Yamaya Mason
When did you begin your influencer journey and what inspired you to start creating beauty and fashion content?
In late 2017 I was scrolling on twitter and came across the twitter page @makeupforwoc. I was so inspired seeing Black artists from around the world, after hours of scrolling I had to try it out for myself. I bought my first set of brushes and started creating looks daily. At the time I was dealing with depression, but I started to notice whenever I sat down to create looks I felt at peace. Overtime, makeup started to become a form of therapy for me and still is.
What has been the coolest project you have worked on this year?
The coolest project this year was my campaign with Oral-B/Crest! I was hiking Runyon Canyon and right before I
reached the top I got a call in regards to the deal, but it was due in two days! I always sit and think about whether brand deals align with my values and after some thought I agreed. This deal really took me out of my comfort zone because I usually have 2-4 weeks to complete a brand deal, now I only have 48 hours! I hired a photographer, my best friend Ian, to take the campaign picture and we created a high quality campaign shoot that stayed true to my brand.
We’ve loved seeing the content you’ve been creating and sharing surrounding Black Lives Matter - how has the way you’ve been using your platform shifted in the past few weeks/months? Have you seen a shift in how the influencer industry (brands, agencies, other creators) has reacted?
As small creators, we may not give credit to our influence. The past few months has allowed me to fully realize my influence and platform. This time has also allowed me to deep dive into the brands I associate myself with and promote to my audience. While I have seen brands reaching out to more Black micro and macro influencers, I do think it is too early to say there has been a shift in the industry. A lot of brands have proposed new initiatives and now is the time to see if they follow through.
What are your goals for the remainder of 2020?
From Covid-19 to Black Lives Matter, as well as Black creators revealing the inequality and mistreatment we face within the influencer industry, 2020 has been a really eye opening year. One of my main goals is to continue to establish and maintain relationships with brands that genuinely support and pay Black creators their worth. This year has shown how important it is to support who supports you! Another goal of mine is to improve my content by upgrading my audio, lighting and film equipment. I really want to focus on my Youtube channel for the remainder of the year and upload more videos like Try-on Hauls, Beauty Reviews, Vlogs and more! Overall, I’m continuing to establish and expand my brand.