ... I normally do my makeup in my beauty studio, because naturally, I make a lot of beauty-related content. I haven't gone up there in 54 days. I've done my make up in my bedroom on the floor in front of my mirror with a little basket of my essentials in there, and I love that Nabela. I'm really vibing with her right now.
Yes, she's thought about doing the big quarantine hair chop.
I think I would probably cut [my hair] to be right at my boobs, maybe a little bit right above it, so probably longer than shoulder length ... a really gorgeous length that, to me, is perfectly descriptive of medium length hair, which is crazy for me because I have extra-long hair. So I've thought about it — a nice blunt cut — but I just don't know if I could do it.
But for the love of hairstylists everywhere, she will not be getting quarantine bangs.
There have been moments where I've considered some wild changes with my hair, but I stopped myself. Some days I'm like, "Nabela, how would you look with bangs?" And then, I remember I did not go to school for this, and I put the scissors down.
She stans Jackie Aina as much as you do.
I think Jackie Aina is a pioneer in all things beauty, representation, and inclusion. I look up to her in so many ways, and she's been such a great mentor [and friend] for me. And throughout this quarantine, she's just provided so many of us with such amazing content that helps us throughout this journey.
And she is absolutely, 100% going to black out in Target once everything is back to normal.
Target is my love, and I miss Target so much. It's complicated. Our relationship status right now is complicated, but I just love Target, so I cannot wait for date nights at Target again ... I black out. I literally get in there, and I don't even remember who I am anymore. I just go rogue.
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