Nikkie Tutorials's Nimya Brand Was Three Years in the Making
NikkieTutorials on Launching the Unexpected With Nimya: “My Biggest Insecurity is Predictability”
As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.
For years, NikkieTutorial's 13.8 million YouTube subscribers and 15.2 million Instagram fans have been waiting patiently for the beauty vlogger to launch her own product line. And while for them it may have felt like a long time coming, for NikkieTutorials, whose real name is Nikkie de Jager, the launch of her own beauty brand came exactly at the right time. "We began toying with the idea of products created by me — not necessarily a brand — almost three years ago," de Jager told POPSUGAR of how Nimya by Nikkie Tutorials came to be. "I wanted it to be sooner, but I'm a neat freak and I just wanted to perfect everything until I felt like it was totally ready to go out into the world."
But it wasn't just her perfectionism that held her back. De Jager also just needed some time. The past few years have been a flurry of major life events and learning the ropes of the beauty industry, which came with its up and downs that often played out very publicly over social media. "Investors and companies were often like, 'Let's do an entire line, let's put something out there,' but it never felt like the right timing for me," she explained. "Having my history with Too Faced — I think that's a known thing in the world now — it totally shattered my trust with companies and investors," she explained. "It took away my trust to even come out with anything in the industry."
Slowly but surely, and with great consideration, de Jager began to reconsider launching products of her own. "Almost three years ago, Wes [van Os], my manager, he was like, 'Aren't you missing out on stuff? What do you miss in your routine?' And before I realised it, I named five products that I wish I had. So he was like, 'OK, let me find what I can do,' and went about finding labs and people that could help us out."
Once de Jager and van Os found labs to work with, the process took on a life of its own. "All of a sudden, I was trying out lab samples, then I was trying it on my face, and I was asking Dylan what he thought of it, and so on and so forth," de Jager said. "And before I knew it, we had [finished] products."
Those finished products include a setting spray and three skin-care items, plus a fun handheld fan rendered in the brand's blue and orange colour scheme that de Jager describes as "a perfect companion to the setting spray and just in life". All four products are directly influenced by her tutorials. "I started watching my videos, and I was like, 'Well, I always shout that 'not to prime is a crime'; and then, because I'm always combining up to four primers at once, I was like, 'we need to find a primer that does it all — that moisturises, gets rid of dry patches, but also has that stickiness that I love." The setting spray is called "Set It and Forget It", which is based on another one of de Jager's tag lines, whilst the License to Glow Serum is a nod to de Jager's fans that she affectionally calls "Glow Babies".
Missing from the range are any cosmetics. There's no lipstick, no contouring powder, no eyeshadow palette. For someone known around the world for her epic makeup looks, it was a surprising move — and that was the point. "I think my biggest insecurity is predictability," de Jager said of her choice to avoid makeup for her first launch. "I just knew that if I was going to come out with an eyeshadow palette or a liquid lipstick, it would've been boring. It would've been fun, but it would've been predictable. And to me, I was like, 'OK, what can I search within my routine that is totally me, but still is fresh on the scene?'"
One thing we were interested about was where the name "Nimya" comes from. "Wouldn't you like to know?" de Jager laughed. "It's so funny to me because we came up with this name, and I think we might say it one day in the future, but we kind of like the mystery surrounding it. And we like having people on their toes being like, 'Well, what does it mean?' I like the guessing game . . . and nobody's guessed it right."
What de Jager does share readily is the struggles of launching a line and how she's nervous about how the products will be received, which she did in the vlog announcing the Nimya launch. But whatever happens next with Nimya, right now Nikkie is ecstatic about how everything turned out and confident in her decision to hold off. "I think what I've learned from previous collabs was that you can take as long as you need," she said. "I know people have been waiting, and at times I was like, 'We have to come out with this now.' But you know what? I think the timing was just right. We waited until all the products were ready, and no matter what happens, we have a really amazing launch."
Keep reading to hear what Nikkie has to say, and our honest review, about each product in the range.
Nimya by NikkieTutorials Where It All Starts Cream
What Nikkie says: "Where It All Starts Cream is a moisturiser/primer hybrid. It's my baby; it took the longest to perfect. It doesn't have a regular moisturiser/cream texture, but instead it has a marshmallow texture that's airy and soft. It moisturises, it gets rid of dry patches, but it also has that stickiness that I love from primers. I always tell on my channel how I like my primers to be sticky, because I feel if your base is sticky, and you put your foundation over top of it, it's like a magnet — it just sticks together. We have a bunch of ingredients in the cream, but the one that gives it that grip is the glycerin. It's the go-to ingredient to make it have that beautiful stick."
What we say: We've often turned to makeup artists for suggestions on the best moisturisers to wear under makeup, so we love that de Jager created one specifically for that purpose. Because it leaves your skin a bit tacky, it really does grab onto your makeup, helping your foundation go on flawlessly and stay that way all day long. It also makes your skin look ridiculously glowy, thanks to the fact that the marshmallow-like cream has almost an iridescent quality to it (and yes, it truly does feel like marshmallows). One thing to note is that it does have a sugary-sweet scent to it, so if you are someone who prefers a fragrance-free face cream, this isn't for you.
Nimya by NikkieTutorials License to Glow Serum
What Nikkie says: "The day this Glow Serum entered my life is the day my skin said 'Thank you, ma'am.' This has got pineapple fruit extract and that is a mild exfoliant, it moisturises, and it is soothing. It's got grapefruit extract, which is an antioxidant and is moisturising, marula oil, which is hydrating and reduces redness. Every time I put this on, not only does it give you an incredible healthy-looking, stunning goddess sheen, but it's also good for your skin, which is why it's priced a little higher."
What we say: The first thing you'll notice about this serum is that it's an icy chrome blue colour, but don't worry, it goes on clear and doesn't tint your skin in any way. The serum has no discernible scent and leaves your skin feeling super silky. It's a great prep for makeup, thanks to how hydrating it is, and it does seem to reduce redness slightly. One thing we definitely appreciate is how big the bottle is and how much formula there is inside — not something we're use to seeing from many other serums out there.
Nimya by NikkieTutorials Set It & Forget It Setting Spray
What Nikkie says: "I told the lab that a lot of super long-wearing setting spray have a lot of alcohol, and in the long run, I feel like alcohol can really dry you out. So I told the lab, "OK, I need to have longevity, but no alcohol — try me." And so I got a bunch of sprays to try, and then ultimately I found this one lab sample that I just kept going back to, and I was like, 'What is in this that makes me go back to it?' They're like, 'Oh, it's PVP, it sort of creates this layer.' It sounds dramatic, but it's not — it just creates this invisible layer on top of your look that locks [your makeup] in."
What we say: We're obsessed with this mattifying setting spray. So much so that it's replaced all the other setting sprays in our collection. Because it's very low in alcohol, it doesn't leave your skin feeling parched or looking dehydrated (have you ever had a setting spray that somehow made your makeup look worse . . . because we have), and even though it's mattifying, it's more of a soft matte finish, so that your skin still looks like, well, skin. Every time we use this, we know our makeup our base makeup is guaranteed to stay put for hours. Just make sure to shake the bottle before you use it.
Nimya by NikkieTutorials Set It & Forget It Setting Spray (£22)
Nimya by NikkieTutorials Brrr Brrr Cooling Eye Stick
What Nikkie says: "This is an instant depuffing, cooling eye stick. It's funny, because the lab told me that we have something cool [to show me]. They showed me the eye stick, and it totally captivated me. I was like, 'This is everything!' In addition to its cooling sensation, it just makes everything really, really smooth and is also a great primer undereye primer under makeup. The area around my eyes is pretty dry, and sometimes I can get a little bit flaky there (I know gross, sorry), but this just helps moisturise the area and take care of it. And it just feels like the perfect start. It's like, 'Oh, let me cool my eyes down. Let me put this on. And then I'm ready for battle.'"
What we say: The cooling sensation is a nice touch to this silky eye stick (we've been keeping it at our desk and swiping throughout the day), but for us, it's not the biggest draw of the product. The solid clear gel has a very silky texture that, as Nikkie said, leaves the skin under your eyes smooth and hydrating, creating a nice canvas on which to apply makeup.
