MUA, performer and cancer survivor. Here to support others going through the same and to discuss mental health & learning to use our voices, Meet Daniela on set at the Glow Collective shoot...

Why did you want to be part of the Glow Collective?

I just love that the Glow Collective want to embrace diversity and inclusivity, and just give us a platform to use our voice. I feel like the ability to use your voice is such a special thing for me. It took me a very long time to know how to use my voice, and to be comfortable enough to use it. The fact that they want to embrace that and bring young adults together to speak their truth is amazing. And yes, I am a fan of skincare, which just worked hand in hand. I’m just so excited to be a part of the Glow Collective.

You touched on shining a light and giving people a platform to talk about what they want to talk about. Is there anything specific that you want to talk about?

I would basically like to share my story on getting diagnosed with stage 4 cancer back last year. For me it was a big, like hugest shock of my life. I grew up being a performer, always been quite active and creative I guess. To then hear that I had stage 4 cancer and I might not be able to beat it was just a big thing for me. I would like to shine a light on the fact that I truly believe that the reason why (obviously we never know what the cause of cancer is) but I truly believe that suppressed emotions do lead to illnesses and bad wellbeing. I feel like I just want to share my story so that I can allow other young people like myself to not be afraid to let loose and talk about their problems. Mental health is such a massive thing and I just feel like we just need to have the courage to speak and not be shy to speak and say whats on our mind. I truly believe for so many years I had suppressed emotions and it just led to where it led me.

Anything else about your journey?

As a 21 year old obviously finding out that you are basically going to have an identity change and you’re not really going to feel yourself for a long time was a big thing for me. I just really had to be mentally strong as much as I could, as much as I was able to at the time, and just believe that there were brighter days ahead. I didn’t have many people that had experienced what I had been through to look up to, so it was quite hard for me. I just want to kind of be that person, that if there is another young person like me, or however old you are, you do feel like you have someone to talk to, someone who has been through what you are going through. If you have a diagnosis, it’s not a death sentence. I feel like for so many years there has been this stigma around cancer being a death sentence for people and I’m a prime example that that’s not true.  I am still here, so many people are still here! We shouldn’t continue having this stigma around cancer. You can survive it. It’s all about mentality and your wellbeing and looking after your body, we need to learn to look after ourselves.

How did you manage to stay so positive? Have you always been a positive person, or do you think there are ways to become a positive person?

So, cancer taught me a lot of things. It was a very big emotional awakening for me. I realised how much for granted I took life and how special life is. I feel like just having the right people around you is such a vital thing in life. We need to surround ourselves with people who uplift us. If I didn’t have the people I had around me, friends I mean I class my friends as my family. They really helped me through. The fact that the only thing I focused on was surviving and once you only focus on that you realise how much you throw happiness away by little things, little minor things in life. We sweat the small stuff that we don’t actually need to. I don’t want to sound cliché and say be as positive as you can, but just kind of see the light in situations. See what learnings there are in between the lines of what you are going through and then I’m sure that you will reach happiness.

Were there any resources out there that helped you?

During my cancer treatment I came across a charity called Click Sergeant, which is a young people’s charity for those going through cancer. I would say this charity is what helped me through my hardest times, when I felt like I had no one to talk to, no shoulder to lean on, my mother being a foreign parent who wasn’t able to understand as much as I did… It was very hard for me but the fact that I had this charity to talk to if I had something in my head that I just needed to get off my chest I could just speak to them. They provided me with social workers, therapists, they really did kind of save my life.

Is there anything else you want to share with our community or about your journey as a whole?

I just want to speak highly on the fact of what I mentioned before, just the importance of speaking. There’s so much that comes with being afraid to speak, when I was younger I was such a shy kid I didn’t know how to speak and use my voice and be opinionated. As a creative my opinion is my forefront, and the fact that I didn’t have that in a community of people that I felt always had it, and I was the only one that didn’t. I feel like that really affected me.

We just need to look after ourselves and check our bodies. I was a very active person before and the fact that I had the symptoms but never thought to get it checked, just because I kept being like oh no it’s nothing it’s nothing. I feel like we need to know how to check our bodies. If we are feeling something unusual go to the doctors. If I had checked before I did, I wouldn’t have reached stage 4 cancer. It might have been an earlier stage and much easier to treat. So look after your bodies & check up!

Do you know your skin type?

I think I am combination skin. I’m not to oily, my skin is not too dry. I love skincare, I have literally probably tried every product under the sun and the fact that I am here with Glow Hub and they have such amazing products, I’m just in heaven basically.

What is your favourite part of your skincare routine?

A good moisturiser and a lip balm. Lip balm I say if someone asked me what is the number one product you would take with you to a deserted island, I would say lip balm, it’s just a life saver. I can’t have dry lips. And I always need a moisturiser and an eye cream.

Would you say you’re skin confident?

I am. I’m happy with my skin. I mean no one is perfect and I just like to embrace every skin type, being an MUA I kind of enjoy seeing the difference between people’s skin and the fact that we just have to embrace our own beauty. You don’t have to have perfect skin, your skin may be clear, your skin may not be clear, but we’re just all beautiful as we are. Having a good skin care regime is just vital I think in life, so get a skin care regime if you don’t

What’s your favourite Glow Hub product?

It is the lip balm if you haven’t guessed already. It is amazing, probably one of the best I have tried actually cause I am really picky with my lip balms. It’s so moisturising, nourishing and it stays on for a very long time. I would say it’s quite similar to a lip oil so it gives you that oily kind of feel which is amazing as it’s kind of glossy as well so it’s not just matte on your lips.

 

As an MUA a lot of people ask me what is the key to flawless skin and a flawless base. I always say a good moisturiser and the Glow Hub Calm & Soothe Moisturiser is just so amazing, so nourishing and moisturising. I love it.