What a CutiePie

So today, I just wanted to give a life update.  In Ms. Role Model, I blogged about how difficult it was for me to find women in media to look up to, but that I managed to find a role model in Ashley Perez, video producer at Buzzfeed. Who would have thought that 2 months later, I'd find another female personality to admire! I would like to share more about her in hopes I can help you along the way of finding your own idol. I still strive to have the confidence that Ashley so wonderfully encapsulates, but my new heroine is someone I find to be relatable. She is Marzia Bisognin (alias CutiePieMarzia), an Italian YouTuber.

I first discovered Marzia through her boyfriend Felix Kjellberg (alias PewDiePie), the most subscribed user on YouTube (sidenote: even though I'm definitely not a gamer, I think he's a fantastic comedic personality and he is among my favourite YouTubers). Admittedly, when I first saw her, I had immediately brushed her off as "just another pretty face". There are already too many gorgeous girls on the Internet whose main purpose is to look good in front of the camera, and I thought Marzia would be one of them. However, the more I saw of her in PewDiePie's videos, the more I realized I had perhaps wrongfully labelled her. My skepticism about her finally dissolved when I decided to watch this video where she does a Q&A. This became the exact moment I shed my icy, doubtful façade and began to adore her genuine character.

To state the obvious, Marzia is stunningly beautiful. But what makes her so refreshing is that she is open about the fact she is incredibly shy and socially awkward. She talks about having always been made fun of in school for being too skinny, and that she struggled to learn how to love her body. You can sometimes see her social anxiety come through in videos where she meets new people or does something she's not comfortable with, and in many ways, it's like watching myself. In terms of being shy and quiet, Marzia and I share the same story.

What I love most about her is that she doesn't want you to think she's perfect. She's not the kind of girl who primps her hair on camera and constantly checks her reflection to make sure she looks flawless in each frame. In fact, Marzia's not afraid to pull a face, be a little weird, or play along with a joke. She's posted photos of herself without makeup, addressed the fact people think she has "bushy" eyebrows (seriously, if her eyebrows are bushy, then mine are forests) and too-high a voice, and has not kept it a secret that her enviable wavy hair is actually the product of hair extensions - her natural hair is apparently very flat (and I can definitely relate to that). All in all, she's down to earth. She's been frank about how she struggled with finances early on, tried endlessly to find a job with minimal English skills, and essentially worked hard to make enough money for food and her half of the rent. She doesn't drink, smoke or swear, and that's a breath of fresh air in our modern culture.

And as if personality wasn't enough, I also quite like her sense of style. We both adore feminine, pretty pieces, and I love that she has her own unique take on fashion and isn't wearing something simply because it's the latest trend. I think because we are both shy people, fashion becomes the medium through which we take risks and exercise self-expression. I also notice that she tends to wear tights underneath dresses, prefers one-piece swimsuits, and is smart enough to wear comfortable flats for daily activities. Edit: Marzia now knows I admire her fashion sense after I commented on her blog! She has mentioned she doesn't use any hair products except for a quick spritz of hairspray on her bangs, and prefers to tie her hair up in a bun instead of using heat to achieve waves. Overall, she has a kind of modesty and realness that I admire.

So there you have it.  I just wanted to share with you someone I admire, and want you to know that the best people out there are those who aren't perfect. To all those who insist on perfection, little do they know imperfections are the very things that make us beautiful.

PS: Relationship goals = Marzia and Felix. They have such a romantic love story and are definitely the power couple of YouTube.

Image Source: Twitter, Instagram, Chictopia