Nura Afia

Who is Nura Afia?

Nura Afia is an American beauty vlogger who is active on YouTube, Instagram and other social platforms. She was born on 9th February 1993 in Denver, Colorado. She is known for posting beauty-related videos on her YouTube channel.

Early life and education of Nura Afia

Nura grew up in a busy household alongside her five siblings. Nura's mother was born a Christian but converted to Islam before she married her husband, Nura's father. Nura was raised in an Islamic household and kept her religion when she got older, despite obvious disapproval from her Christian grandmother. Growing up in the United States was challenging for her because her faith wasn't usually represented there. While attending Smoky Hill High School, Nura felt uncomfortable because of her hijab since other girls didn't wear one. She wasn't embarrassed, but she never really knew why she had to wear a hijab.

Perosnal life of Nura Afia

She got married quite young, just 18 years old, and that's when her approach towards her religion changed. Her husband, Asef Noorzai, knew a lot about the Muslim religion and traditions, and he gladly explained everything to Nura. They have known each other for years because their families were close, so it all felt natural. They had their first child, daughter Laila, in 2011. Nura started watching YouTube videos for inspiration on how to raise her daughter and came across some fashion channels belonging to women wearing hijab. She was always passionate about art and beauty and felt a little sad discovering that no one covered this topic.

Nura Afia YouTube channel

While thinking about it, Nura felt like she might be the one to fill the gap. She decided to go for it and created her YouTube channel in 2011. She started to film makeup tutorials and other beauty-related videos. Even though her channel wasn't that popular, she got a lot of positive feedback from women who were happy to see a beauty vlogger with a hijab. She had some makeup skills, but it didn't feel enough, so she got a job at Sephora. Besides it being a great place to express her creative side, it made her improve her makeup skills.

While working at Sephora, Nura started getting approached by different fashion and makeup brands. She promoted some of them who focused on modest clothing and managed to make more money from her videos. Alongside bigger fame, Nura started to get more negative attention as well. Some more traditional Islamic people accused her that she doesn't respect their religion. They said that Muslim women shouldn't wear makeup, or at least not much, because it looks like they're looking for attention. Nora made it clear that she disagreed with them because she knew her motives. She doesn't wear makeup to draw attention but to express her creative side. She sees it as an art form, and her family agrees with her.

The first CoverGirl ambassador with hijab

After working with some makeup brands, Nura was approached by CoverGirl in 2016. CoverGirl was just starting a campaign to include people with different backgrounds in their brand. They hired James Charles as the first male ambassador of the brand just a month before asking Nura. She agreed to cooperate, and that's how she became the first makeup-brand ambassador wearing a hijab. Shortly after that, she appeared on many billboards around the United States, including Times Square, promoting their mascara. She promoted the new So Lashy! BlastPro mascara alongside James Charles and Katty Perry. She now continues to post videos and promote selected brands while thinking about launching her own line of modest clothing.  

Interesting facts about Nura Afia

  • As of 2022, she is 29 years old.
  • Her zodiac sign is Aquarius.
  • Her height is 5'5'' or 165 cm.
  • Her weight is 55 kilograms or 121 lbs.
  • She was raised in an Islamic household alongside her five siblings.
  • She has been married to Asef Noorzais since 2011.
  • Their daughter Laila was born in 2011.
  • She is the first CoverGirl ambassador to wear a hijab.