RIYADH: A Saudi makeup artist with a flair for glamour hopes to inspire men and women across the region with his growing social media presence.
Ali Majed has nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and has been an ambassador for French beauty products retailer Sephora since 2022.
Despite his ties to one of the industry's giants, his online content regularly features lesser-known brands from the region.
Beauty influencer Ali Majid says he wants to “support other aspiring beauty enthusiasts.” (Supplied)
“I have always had a passion for beauty, ever since I can remember,” Majed told Arab News.
“Although I didn't fully realize it because of my young age, I knew there was something in this world of creativity and glamour that appealed to me.”
When he's not promoting Sephora products, Majed is working on his own product line.
HIGHLIGHTING
• Ali Majed has nearly 600,000 followers on TikTok and has been an ambassador for French beauty products retailer Sephora since 2022.
• Majed's interest was sparked by the boom in social media reporting that began about seven or eight years ago.
• Its online content regularly features lesser-known brands from the region.
“My brand was born out of my constant thinking about how I could support other aspiring beauty lovers, not just locally but globally.
“If there’s anything I can do to help someone feel less alone and pursue their dreams, I’ll work on it immediately.”
Majed is one of numerous Saudi men making a splash in the beauty industry. He said his interest was sparked by a boom in social media coverage that began about seven or eight years ago.
“This was the time when makeup content had made its way into mainstream social media, established itself there and announced that it was here to stay. And I loved every second of it,” he said.
In 2022, Majed joined the Sephora Squad, a program for beauty content creators in the Middle East.
“It's safe to say that it's taught me an incredible amount about my job, whether it's a look behind the scenes of the beauty industry or the influencer world and how to navigate that space.”
For those who want to follow in his footsteps, Majed said the most important thing is to be happy with what you do.
“Make sure it’s not only something you’re passionate about, but something you enjoy,” he said.
“It's one thing to be incredibly interested in a particular field for whatever reason, but when that interest is complemented by a sense of fulfillment and happiness, then you are unstoppable.”
Majed said he was inspired by the first Saudi men who volunteered as beauty ambassadors.
“I have watched and learned from Bassam Fattouh, Fady Khataya, Issam Majed, Mohammed Hindash and many others,” he said.
“Each of these men was a pioneer in his own way, a master of his signature techniques and also an inspiration to many others like them in the region.”
Today, Majed is a beauty expert in his own right, with many other content creators complimenting him and citing him as an inspiration. However, his new fame still surprises him a little.
“A fan recognized me at a concert and asked for a photo,” he said. “I was thrilled that someone wanted to take a selfie with me because I didn't know something like that could happen.”
