Nadiya Hussain lands her first beauty campaign and it’s all about ‘real skin’

Prudence Wade wants to know why it’s taken so long to give the Bake Off star a beauty deal.

Nadiya Hussain (IT Cosmetics/PA)

Nadiya Hussain can now add ‘model’ to her extensive CV, as she’s been named the newest brand ambassador for IT Cosmetics.

The 37-year-old rose to fame on The Great British Bake Off – after winning the show in 2015, she’s gone on to present her own cooking shows, release various books, and become a leading voice around mental health.

Now, she’s joined the new campaign ‘Beautiful Without IT, Beautiful With IT’ by IT Cosmetics, featuring “real people who inspire confidence and champion authenticity”.

(IT Cosmetics/PA)

This is her first foray into beauty, and it makes sense – not only is she a bonafide national treasure, but her skin is also flawless. In fact, how has it taken this long to give Hussain a make-up contract?

IT Cosmetics is the perfect match – its campaigns are all about real skin and no retouching, and that very much fits into the baker’s ethos. She’s become known for her honest approach to life – particularly around mental health, opening up about her personal experiences in the 2019 documentary Nadiya: Anxiety And Me.

And in terms of representation, it’s refreshing to see a hijab-wearing woman fronting a major make-up campaign. The beauty industry has come a long way in the past few years, and is making much more of an effort to be inclusive of all skin tones. Back in 2018, Hussain told Heart about the troubles she’d had finding foundation that matched the colour of her skin.

(IT Cosmetics/PA)

She said: “The first time I could find the right foundation for myself without having to mix and match and try and work it out was when I was 30.

“Now, however, I think it’s definitely picking up, but it wasn’t always easy.”

(L-R) Natalie Lee, creator and author, ‘Style Me Sunday’, Maria Reyes, IT Cosmetics’ retail and education manager, Rose Gallagher, make-up artist and Nadiya Hussain (IT Cosmetics/PA)

The beauty industry started shifting in 2017, when Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty – and since then, brands have been scrabbling to keep up, and make sure their products – and campaigns – cater to a more diverse audience. While there is still work to be done, this new IT Cosmetics campaign is another step in the right direction.

Hussain stars alongside “real people” – including Natalie Lee, otherwise known as the influencer Style Me Sunday, who says on Instagram she is “on a liberating journey to challenge societal norms with honesty and disruption”.

Hussain says of the campaign: “It is not always easy to celebrate the thing that makes you different. It has always been my skin. The colour that my body is enveloped in has made me feel excluded and unsure of the thing that I am most proud of today. To find a product that not only allows me to wear my skin with even more confidence but also makes me feel prouder of who I am, is the kind of campaign that I want to put my face to.”

(IT Cosmetics/PA)

It’s shaping up to be a big month for Hussain – not only is she starring in her first beauty campaign, but she’s also just released her latest cookbook, Nadiya’s Everyday Baking (Michael Joseph, £25), and the accompanying BBC Two series kicks off on September 7.