Oh, 2016 to 2019 YouTube… you just had to be there. Before TikTok took over our phones, and the trending video page was replaced with the beloved FYP, the entire beauty world as we knew it existed solely on YouTube. (A beauty kingdom, if you will.) But as short-form video began to rise in popularity, TikTok carved out its own beauty niche, and influencers to match. And, as we can remember from Dramageddon, where there are beauty gurus, there’s sure to be drama.
So, unless you’ve been logged out of TikTok, you’ve probably heard a bit about the controversy surrounding Mikayla Nogueira. ICYMI: Nogueira is a popular creator on the app with over 14.4 million followers at the time of publication. She rose to fame with her self-proclaimed “honest” makeup product reviews which have amassed over 1.1 billion views. It’s safe to say that Nogueira is one of the most popular, and trusted, creators on the app. That is, until her recent drama regarding her… eyelashes?
On Jan. 24, Nogueria took to TikTok to post a review on the L’Oreal Telescopic Lift Mascara. In the video, tagged with the #LorealParisPartner, Nogueria applies the mascara to her lashes and raves about the product. She even captions the post, “THESE ARE THE LASHES OF MY DREAMS!! @lorealparisusa never lets me down [crying emoji]”. At a first read, seems innocent enough, right?
Wrong.
Instead of the typical response to Nogueira’s videos, the video’s comment section is full of users accruing Nogueria of using false eyelashes to hyperbolize the real results of the mascara. One user writes, “I know an ardell demi wispy when I see it”, with another commenting, “Mikayla I’ve watched you for a long time now. Please don’t insult our intelligence like this…” Yikes. Her Campus reached out to Nogueria for comment on these claims, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
In the comments, users have been calling out Nogueria on the controversy, with one viewer commenting, “Wait are you not wearing falsies at the end ?” Nogueria responded to the comment saying, “Noooo omg loreal would never allow that in a partnered post!!! But y’all proving my point [crying laughing emoji]”.
But the app isn’t buying it. On TikTok, users have been creating videos debunking Nogueria’s review — zooming into her eyes to allege that she used fake lashes to enhance the results of the mascara. A creator by the name @destinywillard_ posted her reaction to Nogueria’s video, captioning it, “Who you tryna fool girl??? [emojis] This is why I don’t trust influencers who get paid product [crying laughing emoji]”.
The reason that this drama is such a big deal is due to the fact that, for a while, TikTok looked to Nogueria for unbiased and honest makeup reviews. If she really was wearing false eyelashes to exaggerate the effects of the mascara, fans may be wondering about other products that Nogueria has plugged in the past, and if their results were as great as she claimed.
As of Jan. 26, Nogueria has yet to make a video responding to the drama, but I’ll be sure to update you on this controversy as it unravels. Until then, perhaps it’s time for the YouTube beauty guru era to return.