Nura Afia

Afia grew up in Aurora, Colorado, with five siblings, and attended Smoky Hill High School.^{[citation needed]} Her mother, Anne, was a Swiss born Lebanese Christian women who, converted to Islam prior to marrying Afia's father, who is Moroccan.^[3][4] In 2011, when she was 18, Afia married Asef Noorzai, a childhood friend.

While at home with her first baby in 2011 named Laila Noorzai, Afia began watching beauty videos online.^[5] She was inspired to start recording her own videos, using electronics borrowed from family. Over time she grew her channels to reach 213,000 YouTube subscribers and 300,000 Instagram followers.^[2][4] Afia also began to do photo shoots and work with modest fashion brands.^[4]

In November 2016, as part of a campaign to feature models from diverse backgrounds, CoverGirl cosmetics named Afia as a brand ambassador.^[6] She was the first hijab-wearing model to be a brand ambassador for CoverGirl when she began modeling their new mascara product called "So Lashy! BlastPro."^[2][7] She received many messages of support from Muslim women pleased to see a model in a hijab, however she was also criticised as hypocritical for both covering up with a hijab and seeking attention through make-up.^[5]