Meet Muslim Blogger Zozoliina, Your New Fashion and Beauty Muse

Photo: Zozoliina

The rise of hijab fashion and beauty bloggers over the past few years has completely changed our perceptions of what it means to be a Muslim woman. Their fashion-forward “Outfit of the Day” posts and brightly colored makeup tutorials are proof that you don’t have to sacrifice modesty for style.

Zohra (better known as Zozoliina) is a 22-year-old blogger who landed on our radar thanks to her Instagram account, where she serves up a bevy of inspiration on everything from casual looks to wear on the weekends to drugstore mascaras for super-long lashes.

Photo: Zozoliina

She was born in Germany and currently lives in Marseille, France. Her mother is German-Armenian and her father is Algerian, but she is “proud to be a French woman.” Zozoliina tells Yahoo Beauty: “Growing up with this multiculturalism opened my mind. Without my French culture, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today.”

Photo: Zozoliina

Another source for Zozoliina’s pride in being French is L’Oréal Paris makeup designer Ziana Salima, her muse. “She is someone who represents the new French woman,” says Zozoliina. “Veiled, careerist … [Salima] is a breath of fresh air for Muslim women in France.”

Even though Zozoliina is Muslim, she does not wear the hijab. (France passed a law in 2010 prohibiting burqas and other face-covering veils, worn mostly by Muslim women, in public spaces. Anyone who is caught wearing a veil risks paying a fine of upwards of $200.) In fact, it has been only five years since she started wearing turbans. “There are so many things that changed in my life since I’ve worn it. Good things, bad things … I took every struggle like a lesson. And I gradually learned not to retain these difficulties,” she says.

Photo: Zozoliina

Zozoliina’s words of advice to other Muslim women living in France: “Live like you want; your faith is just between you and God. Whatever you do in life, people will judge you.”

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