Today we’d like to introduce you to Micaylah Peterson.
Hi Micaylah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started after high school. I don’t know what triggered me to graduate high school & me coming out of my shell, but it did. I stumbled across Bethany Mota’s YouTube videos, then found Nikkie Tutorials and fell in love with the art of makeup. I have always been artistic, but the paper was dull. I needed something more. So, I started practicing makeup, which I had barely worn before. I was not a girly girl but wanted to dabble in that. Just doing the makeup and practicing wasn’t enough, either. I wanted more creativity. I was so scared to do YouTube because many people don’t know this, but I was primarily mute from age 3-12. We don’t exactly know why, but I only spoke to certain people and made sure I was never the center of attention and had significant social anxiety. Through therapy, I broke my silence and joined cheerleading. That felt amazing. After high school, I really wanted to do YouTube, so I started MakeupByMicaylah in 2014 & haven’t looked back. I started with tutorials without using my voice. It helped me navigate the filming process, and then I took the leap of faith and started filming with my voice, and here I am. My content has taken a shift into more than just makeup. I feel like I am more than just what the following excellent beauty product is; those are still my favorite things to do. I have integrated fashion, lifestyle, shopping, goods, pregnancy, and much more into my content and have spread from just Instagram and YouTube to TikTok and Amazon.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road to this point. You get tired and go through health and mental health issues. You get burnt out. I am very transparent with my audience and have shown most of my obstacles on social media. I don’t want people to feel alone in any situation. I went through domestic violence situations, grief, my mom having breast cancer (she is cancer-free now), and even with this current pregnancy, it is rough trying to juggle a full-time job along with social media. Still, I get on, no matter what I look or feel, and be transparent. No one lives a perfectly polished life, no matter how hard they try to portray that, and I don’t want my audience to think, “I want a life like hers” or “She has it all together; I wish I could.” I don’t. We all struggle but don’t have to endure those struggles alone.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a content creator. I don’t like the title “influencer” too much. I don’t do it to influence people to buy. I do it to educate people about products and just to be creative. I love to create. My favorite to film is crazy makeup tutorials. I have been slacking on those because I have been moving the last few years, and I got married, and now I am pregnant, and it’s tough to sit up for as long as I do and film those, but they will be reappearance. I have not been filming shorts/reels/TikToks about unboxings, makeup reviews of a single product, pregnancy/nursery/mom content, mini vlogs, and food a lot. I use my iPhone. I have adapted to what I can physically go through at the moment. When I do film makeup, I batch film, so I sit down and film 5-7 1-minute videos of different products to stretch them out over time. I can’t wait to get back into the long-form tutorials on YouTube. They are my favorite to create.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
I know people always say this, but do it! You don’t need fancy equipment, flashy lights, or a perfect life. I have helped many people start their journey. If you are reading this & you want to brainstorm on how you want to start, message me! I am here to help anyone who needs it. Once you start, you will fall into your flow. Also, consistency is vital. I have been on the internet for a while, so I don’t have to post as much, but in the beginning, up until a few years ago, I posted 7 days a week. And lastly, do not lol at the numbers and connect and talk to people. Focusing on the numbers will rip the fun out and get you down in the dumps. And people are on the internet to connect. Communicate with the people showing you love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/shop/makeupbymicaylah
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/makeupbymicaylah
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makeupbymicaylah
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/makeupbymicaylah
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@makeupbymicaylah
Image Credits
Photo of my husband and I from Wedding, credits go to: https://www.instagram.com/yirmeyahleonard?igsh=MWxzczltYmgwd3Eyaw== Woman I am hugging: Danessa Myricks at Disney Springs Event
