Who Is Mikayla Nogueira? 5 Things to Know About the Beauty Influencer at the Center of TikTok’s ‘Lashlighting’ Scandal

The talk of TikTok! Mikayla Nogueira has made her mark on the world of beauty — but not without controversy. 

Since launching her social media career in October 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Nogueira has created a loyal community, amassing 14 million followers on TikTok and 2.5 million followers on Instagram. The mega influencer is known for her makeup tutorials and beauty product reviews.

For Nogueira, working in beauty has always been a dream. She ran her own hair, makeup and nail company at age 15 and previously worked at Ulta Beauty. The social media star wore purple and gold-themed makeup when she interviewed for her position at the store. 

“I just wanted to show off my skill,” she told Allure in an October 2022 interview. “I cried in the interview to my new manager. She’s like, ‘Why are you crying?’ I was like, ‘You’re the first person to give me a freaking chance!’” 

Nogueira’s authenticity is what her fans love most. In addition to her many get-ready-with-me videos, the makeup guru has been candid about her personal struggles. 

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In a January 2023 TikTok video, she opened up about her battle with body dysmorphia and how it impacted her ability to find a wedding dress. (She announced her engagement to boyfriend Cody in 2021.)  

“There’s absolutely a reason why I have put this off,” she said in the clip. “I’m not looking forward to this day. I haven’t been, and that’s a weird thing to say. I feel like, growing up, little girls, they look forward to a day like this, but I feel it’s different when you have body dysmorphia and an eating disorder, and you’re really insecure.” (Despite her apprehension, Nogueira went dress shopping and shared moments from the fitting online.) 

Nogueira’s honesty moved her followers, with many praising her vulnerability. However, the TikToker found herself in hot water with her community just weeks later when they accused her of sharing a “misleading” review of L’Oréal’s Telescopic Lift mascara. 

In a video shared via the social media platform, the Massachusetts native raved over the mascara for giving her a dramatic lift. “This literally just changed my life,” she began in the video, which showed her rocking the mascara on one eye and not the other. As she pointed out the significant difference, Nogueira added, “This looks like a false lash.”

In the comments, some of her followers suggested that she was using false lashes, specifically, Ardell Demi Wispies. (The faux extensions are known for giving customers a subtle but noticeable lash boost.)  

“Are you lashlighting us rn,” wrote one TikTok user. A second asked “How did you suddenly get so many extra lashes at the end??” Other comments read, “She forgot to tag Ardell” and “I love my Ardell Wispies too!!” 

Nogueira also caught heat for not disclosing that she has a contract with L’Oréal. “Is this an ad? I don’t see the disclosure, only a tiny ‘L’Oréal partner’ label at the very beginning.” Another TikToker wrote: “Why aren’t influencers honest anymore? Like when did this happen?? We used to be able to trust reviews and now we can’t trust a single one.”

The influencer went silent for days, and when she returned to the platform in February 2023, she poked fun at the backlash.

“I’m sure we all know why we’ve gathered here today,” she said in her first video back, introducing a love-themed beauty routine. “It’s the month of love bitches and anyone who knows me, knows I’m not f—king around on Valentine’s Day.” 

Fans were left outraged. “I NEED ANSWERS ON THE MASCARA,” one of her followers wrote. A second commented, “I love your videos but come on, you should [talk] about the lashes,” while a third quipped: “NO WAY SHE’S JUST IGNORING IT.” 

Keep scrolling to learn more about Nogueira amid the “lashlighting” debacle. 

She was born and raised in Massachusetts. She and her fiancé recently moved from their apartment in Boston to a home in the area. Nogueira opened up about buying a home “at 23” in an August 2022 TikTok video. “I started this career two years ago and I started with nothing,” she said as tears rolled down her face.

In October 2020, Nogueira quit her job at Ulta and dropped out of college to pursue content creation full-time. “You guys made me believe I could do it,” she said via Instagram in June 2022.

The beauty lover often sports full-coverage glam with dramatic lashes, over-the-top eyeshadow, shiny highlights and perfect contours. She also creates softer looks, teaching her followers makeup basics.

In June 2021, she launched her collaboration with Glamlite, offering an eyeshadow palette, lip gloss, highlighter and faux lashes.

She’s spent the day with Charlotte Tilbury, Alicia Keys, Selena Gomez and Rihanna — celebrating the launches of their respective skincare and makeup lines.