Mikayla Nogueira has a powerful message for her detractors. The makeup influencer opened her heart during a recent "Get Ready With Me" video, candidly addressing the relentless criticism she faces. “I want to address something that’s been weighing heavily on my mind for quite some time,” Mikayla began in a September 18 TikTok, her voice tinged with emotion. “My appearance and how I look.”
The 27-year-old reiterated emphatically that she never uses filters in her videos, yet there persists “constant confusion over why I look different in person compared to my videos.” “Let me be crystal clear,” she continued, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m aware that I’m not conventionally attractive. I know I’m not aesthetically pleasing or photogenic. It’s incredibly easy to capture an unflattering photo of me.”
The TikTok star, who first rose to prominence on the platform in 2020, reiterated several times that she doesn’t see herself as traditionally “pretty,” adding with raw honesty, “Honestly, there’s nothing I can do about that.” “I’m not photogenic, and I’m not a model,” Mikayla admitted. “I’m not attractive, so I do my utmost to present myself well online because I’m exposing myself to 17 million people.”
This scrutiny has taken its toll, as she confessed to editing her photos—though never her body—and expressed her exhaustion with people “posting pictures of my perceived flaws in the comment sections.” “Clearly, this has been eating away at me for a long time,” she admitted. “I’m just drained by the constant focus on my appearance.”
Mikayla, who married her husband Cody Hawken in 2023, explained the unique challenge of being a beauty influencer “who’s not beautiful.” Beyond her looks, she also shared insights into the comments about her weight, noting that people were kinder about her body when she was 60 pounds heavier. “But now that I’ve shed 60 pounds, it’s like a race to find any flaw on my body that people can latch onto,” she lamented. “You all find imperfections in me that I would never have even noticed.”
The internet sensation added with a sigh, “The point I’m trying to convey is that I understand. I get it. I know I look different in person. There’s nothing I can do to change that.” Mikayla, hinting at her struggles with eating disorders by mentioning she’s “not doing well in that department,” pleaded with her followers for “a little bit of grace.” After all, she acknowledged that some of her followers seem to relish in her failures, adding, “But if we could just ease up on the appearance thing, then I’ll be fine regardless.”
“Anyways. I love you guys,” she concluded with a watery smile. “Sorry for being such a crybaby in this video. No regrets.”
And many of her followers rallied to show their support in the comments. “Babe, look, you’re literally perfect,” one user wrote, alongside a photo of Mikayla. Another added, “You are beautiful inside and out and kind!” And as one fan quipped, “Blending the tears into your skincare routine is the most relatable thing you’ve ever done.”
