Meet Yasamine Durali, a fashion and beauty content creator from San Diego California. I have always admired her modest fashion, glowing beauty routines, and authentic content. Yasamine gives all the lifestyle inspo.
In this interview she gives us insight on her journey as a content creator, how she navigates comparison & limiting beliefs, and so much more. And you'll probably want to run and buy all of her beauty and fashion favorites.
But seriously, I felt so inspired after this conversation and it gave me a such a fresh perspective. I hope you feel the same way after reading. Enjoy!!!
Her Journey to Finding Success
Take us through your transition to taking social media full time...
I’ve been making videos by myself since I was 11 years old, but I just didn’t start posting on social media them until I was in my last year of college. As a child, I would take my mom’s IPad, and secretly record myself doing clothing hauls calls and create makeup tutorials, even when I had nowhere to go. It was such a fun, creative outlet for me. I looked up to Youtubers and beauty gurus so much as a teenager, and it was always my dream to be one of them. I literally acted like I was a YouTuber, I wanted to be one of them so bad. It wasn’t until my final year of college, when I was taking my final courses online due to covid, that I realized my childhood dream could become a reality once my TikTok started growing in 2021.
I got my degree in Legal Studies and Human Rights at UC Berkeley. I was on a pre-law track, and moved to Washington D.C. after I graduated to work full-time in consulting for one year. My corporate job was very demanding and time-consuming, and I wasn’t passionate about the work I was doing at all. Overtime, I felt like I had lost my “spark” and others around me noticed it as well. Working full-time in an unfulfilling corporate position while juggling a growing social media presence was taking a toll on my mental health. I spent many nights stressed, trying to juggle it all, on facetime with my family and friends seeking their advice on what my next steps should be. I began to realize I felt more inspired and passionate about a creative career path, as opposed to a traditional one.
In the summer or 2022, just a week before I got married, I signed with a management agency. It was very exciting at the time as I realized it would open up the doors to working with so many incredible brands that I had only ever dreamt of working with. They are still my management to this day and I love working with them.
In the fall, I decided I wanted to move back home to be closer to my family and my husband. My corporate job informed me that if I were to move, my position would be terminated. I was so torn on what to do because while I desperately craved a change and wanted to be closer to my support system for the sake of my mental health, I was scared of taking a big leap, quitting a secure position, and leaving my comfort zone. It was a scary, spur of the moment decision, but I felt so liberated and free when I moved back home. I was full time with content creation for 6 months, until I worked part-time for another company in winter of the following year. That position ended early due to tech lay-offs, but I was content with it, as I knew I needed and wanted to dedicate my full time and energy to my social media business. I was able to take the full time leap for good, and now I can’t imagine myself doing anything else! I am so grateful to be able to do what I love everyday for work.
Everything worked out in such a spontaneous way that I would’ve never imagined years ago, but it was all for the best..
Did you have any limiting beliefs, and if so how did you break through those?
I think the limiting beliefs came a little bit later, once social media became my full-time job and my audience grew. It’s still something I struggle with often. But, I believe every successful entrepreneur has just put a ton of work into minimizing the impact of their limiting beliefs. Everyone has them– its how much of a role you let it play in your life.
There are definitely periods of my life where I overthink everything, doubt myself, and go down these rabbit holes. But, I try to stay focused on my own goals and not compare my journey to others. I’m a firm believer in what you say becomes your reality. The energy you put out is what you will receive. If you're constantly telling yourself negative thoughts or saying that it’s never going to happen, it is never going to happen. That’s time you could spend working on reaching your goals.
Some days are more difficult than others. It’s normal. Not everyone feels confident, or inspired every single day. There will always be those days, those negative thoughts, those moments where you can’t help but compare. It’s about discipline, though. Motivation will come and go but it’s the discipline that keeps you there. Some days, that means that even if I don’t feel great, I’m still going to put in the work because I owe it to my future self. I know if I look back, I’m going to regret not putting my 100% in.
You can either live life negatively with a scarcity mindset –ungrateful & pessimistic. Or, you can go into it with an abundance, gratitude mindset. I'm grateful for everything God has given me and it’s my duty to be appreciative and grateful. To think that it can’t get better would be so naive! Life is always getting better.
What is one key component that you believe made you successful?
I’m definitely still on the road to success, but I think one piece of it is consistency and offering something unique to my audience that they haven’t seen before. When it comes to social media, I have tried to show up consistently for the past few years and I think it’s really paid off. People have seen me in so many different phases of my life. You have to constantly share and be there for your audience, and engage often. That’s the whole point of “social” media.
I also try to be as an authentic as possible. Of course, I love sharing beauty and modest fashion. and beauty. But, at the end of the day, I like to share my everyday life. I try to think about what is relatable and enjoyable for my audience, thinking of others who are going through a similiar chapter of life as me. The people I love to follow online are always the ones that just share their life. They’re authentic and they’re not trying to be someone else. They’re not constantly trying to go viral. I hope that’s something that I imrpove on as well, just sharing more of my everyday life and personality because I think that’s what makes you successful in creating a community.
Comparison, Creating Community, & Finding Fulfillment
How do you deal with comparison, especially being in the social media space?
I think it’s really important to have a support system of people who take you out of that mindset. Social media can be so draining. If I ever get stuck in a rut, I will usually try to take a break. I don’t want to be on my phone as much. I want to connect with people who aren’t on social media, or talk to my other creator friends about how I’m feeling. I’ll try to do something that’s grounding. When you think about it, it’s just really silly to sit here and compare yourself to strangers on the Internet who you don't know anything about while you have so many blessings in your life to be grateful for.
I remind myself that no one is me, and that’s the beauty and the power I hold, and you hold too. You have to put blinders on to what others are doing. Imagine you’re driving on the freeway and all you’re doing is staring at how fast the other cars are going. Of course, they’ll pass you.
It all comes back to gratitude. Something I’ve really tried to work on over the past year is being more present in my life and, my own blessings so that, I don’t have the urge or the desire to look at what other people are doing.
Comparison doesn’t always need to have a negative outcome. Think about it like, I’m so happy for them, may God bless them with more. If anything, it's more inspiration for me to work harder because I now know that what they’ve acheived is a possibility. It’s all about the energy you put out.
What inspires your content and how do you find fulfillment in your career?
The fulfillment comes from the community element of social media. When I get DMs or I meet the lovely girls who watch my content in person, I always feel so happy. It’s surreal and so fulfilling, building a community of women who look like me or share similar interests, and they share how my content has helped or inspired them in some way.
It’s crazy because I grew up creating these videos and I loved watching other girls online. But, I didn’t see myself in anyone that I followed and I felt so alone in that. Not having Muslim role models or girls to look up to online played such a huge role in my development for many, many years because I didn’t grow up around a big Muslim community either.I wouldn’t say I was ashamed of my Muslim identity, but I just was not as outwardly “proud” of it. I think a lot of it came from what I saw, or I should say what I didn’t see. When I started my social media, I knew that I wanted to be who I didn’t see growing up and be that for other girls.
I always loved fashion. But, I never saw fashion that aligned with my own modesty values in creators online. I hope that my content shows that there are so many ways to dress cute while not having to compromise your values. As I started to share my style more, I realized modest fashion is still such a huge gap for people.
I’ll never forget last year when I went on a brand trip with Vieled Collection, a modest fashion brand. I got to meet so many girls who watch my videos and they shared how my content has inspired them in some way or made them feel less alone. Or that I gave them ideas on what to wear. I was just floored. I had no idea because sometimes social media can feel very isolating and you kind of forget that there are real people watching. That trip was so fulfilling and humbling, and I’m still in awe.
It really gave me such a sense of purpose in knowing who I’m doing this for. Ever since that moment, I’ve felt so much fulfillment every day in my job. It’s not just about making videos, it’s about relating to people online and building a really strong community of women who align with my values. I hope my content inspires girls, women, anyone, really, to just be very proud of their identity and of who they are. That’s definitely what inspires my content.
Faith
I admire how you open up about your faith and culture. How does your faith influence how you live your life, and did you find it intimidating opening up about it on social media?
I definitely do find it intimidating at times to open up about my faith on social media. It’s the most personal relationship you have in your life. I feel like we live in a society where a lot of people are consumed by their own arrogance and think they’re better than others. Almost like it’s a competition on how “advanced” or noble they are. I’ve definitely received a lot of nasty comments and messages throughout my social media career when I’ve tried to open up about my religious journey which has been tough to go through. Despite feeling this way, though, I think there’s so much beauty in sharing my journey on my page because so many other people are also going through the same thing and are striving towards their own spiritual and religious goals. At the end of the day, being a proud Muslim woman is a core piece of my identity. Islam is my moral compass, what grounds me, and it’s how I want to live my everyday life. I always want to be able to share that with my audience and stick true to my values. I think about it like I’m catching up with friends or family. I want to be able to have that kind of relationship with my audience, where I not only feel comfortable opening up about my goals and what I’m going through, but where others can share with me too. As long as I’m showing up 1% better everyday, I’m succeeding. I just want to share my journey with my audience and be real. A positive, uplifting space, really.
Beauty, Fashion, & Wellness
What are your top places to buy modest pieces?
I have to do a lot of digging because unfortunately it’s still so hard to find modest options, especially for spring and summer. Still in 2024, most brands do not cater to modest/Muslim women. I love to use Pinterest to find cool pieces and designers, and I always create mood/ style boards. I find a lot of really good modest dresses at Reformation and Dissh. NA-KD Fashion has some cute and affordable stuff. I’ve also been finding a lot of gorgeous pieces at Chats by C. Dam, Karen Millen, Rixo, Farm Rio, Aje, and Free People. I will always love the Real Real for vintage pieces, though. It’s always a little bit more fun and sustainable. Lately, I’ve been really trying to opt for more higher end clothing pieces that I know are going to last in my closet forever.
My mom and I share clothes a lot because she has such good style. I love borrowing her old leather jackets that she’s had since the 90s or her vintage designer bags that just go with everything. I really want to emulate that level of timelessness with my wardrobe. She taught me that if you have the ability, buy nice, instead of buying twice. I think I’m entering that era of my life where I value quality much more over quantity.
My style has definitely evolved a lot over the past few years, as I’ve transitioned to new phases of my life. Right now, I’m preparing for my wedding in 3 months, so I feel like I’m naturally gravitating towards more feminine styles. I think social media can sometimes make you feel like you need to fit into one aesthetic and one niche. Fashion is supposed to be fun though, and it’s good to try new styles.
Where do you find your inspiration for your style?
I feel really inspired by a lot of the girls that I follow on social media. Some of my all time favorite style icons are Jasmine Tookes, Rosie Huntington Whitely, and Elsa Hosk. I just love that chic, elegant, modest, elevated look. I’ve always looked to them for fashion inspo.
A recent purchase you're obsessed with?
I used to hate wearing jeans. They never fit right on me and I wasn’t comfortable. But, I recently got a pair of AGOLDE jeans, and I’m obsessed with them. They are the Harper Mid-Rise Straight jean. They feel like butter, I’ve never worn jeans this comfortable. I get compliments all the time on them– they are SO flattering and slimming, while also giving a loose, effortless look. I love wearing them with a white tee and a structured blazer or with a nice coat, some jewelry, and a cute bag. It looks so elegant and put together, yet still casual.
What is one makeup product you can't live without?
Blush!! I can’t live without it. I really like Charlotte Tilbury pinkgasm, Pat Mcgrath Divine Rose, Milani Cosmetics Dolce Pink, Benetint…the list goes on. I also really have been loving the Merit Beauty blushes for a no-makeup day because they’re very dewy and natural-looking, but still give you that effortlessly flushed look.
What is one skincare product you can't live without?
Sunscreen, it brings your face back to life. You have to wear it every day. You will not catch me baking underneath the sun, I care way too much about skincare for that.
What is one wellness tip or product you are loving right now?
I’ve been loving making home-made bone broth lately and having a hot cup of it with lemon juice on an empty stomach every morning. I started drinking it in the winter when I was really struggling with my acne and indigestion, and felt like I had tried everything. I was desperate to try every home remedy and this one made such a huge difference, I was shocked! My skin cleared up so much, I felt like my skin was glowing, I was getting better sleep, and I had way more energy throughout the day and didn’t need coffee as much. There’s so many health benefits to bone broth. It’s an amazing, natural source of protein and collagen and it helps so much with bloating.
What makes you glow?
I have really struggled with my skin in the past year. I really want to get it under control with my wedding coming up so I switched a lot of my pore-clogging makeup products to non-comedogenic products. I love Rose, Inc., Merit, Caudalie, and Laneige. I love the Caudalie Beauty Elixir so much that I keep one in my purse, one in my little gym bag, and one at my makeup desk. It’s so refreshing and it gives your skin that beautiful glow. It wakes your skin up and lets your makeup melt into your skin really nicely.
Also, I feel like the glow comes from within. When you’re truly happy, it shows on the inside out. Not to be corny, but my husband has played a huge role in this. I feel so grateful for him in my life. He makes me so happy and I truly can’t wait for the rest of our life together.
Where you can follow Yasamine:
IG: @yasduralii
YouTube: @YasamineDurali
TikTok: @ YasamineDurali
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