For the first-time ever, CoverGirl featured a woman wearing a hijab in one of its ads. Beauty blogger Nura Afia was announced as part of the company’s So Lashy! BlastPro mascara campaign.
Afia is another in an ever-growing list of diverse models that are repping CoverGirl. In October, the company announced that its first male model, James Charles, would be an ambassador for the brand. Afia joined Charles and other CoverGirl models, such as Sofia Vergara and Katy Perry, in an Instagram ad to help promote diversity.
Covergirl said they see this as a banner moment for the brand and that they’ve “always stood for inclusive beauty that supports any and all types.” Afia snagged CoverGirl’s attention with her popular YouTube channel, which has more than 216,000 subscribers. She’s thrilled to be a part of CoverGirl and believes this could open doors for others.
“I’m so excited to be a part of CoverGirl’s new campaign. It feels so surreal. Honestly, growing up and being insecure about wearing the hijab I never thought I would see Muslim women represented on such a large scale. It means the world to me and I’m so honored to be a part of this campaign with CoverGirl.”
The Washington Post reported Afia said it was difficult to wear a hijab at first, as no one else in her community in Colorado did. But she said she now feels proud to wear it, and other people feel the same way.