Beauty & Confidence

Beauty & Confidence

with Nassima @beaussima

I’ve always had troublesome skin and although I wouldn’t like to admit it, it has affected my confidence. I’ve had acne-flare-ups in my teens and now in my early 30s I still get them. I wouldn’t say I am at a point to go makeup-free without feeling self-conscious about it. I’m currently a work in progress and that’s ok. That’s the thing with skincare it’s about trial and error and you are constantly learning.

I started my skincare account @keyaani_ to have a creative outlet for my skincare journey. The skincare community is where I have connected with like-minded skincare enthusiasts and found an accepting place to talk about skin and confidence. This is where I stumbled across Nassima @beaussima. She started her Instagram account as a way to document her skincare journey. As she is a school teacher she is a natural educator. Her posts and videos are easy to follow and you do end up learning something.

She suffered from acne breakouts and wanted to help people in a similar situation to her. I found her posts to be informative and it’s her amazing personality that makes me want to tune in to her hilarious insta-stories (Kitchen Karaoke) and in light of the pandemic, a little bit of laughter is what we need.  She has recently started a You-Tube series “To my-teenage self” the advice and tips she gives resonated with me, things I wish I had known in my pre-pubescent years and beyond. Continue reading for her skincare savvy tips and her general life advice.

1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you in to Beauty Blogging?

I’ve always had a love for beauty and skincare, since starting secondary school. I used to have my basic cleanse and moisturise routine and my weekly deep conditioning hair treatments. I think this comes from my Moroccan heritage as Moroccan women take very good care of themselves. I learnt all about henna and Argan oil treatments from my aunts in Morocco. I am now 30 years old, a mother, a teacher and a beauty blogger and share my love for beauty on Instagram, as well as my life as a busy mama.

2. What motivated you to create your YouTube series ‘To my teenage self’?

My job and the teenage girls I speak to every single day. Through conversations overheard in the playground, it’s clear that there is still a lack of communication for young people. I know that growing up these days is even harder with the pressures of social media so I wanted to create a series that could be used to help some young people out there

3. What were your teenage insecurities and how did you overcome them?

Comparing myself to others and always thinking people were better and that I was missing out when in reality I had an amazing and happy childhood with the necessities catered for. I had luxuries I took for granted like the ability to travel the world at such a young age thanks to my father’s airline job. I will say though that I was never allowed to touch my eyebrows so that was my biggest insecurity - not that mine were terrible but I was so desperate to have them shaped.

4. Can you fake self-confidence?

You can most definitely fake it til you make it in some senses. Pretending that superficial things don’t matter or appreciating other things you have in life and putting things into perspective is very important but I know that some people can get sucked into the pressures of getting on with life without addressing the issues around self-confidence. This is why I think that self-care is so important. Some time to pamper yourself regularly can do wonders for confidence and how you feel.

5. Is makeup a confidence booster or a temporary fix?

It depends on what it’s used for. If someone has severe acne and is not treating their skin and focussing on covering up their flaws then they will never feel comfortable in their own skin. I feel that the less you hide and the more you embrace, the more comfortable you become in your own skin.

6. What are your top three budget-friendly skincare products that you would recommend to your teenage self?

I love the Superdrug’s own brand skincare lines. Really effective and affordable whilst not being harsh on the skin. The Body Shop is another brand which I think is teen skin friendly and full of delicious scents and ranges and finally Nip and Fab as they have loads of ranges with a variety of acids for teen skin.

7. If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice what would it be?

Stop rushing to grow up. That time will fly by and you will look back and wish you spent less time worrying and more time enjoying the moment. Also, step away from the bleach. Leave your gorgeous curls alone. And don ’t pick your spots. Just don ‘t.

8. Lastly what is your ride or die beauty product?

This question is way too difficult. For me, skincare starts with a clean base so I would say my ride or die teen friendly beauty product would be the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Balm.

You can check out further skincare tips on Nassima’s website - www.thebeautyintern.com