Meet Ourfa Zinali

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ourfa Zinali.

Ourfa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My love and passion for makeup began in 2011. I started by doing lip art back in 2013 with a different username (@ointoxication). I was finding sequins, glitter, etc. in my mom’s sewing drawer – and using whatever I could to get inspired. It was super crafty. I took photos with my phone and a random lamp in my room.

I’d remove the shade, bring the bulb close to my face and stand in front of the mirror for guidance to use the back camera on my phone. The struggle was real, but we all start somewhere. I then started doing lip art videos right when videos launched on Instagram around 2013. The “explore” page at the time was called the “popular” page. I was always landing on it, which led me to getting hundreds, and sometimes thousands of followers a day. Shortly after that, I was doing creative, full face looks with dope color combinations that definitely represented who I am as an artist. Today, I do a mixture of soft and dramatic makeup looks, as well as lifestyle & body positivity posts to keep my audience inspired.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been smooth. I think regardless of your career, you’re often going to have bumps on the road and that’s okay. It’s a form of learning and growing. For me, it gets hard to find a balance at times. When you’re working from home, it’s very easy to get distracted. Also, the cabin fever can sometimes make you feel uninspired. I used to have a really hard time knowing when to disconnect. Everywhere I’d go, I’d see it as an opportunity to create content instead of just living in the moment. A lot of it has to do with wanting to be consistent, especially since we’re on our phones all day as is. I think it’s super healthy and important to take little breaks from social media to focus on other things and get re-inspired.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a professional makeup artist/beauty content creator who has expanded into lifestyle as of 2018. I create looks and upload photos or videos onto my social accounts to inspire my audience. I’ve managed to make a career out of it, and I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else full time. I make money by creating sponsored content for beauty and lifestyle brands, collaborate with brands to create a product and also merchandise which will be coming very soon. There are a few things I’m known for. Lips, nails, jewelry, hair, my music aka playlist and makeup style. I have a very specific way of doing my makeup. Everything has to be super crispy and clean, even when I do a blown out smokey eye. I’m also very anal about my eyebrows and lips. For example, the way I fluff the brows or line the lips with darker liner & lighter lipstick. The lips always have to have contrast unless it’s a sheer gloss. I think my bold style in general is not something you see everyday, which in my opinion is what sets me apart.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My friends and family have been such an incredible support system. They’ve believed in me since day one and it’s been a great reminder to keep going. Also, my supporters aka followers, (I don’t like using that word haha) have played a big part in my career. All of my opportunities wouldn’t be as exciting and successful as they were without their love and support.

Contact Info:

• Email: zinalipr@gmail.com
• Instagram: @ourfazinali
• Facebook: @ourfazinali
• Twitter: @ourfazinali
• Other: spotify – @ourfazinali

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