We love meeting young inspirational women who are passionate about what they do. In a challenging and competitive world, it’s becoming harder to be who you are and follow your dreams. But it’s never impossible.

Rhea Jacobs is someone who lives by the quote of “nothing is impossible”. In the fashion world, she’s an ever growing icon who has made a name for herself in a short period of time, and stands out beautifully in a crowd. We were privileged to sit down with Rhea and get to know her on a personal level and hear her journey of becoming the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty and her thoughts on working in the fashion industry…

1) Tell us about your journey with Marc Jacobs and how it all started.

It all started as a dream, which turned into a competition, and then into reality.

I always wanted to be associated with a brand who knows the importance of being who you are. And Marc Jacobs is simply that. They love you for who you are and embrace you. Of course, Marc Jacobs himself is such a talented artist, but it’s the culture that I loved.

I met Marc Jacobs in person when I was flown down to his office in the States for a face-to-face interview, amongst other shortlisted candidates of the competition. He is an extremely humble person. Being an icon, you wouldn’t expect him to be so modest, but he really is.

2) What was your biggest learning from this experience?

What I learned from Marc Jacobs himself is to always be kind, no matter who you are and how much you’ve achieved.

What I learned from the overall experience is that anything is possible. As a child, my mother always used to tell me “be who you are, and you can achieve your dreams”, and when I embarked on this journey, I knew she was right. I was a young girl, from a different part of the world, following her dreams and it actually happened for me! And if it can happen for me, it can happen for anyone…

3) What does being a brand ambassador mean to you?

As a brand ambassador, it’s my job to represent the brand and showcase what it has to offer. However, it’s a personal duty to show how inspirational the brand is, and to show how much goodness it has to offer to people. It’s a 24/7 responsibility, and it’s an attitude you have to keep.

4) We love that you have a ‘natural beauty’ look and unique sense of style. Can you tell us how important it is to embrace your true self?

It’s everything to me. Since the day I decided I wanted to be in this field, I knew I had to do it while being who I am. That’s the best part of this industry- there’s no point in being like everyone else. Yes, with the rise of Instagram, there’s no urge to look like yourself. Instead you want to look like all those other women you follow on Instagram. I feel like that’s something we need to change. We can be left inspired by what we see online, but we shouldn’t let that change who we are. It’s important to be who you are and be confident about it.

5) We know you’re famous for your eye wing! How are you able to apply your eyeliner so well?

Well, very soon I’ll be releasing some makeup tips, including how I do my eyeliner, and other makeup techniques I personally use – so stay tuned for that!

Since I’m a painter, makeup comes easy to me, as it’s another way to express myself artistically. My face is my canvas. But the thing is I’m only able to apply makeup well on my own face. I find it difficult to apply it for anyone else.

6) Do you have any beauty tips for young women?

The key is not to apply so much foundation. It’s best to use a ‘poreless’ foundation where you only need to apply a tiny amount onto your whole face. That way, your face still looks flawless but natural. That’s why I advise the new Marc Beauty Shameless ‘ foundation as it’s a perfect blend of skincare and foundation with buildable coverage.

I’m not someone who wears makeup everyday, unless I have an event or occasion. But if I’m hanging out with friends or family, I hardly wear makeup, except for a little bit on my eyes, a lip tint and my shameless foundation . If I had to choose one feature to focus on everyday, it would definitely be the eyes, and that’s because the eyes are the first thing I see in a person; so the eyes always have to be on point.

However to have that flawless look, it’s so important to take care of your skin, more than anything else. I invest more in skin care than in makeup.

7) What are the main challenges you face in your career?

One challenge is that extra effort to be who you are. For instance, when you’re in a shoot, you’re being directed to do things a certain way. So it’s important to showcase the brand in the best way possible but the key is to do that while still trying to maintain your personal brand as well.

Another challenge is the super busy schedules: meetings, shoots, events, etc. which leave you exhausted and with almost no time for yourself. It’s important to take the time to take care of yourself – exercise, eat right, relax…

8) What is the biggest reward your career has given you?

I would have to say the best part of my job – that gives me the best feeling in the world- is seeing the look of pride and joy on my parents’ faces. That look is the only thing that matters to me, and that alone is enough for me to continue working and doing what I love.

9) What do you want to achieve in your career?

I want to create a prominent and unique mark in the fashion and beauty industry, something that inspires a lot of women. I want to work until I no longer need to introduce myself, but remain humble no matter how much I achieve.

10) What are your thoughts on the rise of social media and how it affects young women?

It’s not uncommon for young women to have insecurities; I had some insecurities growing up as well. But my mother always told me not to compare yourself to anyone else, because you are you and that person is a totally different human being, and no matter what you do, you won’t look like anyone else but yourself. This was a very powerful message in helping me shape my own identity and making me believe in myself.

Social media does unfortunately enable women to compare themselves to other women and feel inadequate about their appearance and their lives at some point. But it’s important to have advocates who say you are beautiful the way you are, and who show the truth, that life is not perfect, beauty is not perfect and humans are not perfect.

11) Tell us something people don’t know about you.

Well, the weirdest thing is that I learned to tie my shoelaces in the 12th grade. It’s because being an only child, I’m always a baby in my parents’ eyes. Even now, despite being grown up, I’m still a 24-year old baby at home.

12) What’s your advice to young ladies who would like to pursue a career in modeling?

It’s important to differentiate yourself and show your true talents. For instance, what helped me grow in my career is that I am painter and I’m an instagrammer as well. So if there’s something you’re good at or passionate about, keep pursuing it and let it help you stand out.

Also if you want something – or even if you want to be a certain way – don’t wait for it to happen, go out there, work on it and make it happen!

Rhea Jacobs was featured in Vogue, Emirates Woman and other fashion and lifestyle magazines… Follow her on Instagram to stay up to date with her journey!

Biggest thanks to Karim El Deeb for his beautiful photography! Follow him on Instagram to check out his portfolio.

Sincerely,

Sisi & Rara