Safiya Nygaard may have gotten her start as one of the stars of Buzzfeed's Ladylike series, but since leaving the company, she's become an individual icon in YouTube's fashion and beauty community [1]. Her channel is a positive representation of success that can come when you focus on diving into your own curiosities. She's expanded beyond YouTube, too. In 2019, Safiya debuted her very own Colourpop collection of lipsticks inspired by a video series on her channel in which she melted hundreds of lipstick shades [2] together. The collection sold out on two separate occasions. With over a billion views on her Youtube channel [3] — which is approaching 9 million subscribers — the internet is on board with Safiya, so I thought I'd tell you why I love her, too.
Her Batty Style
One of the first things any fan will know about Safiya is that she is obsessed with bats, black, witches [4], cats, and everything that seems to point to her having a potion brewing in her basement. Her all-dark wardrobe sets her apart from others and it gives viewers who might find themselves more attracted to bat sleeves than the latest trends someone to look to for fashion advice. Safiya sets her own trends, which is why we love every outfit she wears (even the one with platform Crocs).
Her Sense of Humour
Safiya doesn't take herself too seriously, and it's a big reason as to why her channel is so much fun to watch. It's good, wholesome entertainment! One of her most notable series is entitled "questionable fashion decisions." There, she tries out thigh-high UGG boots, 9-foot-long jeans, and a swimsuit with a hairy chest printed onto it as the design. She might adore beauty, but she's not about to be afraid of looking a little silly here and there.
Her Freakin' Adorable Relationship
For as long as Safiya has been on the internet, Tyler has been by her side. He proposed to her next to Snow White's wishing well in Disneyland and this past November, the two got married. Their ceremony was undeniably inspired by their theatrical personalities, their first dance was taken right out of a scene from Addams Family Values and they had a signature cocktail named after their cat, Crusty. These two continually prioritise each other's happiness, appreciating each other for what makes each of them unique, and being unafraid to be themselves.
Her Geeky Side
Safiya is undeniably a bit of a geek — it's evident in her decor alone, as her couch is decked out in Game of Thrones [5] pillows. Other than that, she's worn Kim Possible-themed costumes, referenced Harry Potter [6] more times than anyone could count, talked endlessly about her love for theatre, dressed like Disney characters, and so on. I love that Safiya isn't afraid to gush about her interests and make a name for the geeky girls out here.
Her Smarts
Safiya is a Stanford graduate who majored in theatre, and her content is smart AF. She has videos on the history of lipstick, the history of chokers, several different kinds of menstrual products, wedding dresses throughout history, and fashion from several decades. Safiya's content teaches us something that they otherwise might not have known, which is why her channel is such a hoot to watch. Not only is Safiya entertaining, but we leave with fun facts after every video.
She's Fearless When It Comes to Trying New Things
Safiya has ordered wedding dresses off of Wish, had an app pick the perfect jeans for her, bought whatever social media gave her targeted ads for, tested Instagram photo "clickbait" hacks, and trusted a Youtube video to teach her how to cut her hair. As somewhat of an investigative Youtuber, she shares her learnings about the quality of products or the accuracy of technology. Without Safiya's fearless testing, we might all be walking down the aisle in Wish wedding dresses. (Maybe.)
Her Exploration of the World's Vast Array of Trends
Though Safiya is American, she has taken her channel outside of the states and produced amazing content based around other countries. One of her most popular videos takes place in a spa in Japan with a wine fountain! She's also done videos in which she and Youtubers based in other countries collaborate so that she can learn about cultural trends of different places. For example, she and Japanese Youtuber RinRin collaborated on a video in which Safiya was given a head-to-toe Lolita makeover. The video was simultaneously entertaining and educational, and Safiya incorporated her own sense of style into her mainly dark-coloured clothing selections.