Insider Spotlight: Nalisa Alia Amin Spills On Being A Professional Plus Size Model, and Diversity in Malaysia

31 year old Nalisa Alia Amin is known by many for breaking barriers and advocating for change in the Malaysian beauty industry. Her interests vary from beauty, fashion, psychology to social issues. She spends a lot of her time reading, watching documentaries, and learning about beauty. Read on to find out more as Nalisa Alia Amin shares her experience with Beauty Insider, as a plus sized model in Malaysia, her passions, and how she spends her time during lockdown!

1. You were a writer before you became a fashion model and social media influencer, what made you decide to make the switch? 

To be honest, my mental health and time. Even though money doesn’t come in consistently every month like my previous writing jobs, but I feel less stressed being a freelance model and influencer than a writer for a company. I quit my previous job because I had the lack of freedom to do what I want and also, the burnout took a heavy toll on my mental health. 

2. What is the one thing you wished you knew before becoming a fashion model?

That rejection is normal and it doesn’t mean that I’m a failure. It just means that I’m not the talent that they’re currently looking for and I can always try my luck on other brands. 

3. What do you enjoy most about being a fashion model and influencer?

The interesting people I get to meet, the freedom and the perks of getting free products and services. 

4. What do you wish more people knew about you?

That I’m awkward and shy due to my social anxiety and not as loud as people think I portray myself on social media. My mind is loud and because I tend to overthink and over-analyse my surroundings, I only talk when I need to talk. I’m more of a listener than a talker. 

5. We noticed that you have a passion for skincare as well, what pushed you to explore more about skincare?

I’ve always been a fan of skincare since I was a kid. My mom bought my first Clean & Clear skincare kit when I was 12 and it started from there. I used to also play under the sun a lot as a kid and I would get white patches on my skin due to the sun so from then on, I learnt to acknowledge the importance of sunscreen and I’ve never missed on wearing sunscreen ever since. 

6. How do you fight against Malaysia’s societal pressure on being a plus sized model both as a role model to others and for your own mental health?

It’s hard at first because I was so worked up on people pleasing a lot of people. I didn’t want to offend people from the body positivity community since a lot of my inspiration comes from them accepting their bodies and I do feel the guilt of representing plus size bodies when I am considered ‘small’ for plus-size and at the same time I also didn’t want to offend people that will give me jobs. But now, I can say that I don’t really care much for anybody’s opinions and I’m busy focusing on being a role model for myself as a way to heal my inner child who struggled being accepted and chubby with the mindset, “Will 12-year-old me be proud of this?” 

7. What do you do on a daily basis, to keep yourself busy, during lockdown? 

I’m currently trying to accomplish working out 5 days a week this lockdown to keep myself active and busy. Other than that, I will try to occupy my time with watching documentaries and listening to podcasts, facetiming my boyfriend and reading.  

8. What is your advice to someone who would like to pursue a career in fashion? 

Do whatever that makes you different from the rest and keep on innovating by being inclusive in your creations. 

9. What do you wish to see more in the fashion industry in Malaysia?

I wish to see more consistent inclusivity instead of using ‘body positivity’ and ‘diversity’ as something trendy and a one-off thing. 

10. What do you see yourself exploring more in the future?

I don’t know what’s going on with my future with the pandemic going on right now. I used to have a plan pre-Covid but most of it have been cancelled or postponed, so I’m just going with the flow at the moment. 

Beauty Insider was honoured to have Nalisa Alia Amin on our Live Session to share her Nighttime Skincare routine! Rewatch the full live session on our Instagram page!