When I decided to start modeling, I moved to New York in search of a place where I belonged. I didn’t know what type of model I should be, since modeling has specific lanes you can land in—fashion, commercial, swimsuit, beauty. I kept working shoots, and the beauty community eventually found me. I didn’t know I could be a beauty model until they told me.

The beauty industry accepted me from the beginning, and I’ve met so many amazing people through it. Coloured Raine—founded by Loraine Dowdy, a black woman—was one of the first beauty companies to gave me opportunities. There was also AJ Crimson, and I worked with Jeffree Star for many years. They helped make me who I am today.

I deeply admire the beauty industry for the strides it has made in promoting all types of beauty. We have to work hard to make a name for ourselves—if you don’t run with what’s new and do what needs to be done, you’ll just get left behind—but the groundbreaking people I work with have global followings. I feel we’ve made good progress even though we still have a long way to go. There are also different levels to representation: Diverse models are an important step, but we should also be represented behind the scenes—as founders and makeup artists and more.

Being quarantined, you’d think beauty would be less important since people aren’t out and about—but that assumes you get dolled up only for others. I was just telling my sister, who had broken a nail and was upset about it, that beauty and all the self-care it can bring should be seen as a mental health issue. When I look good, I feel good. If I’m not looking on-point, then I’ll probably be feeling a little off that day. How you perceive your beauty affects your energy.

Now that we’re without our usual beauty services—we can’t go to the nail salon, we can’t go to the beauty shop—it’s extra important to be resourceful. Allow yourself to experiment; look on YouTube and see what you can do for yourself. And there’s always something on Amazon you can buy to perk yourself up. I want to bring some cheer to my day-to-day, so I’ve been messing with colors and glitter. For my Instagram Live tutorial with Playboy I’ll likely be using my favorite palettes to try out a spring look.

You don’t always have control over what’s happening around you, but you can control yourself and focus on your own sanity. That’s what my passion for beauty does for me.

As told to Anita Little