Today we’d like to introduce you to Nelly Toledo.
Hi Nelly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
When I was in high school I used to do all of my friend’s makeup for homecomings, proms, quinces, and whatever event they had I would always be the go-to girl for makeup. I would do their makeup in my bathroom while using the toilet as a chair. Such good memories! I was often told I needed to get out of my dark bathroom and do it professionally, but I loved it so much I did not want to make it my job.
I was afraid if I made that my career I would get tired of it so I did it mostly as a hobby on weekends. When YouTube beauty gurus became a thing I knew that was something I needed to do because I just loved makeup so much. I have always been a big/curvy gal and struggled with self-esteem issues my whole life. Makeup made me feel beautiful. Without it, I did not feel pretty. So silly to think about that now.
So I decided to start a YouTube channel to help make other women who liked me struggled and feel beautiful. I wanted to connect and make friends with other women who had similar interests as me and create a community of women who supported one another through the love of makeup.
In 2o20 due to the pandemic, I was forced to take time and be alone with my thoughts. I worked very hard on my self-love and practiced being kinder to myself. It was so hard to let go of everything I believed to be true about the way that I looked and felt about myself. I started to fall in love with myself again. I got to know myself again. I then decided to start incorporating fashion into my social media platforms.
I again wanted other women to love themselves as they are. I was also tired of not seeing my body type represented online. I noticed that when I shared my looks more and more women would comment saying how refreshing it was to see their body types and how I have inspired them to wear what they want regardless of their size. It completely took off. I now share curvy fashion and beauty tips with beautiful women all over the world!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. To this day I still have my struggles. Social media can be a great place to connect and make friends, but it can also be a mean place. I struggle with strangers online and even family and friends judge me based on what they see on social media.
Social media is also evolving on a daily and sometimes staying relevant and on-trend can also be very challenging. Algorithm changes are my worse nightmare and they happen so often! It’s like when you’re finally growing and seem to have found the right strategy, IG decides to change one thing, and then that’s it, you gotta start over. There have been so many struggles lol but everything has been worth it!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My content is catered to curvy/midsize and even plus-size women who love fashion and like to dress their bodies regardless of their size. I post daily outfit reels of my affordable finds. I also love to share my favorite shape wears and I’m currently doing a wide calf boot series. I also like to sprinkle beauty content here and there because makeup will forever be my first love!
How do you define success?
Success to me means being happy. If I am happy and healthy and surrounded by those I love then I am successful. Everything else falls into place! Money comes and goes, but happiness and peace are priceless in my opinion.
Contact Info:
- Website: nellytoledo.info
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nellytoledo_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nellyslookbook
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nellyslookbook
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@NELLYYTOLEDO
