Nikita Dragun

“I've always been obsessed with the art of transformation.”

“Every comment, every tweet, every snap, every second of my life is viewed and it affects people. It does become daunting, and it can be hard to remain true to my message and to be real and authentic and to not be biased by whatever is thrown at me because of the success that I've had.”

“I don't think people take enough time to themselves or like to be alone anymore, but it's really important.”

“I think the most powerful beauty is representative of uniqueness and individuality of every person.”

“I would be in class, and we'd talk about influencers and brand deals, and my face would pop up on the screen and they'd start talking about me! They had no idea that I was sitting in the class. I never wanted anyone to know.”

“This is all me. That's why all my products come in this dragon egg literally 'cause I'm like, I laid an egg for you, girl. Every little last detail is so Nikita and extra and wild. I'm creating things I've always wanted to see in the beauty industry.”

“Morphe was one of the first makeup brands that I worked with when I was just starting out. The great thing about them is that they were really invested in social media and influencers like me early.”

“Whenever I need that extra confidence booster, whenever I want to feel that extra chic-edgy, I grab red lipstick.”

“I sleep in this really cool thing that is a sleeping bag. It is a spray-tan sleeping bag - Amazon Prime honey, it will save your life.”

“Red lipstick has always been a powerful thing to me.”

“I never wanted to nap. I was always mature for my age. I wanted to put on a dress and look cute. Everyone else can nap, but I'm going to be a princess over here!”

“As a person in the industry, as well as a makeup lover, a lot of times we see brands pressured to do things because of the status quo instead of being genuine and wanting to create and be inclusive. I wouldn't throw the name universal onto my color corrector if it wasn't really that.”

“I've always been obsessed with marketing and media. I always wanted to be a business brand owner. I wanted to create things.”

“Everyone is on a journey to realize their best selves and their realest selves, and I think that's what creates that community.”

“Have you watched Animal Planet? The lioness is out there hunting the zebras, the gazelles, all sorts of things, so you need to be the fierce lioness or dragon that you are. Have that inner fire. See what you want, get it, and ask nobody for permission.”

“I survived high school in Virginia, so the internet is no match.”

“My wild days are made up of wigs, a spray tan, nails, fashion, and looks... I feel the most beautiful when I'm getting into my mode and it can take a really long time, like 3 to 4 hours sometimes.”

“I always pick myself up by doing a dance session. I turn on really good music and have a lot of food and mentally I just take that time to cocoon and rebuild myself.”

“My core product is the color corrector and it was life changing for me because I used to put on foundation and it just wouldn't work.”

“Don't be afraid to be ugly on Snapchat at 2 a.m. when you wake up and roll out of bed. It's those real moments that create that a connection; it's like, 'Hey, this person is just like me.'”