Lily Rowland has quickly made a name for herself in the fashion and beauty space, thanks to her exceptional makeup skills, effortless girl-next-door style, and engaging content. She’s worked with top brands like Casablanca, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, and Armani Beauty, and recently attended the Rabanne show at Paris Fashion Week.

Now, we catch up with the magnetic content creator to discuss how she got her start, the best styling tip she’s ever received, and her dream brand collaboration.

Hey Lily! You’ve had an exciting journey in this space, when did you realise this could become a career?

I’ve always loved art and being creative. I started to experiment with make-up looks online as well, recreating more ‘out there’ looks (think Avatar). I was naturally good at makeup because of my interest in painting and art and before I knew it I had started to develop a following on TikTok.

As my audience started to grow, brands and agencies began to reach out with small deals, and this progressed from gift products for promotion and later to paid deals. The pressure was on to ‘get a job’ so I took the plunge and starting working on my social media full-time and things just continued to grow from there.

How do you navigate the pressure of being always online?

It’s difficult as you never really clock off, but I spend time with friends and go home to my big family up north for some much needed down time and a reset often. I think I handle it pretty well considering I didn’t have any real experience or know anyone in the industry in the early years to lean on – the positives outweigh the negatives, you just have to remember to step away from it all from time to time and remember not everything is a content opportunity (although I often think it is!).

How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Random, comfortable & fun

What’s the best styling tip you’ve picked up?

The best styling tip I’ve picked up would be to express yourself through your outfits. Wear whatever you want, layer fabrics and colours until you feel comfortable and cool.

Is there anyone else’s wardrobe that you appreciate? Why?

I honestly take so much of my wardrobe inspiration from men, as I love the baggy, oversized look. I would have to say @zagcamm and for a woman’s wardrobe it has to be @sierrarenas . She’s an incredible stylist.

You’ve partnered with some incredible brands, how do you decide which collaborations align with your personal brand?

To remain authentic, I have turned down so many opportunities where I haven’t felt the brand or product aligns with me as a person or what I want to represent and promote. I think meeting with the brands in-person always helps to make sure we have the same vision. If they are happy for me to bring some ideas / creativity to the brief then that’s even better.

Are there any brands or designers you’re manifesting a collaboration with?

I’ve been manifesting the Victoria Secret catwalk show since as far back as I can remember. You only have to follow my TikTok page to see that it has always been my biggest dream. Rabanne is one of my favourite designer brands and I’d love to take my relationship further with them. Fendi is also a show I would die to attend in the future. In terms of beauty brands, I can’t wait to see where my relationships with L’Oreal Paris, who supported with beauty and hair on this shoot, and Dior Beauty go!

What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the fashion and beauty space as a content creator?

Consistency and learning how to be resilient is important. It isn’t all success and positive experiences but if you can push through the challenges, the rewards can be so amazing!
The main thing, I know it’s a cliché, but is to always to be yourself. I am not from an industry background or family, I’m a northern girl with a very northern accent and northern values, but I think my success to date comes from the fact that I am relatable to so many young girls & women who follow and support my journey.

I share the ups, the downs, and always try to remain authentic and real to my audience and to the brands I work with.