If you don’t know who Nabela Noor is, please take a second to follow her immediately on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram—you can thank us later!
Noor is a Bangladeshi-American beauty blogger from Pennsylvania who exudes self-love and humility. She has faced her share of criticism from the fashion industry and internet trolls alike, simply because she’s a plus-sized woman. Now, she has become an advocate for size and racial diversity in media, victims of bullying, and garnering self-love.
On New Year’s Eve, the beauty guru broke the internet with a tear-jerking video posted to her Instagram and Twitter called, “This is Me,” it’s titled after the original track by Keala Settle from “The Greatest Showman.” The video contains a powerful message depicted through Noor’s makeup as she writes, then wipes away, the words she felt once defined and crippled her; she transforms the ugly words into a message of self-love.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdX_6CfAnxX/?hl=en&taken-by=nabela
Everyone has a story, and perhaps we can relate to one another with things that have traumatized us in the past. But, it’s celebratory to come out stronger, and as a unit, so we truly believe that Noor’s “This is Me” is all of us, and here’s why:
1. Social media has created a far-from-ideal atmosphere.
We are constantly staring at photoshopped, face-tuned, perfectly posed images of people who reinforce beauty standards that do not fit the average girl or boy.
2. We must understand that we are always in control of our happiness.
What other people say and do to us does not control us. What they do and say is a reflection of their inner feelings, and not us.
3. We are underrepresented in all media.
While there are some amazing South Asians in Hollywood and Bollywood, where are the curvey, plus-sized, dark-skinned men and women? We need people like Noor telling their stories and advocating for equality so that South Asian kids can have more role models on screens.
4. We have all been crippled by words.
Whether we experienced some form of bullying, societal/familial pressure, or negative self-talk, we can all relate to the struggle of loving and accepting our true, authentic selves.
5. Love begins from within us.
We have to start by loving ourselves, fiercely, so that we can spread love to others.
The response that has been pouring in for “This is Me” is beautiful. Noor didn’t just touch the hearts of brown people, but people of ALL races, ethnicities, and walks of life.
Jasmin Rahman is a Jersey girl traveling the world on a mission to spread beauty. She pursued an education in Mental Health Counseling at Rutgers and Rowan Universities. Now a New York City-based, freelance makeup artist and mental health counselor, she can be found with brushes or a book perfecting her crafts! She loves dancing, traveling, and all things fashion.
