Empowering Stories: Christina Abiola On How She Became The Representation She Wanted To See

Empowerment
by HB Team |
Thu, 3 Mar 2022

We want to empower you! This story is the first of many empowering stories that inspire us. Stay tuned for more #EmpoweringStories from incredible people around the world.

Today, we’re talking to one of our OG girl crushes, and one of the most inspiring and empowering women we know. Meet Christina Temitope Abiola, beauty influencer, mother, entrepreneur, and trailblazer. At just 25-years old, Christina is dedicating her voice and platform to uplifting and empowering women through her real, relatable, and inspiring content.

Her journey onto social media started with a passion to do something about the lack of representation she saw in the beauty world. She told us “I felt maybe beauty wasn’t for me because I didn’t see myself represented. I decided to create my own representation of beauty and I opened an Instagram account with the hopes to rewrite my own story!”

Christina became the woman she wanted to see, the woman she wanted to be; “I had to create my own platform and show my beauty the way I know how, by being myself.” Since starting her Instagram account, Christina has built a strong and dedicated community thanks to her authentic, uplifting and creative content. From body positive reels and motivating affirmations to blessing us with the most divine makeup looks and gorgeous beauty content, we could not be more obsessed. Today, we’re sharing her empowering story, and we hope it inspires you as much as it inspires us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how and why you got into the beauty space?

I am a 25-year-old content creator from New Jersey. I was born and raised in America, but I come from Nigerian immigrants who became American citizens. My parents raised me to be proud of who I am and where I come from. I will never forget my culture. Since childhood, I was always intrigued with the idea of feeling beautiful. I wanted to feel beautiful, so I watched all the shows, read the magazines, I even went as far as wearing my mother’s make up. In the end, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in the beauty world. For some time, I felt maybe beauty wasn’t for me because I didn’t see myself represented. I decided to create my own representation of beauty and I opened an Instagram account with the hopes to rewrite my own story!

Christina Temitope Abiola

2. Tell us about your journey as an influencer? How did you get into influencing?

I started my social media account in my freshman year of high school. One day I was sitting in the cafeteria, and I just thought, I want to create an Instagram account. From there I shared my journey as a content creator. I have always had a passion to influence those around me. I like to uplift people and empower them to be their best self. What started off as a passion and hobby has now turned into my career and my livelihood, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

3. Tell us a bit about your experience as a Black woman in beauty, both personally and as an influencer.

My experiences as a Black content creator has been filled with many ups and some downs. Growing up as a young girl, I was fascinated with beauty. I wanted to be a part of it, I just didn’t know how I fit in. So, I had to create my own platform and show my beauty the way I know how, by being myself. As an influencer today, my experience has been great. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with brands I used to dream of working with.

My first opportunity came from Huda beauty. The day I met Huda, she shared her story with me about working in finance and how she wanted to fulfill her purpose, so she left her job and perused her dreams. She empowered me to follow my heart and my passion, and I am finally living my truth! What started off as a passion and hobby has now turned into my career and my livelihood and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

4. What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced in your journey so far, and how have you overcome them?

Some of the challenges I have faced in my journey so far are self-doubt, transitioning from working a 9-5, to creating content full time and becoming a businesswoman a few months after having a baby. I believe the best way to overcome challenges is to face them head on. When I start to feel self-doubt creeping in, I remind myself “you can do it.” Just believing in myself has taken me far in my carrier and helped me overcome many challenges. I work hard every day and I believe in my vision enough to fail and learn from my failure. There is no doubt in my mind, those failures will one day become wins!

5. How has your life and your work changed since having your beautiful daughter?

My life changed the moment my daughter was born. Once I looked into her beautiful eyes, I knew I had to keep fighting for my dreams so that one day I can empower her to fight for hers. I want to be a role model to my daughter. I think as women, most of us are brought up to follow one path, but I want my daughter to see that anything she puts her mind to she can achieve. I hope by achieving my goals, my daughter will feel empowered by my journey and follow her passion.

6. You’ve been so candid, open, and honest about your relationship with your postpartum body. Something we’re so happy to see! Why did you decide to share your journey? And what was the response like?

I wanted to share my postpartum journey because I struggled a lot with gaining my confidence back post-partum. I thought, if I was struggling, someone else is probably struggling as well. So, I decided to post my postpartum belly (the body part I struggled the most with), in hopes my story could help someone else overcome those insecurities as well. I know posting my postpartum journey empowers others because I receive hundreds of messages, and it makes me feel so proud and excited to have such a positive impact on people’s lives. I post content in hopes to empower others to overcome their feelings of self-doubt and start to love their bodies the way I grew to love mine.

7. Your page is extremely empowering, positive and you’re very open with your community, how does this empower you?

I like to stay open with my community because I believe being myself has not only empowered me, but it has empowered others as well. Achieving a sense of self, knowing who I am, and getting to be myself on a daily empowers me to live out my dreams the way I want to. My community has grown over the years, and it remains a safe space for me to be myself and I am so grateful for that. Having a community that is rooting for me and proud of me inspires me to keep going.

8. You are someone so many Black women look up to! How do you think seeing someone like yourself doing what you’re doing today would have empowered your younger self?

If I had the representation in the beauty industry as a child, I would have been a lot more confident in pursuing a life in beauty. I would believe in myself a lot more because I see someone who looks like me doing it. But I’m glad that I continued to fight my way into the room and just say “hey, this is me, I deserve to be here!” Sometimes that determination is all you need.

9. What do you do to feel empowered? How do you lift yourself up and show yourself love when you’re not feeling your best?

To show myself love I do a few things. I spend time with my family. My daughter and my fiancé are the most important people in my life because when I’m feeling down, they always know how to put a smile on my face. I also enjoy bettering myself, whether it’s through working out, cooking good food, taking care of my skin, creating content, and taking naps. I like to empower myself with kind and encouraging words. I believe in myself, I love myself, and I am so grateful to know who I am and what I stand for. So anytime I’m down, I count my blessings and keep it moving.

10. What do you love the most about Black beauty?

What I love the most about Black beauty is just the fact that those two words can stand side by side and it be taken seriously. Imagine there was a time in our history where Black women, dark skin women were looked at as creatures. We did not represent beauty. To now see dark skin women grace the cover of Vogue, or take over the socials of Huda Beauty, one of the biggest make up brands in the world! I mean we have come such a long way, it’s a dream come true. I am excited to see what Black women will do in the beauty industry and I hope to be one of the leaders in this movement.

11. What advice would you give to other beauty lovers who want to follow in your footsteps?

The best advice I can give anyone looking to have a career in the beauty industry is to first know who you are. Make sure you can say “This is who I am, and this is what I represent.” Once you know who you are, and you can follow your vision clearly, the only person standing in your way of success is you. Don’t stop doing what you love because other people don’t believe in what you’re doing. You do what you’re passionate about and always work on being better.

12. What’s next for Christina Abiola? What are your goals and dreams for the future?

My goal for the future is to continue to grow as mother, partner, entrepreneur and as an influencer. I hope to continue to empower people to love themselves and follow their passions. I also see myself being on TV or having my own TV show somewhere down the line. I want to start my business as an owner of my very own collaborative content creating studio, and I would love for Huda Beauty as my first official clients! I’m so glad I can share my dreams with you all today because I want you to know, dreams can come true if you believe. With God anything is possible!

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A huge thank you to Christina for sharing her #EmpoweringStory with us, we are so grateful to be able to share it with our loving and supportive Huda Beauty community. Be sure to follow Christina on her Instagram to continue to be inspired by her, and to follow her story as she empowers herself and her community.