25 Questions: Rawan Bin Hussain On Beauty, Fashion And Motherhood
The Kuwaiti influencer talks with Bazaar about life lessons, parenting decisions and her ultimate life goal
With over 5 million followers on Instagram, Rawan Bin Hussain (@rawan) is one of the most well-known (and influential) social media sensations from the region. In addition to amassing a large following she has also has her own beauty brand – House of Rawan – while also studying for her master’s degree in London and taking care of her newborn daughter, Luna.
She recently took some time out of her busy schedule to speak with Bazaar, sharing insight into her life, hopes and dreams.
How do you regain your energy? I dedicate some time to meditate, think silently, and spend good time with my daughter Luna, I derive positive energy from her.
What’s your favorite time of the day, and why? I’m a morning person. My energy and activity are at their best at that time, I also enjoy the beauty of every morning and do a lot of everyday work.
How do you define beauty? Beauty is what makes each person unique from the other, it’s what gives a person confidence. True beauty is in souls and personalities regardless of the outer appearance. Once we start working on ourselves we become more beautiful in people’s eyes.
How do you deal with criticism? The nature of our work makes us more exposed to criticism, and every person has their own opinion. Nowadays I’m not getting affected much, especially that every person comes from a background. Just like everyone else, I look for the best and work on myself.
What’s the most crucial step in your beauty routine? It’s very important to use high quality products that suit you, and it’s not necessary for them to be expensive. I also try to avoid stress and fatigue not to affect my skin negatively. I take vitamins and nutritional supplements. Occasionally, I will have a facial treatment done.
Do you have any skin care secrets? I have no secrets. I share everything I use on social media and always take care of my body; I think this is the basis of beauty. I use good products that suit my skin, and do workouts that give me a radiant glow and energy.
Who inspires you in the world of beauty? All of the brands I’ve worked with; I’ve acquired so much knoweldge and expertise from the way they work and their work ethics. I think that the first thing I learnt from collaborating with a big brand was commitment and loyalty. When we sign a contract with a brand, we have to be committed to its ethics and brand standards.
What’s one product you always keep in your bag? Lipstick and perfume for sure.
What’s the product that you can’t go without in winter? Lip moisturiser.
What’s the last product you use before sleep? Eye cream and night cream.
What’s your first memory with makeup? I made a YouTube video at the age of 17 with Maybelline New York. It was a great experience, but now I prefer clean, natural skin without makeup.
How do you describe your fashion style? I like to think that I’m very fashionable and elegant; I don’t choose the daring pieces or jump on the exotic fashion trend bandwagon. Nowadays, I’m wearing more colors because I’m still young and stick to the old trends.
What’s the most important piece in your wardrobe? Black dress with a fashionable jacket and red lipstick!
Who’s your favorite designer? Max Mara and Burberry, I also like Louis Vuitton and Fendi for their fabrics.
What are your favorite accessory brands? Bottega Venetta for bags and Valentino for shoes.
What are five most important things in your travel bag? Sneakers, hoodies, winter jackets, ‘House of Rawan’ products, and a book.
What’s your favorite book? Books form our mindset and our good mood, I like reading biographies and empowerment stories about myths and empires. I also like self-help books.
What’s your favorite song? My mood changes so fast, I don’t have a favorite song — but I like modern music.
If you met young Rawan, what would you tell her to do? I would like to tell young Rawan — although I’m still young — to be more realistic, set your emotions aside, and be more logical.Â
How do you describe motherhood? Before anything, motherhood is the best feeling I have ever felt in my life. My whole life literally changed after I gave birth to my daughter. Motherhood makes you prioritise everything all over again, and changes your perspective towards everything in life. Nothing would be the same ever again. But it’s very positive, now I have something that makes me look forward to wake up in the morning, and a tiny person who looks at me and motivates me to become the best version of myself — as an influencer and in any aspect of my life.
What is the most important principle that you will teach your daughter about? We want to teach our kids everything and do the best for them. We want to give them everything we lacked growing up; I guess this comes naturally with every mother.I want Luna to be comfortable being herself, to have her own voice, and to fight for what she believes in.
What’s the hardest thing you faced after Luna’s birth? I have a huge responsibility now, a responsibility that is different from work and other things. Prioritising and making time were my first challenge, because I give everything its own time; but I think now my priority is my family and my master’s degree that I’m work on at King’s College in London.
What’s your ultimate goal? To create something that helps women to achieve success, whatever they seek in any field in life, and to provide them with all types of support to leave their own mark on society.
Is there any country you dream of visiting? I’m very lucky to be a traveller, and there are so many countries on my bucket list. I want to visit my brothers and introduce them to my daughter. I also really want to visit a tropical place like Bali or Thailand, or I will probably tour Europe when the travel restrictions aren’t as stringent.
What’s one thing that your followers don’t know about you? I’ve been a vegetarian for seven years.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/Rawan