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A grid-like mosaic of concealer and blush is painted across Mirta Miler's face as she talks into the camera. The perspective is close — it feels almost as if we're on FaceTime with her as she dabs (yet another) shade of pink onto her cheek, filling in the tenth of over a hundred tiny squares across her unorthodox canvas. Then, in an instant, four hours of work disappear as she blends the colors together to reveal — surprise — a flawless contour. It's this video, which has over 116 million views and counting, that rocketed Miler into internet stardom and cemented her place as one of the most recognizable creators on TikTok.
Miler, also known as MimierMakeup, never expected to become internet famous. It happened by accident — a pleasant consequence of sharing her hobby on a social media platform. The 24-year-old Croatian content creator started her TikTok page in 2019 and quickly found a home as a central figure on BeautyTok. Now, almost three years later, she's built a community of over 13 million followers and garnered over 630 million likes on these short one-minute videos alone. It's Miler's expert storytelling that has helped her expand her audience base to almost 15 million globally and practically changed her life overnight.
"Being a content creator has really made every day a dream for me, because I'm doing what I love and I enjoy it," Miler tells Allure of her hobby-turned-full-time-job. "That's why I never take days off. Some people call it overworking, but if you're doing a job you love, it doesn't feel like work and it actually is something that brightens up each and every one of your days. I feel like I have finally found people who understand me and [it] is the best feeling ever."
Unlike other jobs, which tended to stifle Miler's creativity, being a full-time content creator has allowed her to explore her passions in ways she never expected. While she says she loved makeup as a kid, she never aspired for it to become her livelihood. She first began to post her makeup looks on Instagram in 2018, after receiving her Master’s degree and working a full-time corporate job, before making the switch to TikTok. "I was just having fun, and I think that was really important for me in the beginning."
No stranger to viral success — most of Miler's videos have over one million views — it's her consistency, dedication, and willingness to experiment that have helped her expand her ever-growing digital empire. She's an expert short-form storyteller who employs out-of-the-box makeup techniques, flawless transitions, and the right amount of humor to make her page stand out among the rest. Her unfiltered personal stories give fans a more intimate look at her life. Most recently, she shared how accidentally drinking a mug of Rakia, a popular fruit brandy in the Balkans, led to her removing both her tongue and nose piercings (yes, she flushed the Swarovski-covered jewel down the toilet). She's not afraid to poke a bit of fun at herself, either — she's shared photographic evidence of her hair's "questionable emo phase"… from 2017. Not 2007. It wasn't intentional: she revealed to a commenter that she burned it with bleach and had tons of breakage as a result.
It's personal tidbits like that, Miler says, that set her content apart. "What really makes me different is my personality, that's something that no one else has," Miler says of what makes her so different from other creators on the app. "I also really try to make my videos super satisfying. I analyze them a lot to see what does well and what people like to see from me. [That's let me] develop my own unique style."
While Miler is always down to talk about her favorite beauty trends (ditching her full-coverage products in favor of a natural beat) and must-have beauty faves (Milk Makeup face products and Kosas Cosmetics setting powder and brow products), her newfound fame can be sort of…terrifying.
"It kind of freaks me out sometimes because I think about all the people who have seen my face. I even did some math on one particular video — if you counted all the hours people have watched it, it would add up to 90 years," she says. "People have been watching me for a person's whole lifetime which is absolutely insane but really cool…it's a huge honor and it feels like you've been seen in the world."
For aspiring content creators, Miler offers this advice: Be patient. "It might feel like everyone's blowing up and it's super easy — but it's not," she says. "Believe in yourself and what you're doing. Explore, do different things, always change… and focus on the community, not the numbers. At the end of the day, millions of likes, views, and comments mean nothing if you don't have a community that supports you."
Persistence is truly Miler's ultimate secret to success. Despite ever-changing algorithms, unreliable engagement, and getting lost in the obscurity of TikTok's For You Page, Miler shows up for her audience. Always. She thinks of them as her friends that she can joke with and be her authentic self around. Sure, following trends can help, but it's Miler's ability to always make her videos unique that keeps her from becoming just another TikTokker.
"No one should strive for overnight success — success can disappear overnight," Miler explains to those looking to follow her rise to superstardom. "Do what makes you happy, show your personality, and [the followers] will come."
Read more about these TikTok-famous beauty influencers:
- Jeremy Fragrance Wants to Help You Find Your Signature Scent
- Gabe Adams-Wheatley Knows Makeup Has No Limits
- TikTok's Viral Mariah Carey Doppelgänger Gives Me Straight-Up Chills
Now, get into Barbie Ferreira's beauty routine:
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