CoverGirl announced Maye Musk as the brand’s latest ambassador this week. And, like other deals this year (with James Charles and most recently Issa Rae), CoverGirl’s work with Musk is an effort to stretch the brand's visual presence beyond homogenous commercial beauty looks.
As the brand’s SVP Ukonwa Ojo tells the press, “Maye Musk is not only a timeless beauty, but a visionary who has always followed her own path, creating new opportunities and paving the way for so many others who might not meet the industry standard of ‘model,’ but are truly beautiful in every regard.”
“This is exactly what COVERGIRL is all about,” adds Ojo, “owning your identity and proudly sharing with the world all the facets that make you, you. Maye is an affirmation of the power and importance of diversity and inclusivity in the world of Beauty. She is unstoppable and, together, we’re just getting started!”
Character traits
Musk has had a long career as a model, she’s been in the business for 50 years and notably her work includes ads for Revlon.
She’s been a nutrition professional for nearly as long as she’s been modeling. Musk holds Master degrees in both dietetics (from the University of the Orange Free State in South Africa) and nutritional science (from the University of Toronto). And according to the CoverGirl press release, has been “running her nutrition business for over 45 years.”
Commenting on her new deal with CoverGirl, Musk tells the press, “With wearing makeup a part of my job as a model, one might think I’d get tired of it, but I absolutely love it. I’ve had the benefit of working with a lot of wonderful artists through the years, and it’s a fascinating process: you start as a blank canvas and then a transformation occurs, but there’s always a very real and honest piece of me there, too.”
“I think that’s one thing that’s kept me working in this industry for so long, my interest in self-representation,” reflects Musk. “It’s a big part of my role as a dietitian, too – helping people feel happy, healthy and confident exactly as they are. And recently, I’ve become so much more engaged in social media, particularly Instagram, which is yet another way I can show people the many different sides of myself.”