We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nessa Lily. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nessa below.
Nessa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?
When you’re a content creator or influencer, you have to adapt to the constant changes that come with being on social media. Whether it’s adjusting your videos to fit into the various algorithms, needing to improve your visual quality, among other things, it can be pretty challenging. In the last few months, I found myself struggling to grow my platforms and produce makeup content that I was happy with but also aligned with the current beauty trends. A common phrase everyone tells you online is “don’t let the views and numbers get to you”. However, when your engagement is noticeably low to where it seems like only half your audience is seeing your posts, it isn’t the easiest thing to ignore. Although it sounds bad, it’s the best thing that could’ve happened to me. I’ve been posting beauty videos on social media for almost 6 years now and when you’re used to doing anything in life for that long, you tend to get set in your ways. So experiencing this issue prompted me to start shaking things up. I got some new studio lights and a vanity desk to enhance my filming set up, started talking directly to the camera instead of always doing voice overs post filming, and began thinking of alternative ways to enhance my editing style. This truly ignited a fire in me to get inspired and not be afraid to step outside my comfort zone. It’s a working progress but I’ve seen some great results so far that wouldn’t have been possible without the advice from fellow creators that I admire. Their tips and words of encouragement really stuck with me and I’m just excited for this new chapter in my makeup journey.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a Beauty Content Creator on social media. What made me want to start posting beauty videos online related back to the place I was in after my 1st year of college. There was a lot of uncertainty going on at the time which had a huge impact on me both mentally and emotionally. I wanted something that gave me a purpose and could help me feel confident again and that’s when I really started to gain a true love for makeup: the techniques, the artistic transformation, all of it. So much so that one of my friends thought that it’d be a cool idea if I tried uploading makeup looks onto YouTube. I was really reluctant at first because I was still learning and didn’t think that I was good enough for that. However, I decided to take a chance and to this day I’ve never regretted it. It gave me everything I was searching for and gives me the opportunity to express my creativity on a daily basis.
The type of videos I enjoy creating on my platforms are makeup tutorials, shopping hauls, product recommendations and more. The products I feature are all cruelty free (products that haven’t been tested on animals) and mostly affordable. Promoting affordable makeup in my content is super important to me because high end beauty brands aren’t always financially accessible to the average consumer. Plus, with all the innovations with cosmetic technology, many budget friendly options that you find in Walmart, CVS, Target etc. perform just as good if not better than prestige brands sold in Sephora. I do occasionally buy from those brands if I truly think the product is worth it. However, I really want to drive home to people that you don’t have a spend more money on makeup in order to get a beautiful flawless look.
Something I’m most proud of is working with one of my favorite affordable brands, Shop Miss A. I’ve been a Brand Ambassador for them for about a year and a half now and it’s still something that’s very surreal to me. The fact that I get to collaborate with a company that values quality makeup, affordability, and being cruelty free is one of the best experiences ever. Also, supporting smaller beauty businesses over the last few years is something that’s been very meaningful to me as well. Many of the owners are beauty creators themselves who have turned their passion into a brand and I truly admire them for that. They put a lot of heart into their products and I want to advocate them in any way I can.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is putting all my eggs into one basket. After I made a switch from posting on YouTube to Instagram in 2017, I put my whole focus into that one platform. I did it because I wanted to establish myself and be consistent on the app. However in doing this, I feel like a major drawback was not being able to expand to other audiences. YouTube was still a solid resource and I regret not putting more time into it to see where it could’ve gone long term. Not too long after that, TikTok was on the rise and I held off from making an account for quite a while. That’s when I started to really see the value in being present on various platforms. Since then, I have created a TikTok account and have also made my way back to YouTube by using their new YouTube Shorts feature. Each app has their own learning curve but they have definitely helped me to enhance my skills as a social media creator.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part about what I do is being able to connect with others who share the same love for makeup. That’s one of the main reasons why I started this journey in the beginning. I wanted to find a positive outlet where I could express myself, feel confident and build relationships with others looking to do the same thing. The amount of talented and supportive creators I’ve gotten to know through the beauty community really blows me away. Especially when I see that they’re from my city (San Diego), it feels like I can relate to them on a more personal level. In addition to this, something that makes being a beauty creator even more meaningful is when people tell me the impact I’ve had on them. Whether they purchased a product per my recommendation or tell me how my videos have helped them grow in their makeup journey, just knowing I made a positive change in their lives is something I hold very close to my heart.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nessalily20/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nessalily20
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nessalily20/shorts
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nessalily_20
Image Credits
– Shop Miss A Website – Luna Magic Beauty Website