Jason Harris
Samya Mohamed aka “samyatakesover” is a prominent social media influencer who was originally from Northern California and currently lives in New York City. “Samya Takes Over” is a social media blog that reviews the best available beauty products in the market thereby helping her followers to make an informed decision when it comes to purchasing a beauty product. Samya is an authority when it comes to fashion, beauty, fitness, and lifestyle. In fact, she’s a product reviewer and brand ambassador for several high-profile brands. Some of the high-profiled brands she’s had a pleasure of collaborating with were Beautycon, Hourglass Cosmetics, Amazon Prime Video, TOMS, Naturelle, GNC, BareMinerals, HotVita, La Venne, Beautiful Nightmare Cosmetics, Sweat, NYX Professional Makeup, Crabtree & Evelyn London, The Seaweed Bath Co., Eat your Coffee, L’Oreal Paris, ForStyler Hair Professional, Bravo, Dunkin Donuts, Dazzle Jewelry and Co and Sugar & Kush to name a few. With over 90,000 followers on Instagram, Samya is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the beauty industry.
Besides being a prominent social media influencer, Samya is also a serial entrepreneur with a broad range of accomplishments across several industries. In fact, her latest venture is an amazing makeup line that she’ll be launching around fall/winter this year. It’s a non-toxic, and cruelty-free makeup line that is made with the highest-quality ingredients so it’s pretty awesome. StarCentral Magazine recently caught up with Samya to discuss her journey in the beauty industry and her latest endeavour here’s what went down:
1. How did you get into the Beauty and Lifestyle industry? How were you actually ‘discovered’?
Roughly two years ago I started receiving requests from my followers asking if I could test and review some makeup products for them considering most of my posts were makeup products. After tagging a number of brand products that were used in my post, some of those brands asked for permission to use my content. Honestly, it was that simple and that’s how I got the ball rolling. I then reached out to various brands requesting samples to review for my followers and all my collaborations came alive. My emails started flourishing with messages and the magic began.
2. What do you like most about being an influencer?
I mostly adore that I have a public community to share my thoughts, products, and positivity with.
3. The downside to being an influencer?
The influencer world can change in a split second so as an influencer we have to be on top of any changes. From lighting options to new filters, to social media platforms changing their guidelines, to sussing out collaboration contracts, etc.. you can’t miss a beat or you will be missed. Therefore, I am always prepared for the next step. As an influencer you are always representing someone or something so consistency and discipline are a must.
4. What has been the most memorable experience of being in the industry so far?
Almost every experience can be memorable, but I will always remember my first known beauty brand collaboration. It was with Maybelline and I enjoyed the campaign so much because they were so helpful and amazing. I feel like that experience brought me so much more confidence and pushed me to create better content.
5. Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?
I attend a lot of influencer events which include multiple celebrities, beauty artists, bloggers, etc. So I wouldn’t know where to start! (laughs) However, when I first started my influencer journey, meeting the Beautycon team was incredible for me and it also meant a lot to be in a room filled with positivity, high-profile brands, and influencers altogether.
6. What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while in the Beauty and Lifestyle Industry?
Patience is mandatory, rushing content can ruin collaboration opportunities you might have a chance of getting later. Definitely take your time to scope the product, get to know the ingredients, be honest with your review because people are counting on your feedback to purchase the product. Last but not least, never settle for a brand or product you wouldn’t normally purchase on your own. You need to think of yourself as a brand, so you need to represent yourself well.
7. Working in an industry whose only emphasis is on the outside characteristics of a person, how have you stayed grounded?
My following keeps me humble, at times I devote a full day to reply back to all my followers who might have product questions or simply want to vent about their day to day experiences, fitness tips, etc… Some even get very personal with life or the products they have used and I truly respect that my community trusts me enough to reach out. That keeps me very grounded.
8. Is your family supportive of you being in the beauty and lifestyle industry?
Everyone is pretty supportive and they mostly enjoy shopping for new products after my reviews. I am blessed to have a strong support system around me at all times.
9. Can you tell us more about your makeup line?
“STO BEAUTE” is a collaboration with this amazing company called Shoppies. “STO BEAUTE” will be launching lip and eye products for the first year. This project is currently in the works; However, I should have something more to share with my followers sometime around fall/winter.
10. What makes it different from other makeup brands out there?
All my products will be non-toxic, talc-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, cruelty-free, made in the USA, and made with the highest-quality ingredients from suppliers who pay fair wages. Additionally, while creating “STO Beaute,” my community were and still are a huge part of the brand creation.
From the product texture, lipstick swatch selections and even the packaging. I started adding polls and questions on my Instagram story with all options available, which lead to opinions and different strategies of what my followers wanted to try.
So I would say what makes my brand different is the fact that my community is a huge part of the making of “STO beaute.”
11. What are your future plans? Inside your career or out of it.
My future goal is to make my brand SAMYATAKESOVER into an Influencer collaboration empire. Building my beauty and apparel brand by collaborating with other influencers.
The ‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:
1. Last good movie I’ve seen: Spenser Confidential
2. What do you consider beautiful and why? In my eyes, “vibes” make people beautiful, because I live my life through energy and for you to have great energy makes you incredibly beautiful.
3. What haven’t you done yet that you wish you could? Build a safe community living space for homeless families.
4. Complete this sentence: “If I had no fear, I’d…” no longer have fears. Well… I no longer have a fear.
5. What is the one “flaw” you wouldn’t change about yourself? My generosity
Jason Harris
