Words by Aisha Rimi
If you're one of Maya Jama's 2 million Instagram followers, you'll already know the DJ turned presenter turned entrepreneur never seems to stop - but the past 12 months have been busy even by her standards.
The last year saw the 26-year-old star dip her toe in acting for the first time and even launch her own beauty business - all while juggling numerous TV gigs and taking her fans along for the ride via social media.
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It seems even lockdown can't get in Maya's way, with the Bristolian busier than ever and showing no signs of slowing down. When we catch her, she has just finished filming BBC Three's Glow Up season 3 and fizzing with excitement about her role as ambassador for Aussie Hair.
Work has proven a welcome distraction from lockdown fatigue, Maya tells us, and she tries to catch a break between shoots.
"It's been so full-on," she tells Tyla. "I've worked pretty much every day, so I haven't really felt the lockdown as I've been knackered most of the time."
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While Maya's love of pampering is well-known, we can't help but wonder whether her hectic schedule leaves much time for self-care?
"A little bit," she says. "When filming Glow Up, I was pampering myself on my days off, doing face masks, having baths and steaming my face.
"I've also been having Friday night group friend dates on FaceTime. We'll do our hair and open a bottle of wine.
"Knowing I'm going to set up my little chair in my kitchen and put some music on and I'll feel like I'm going out has been something to look forward to on weekends or days off."
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Despite the global pandemic raging on, Maya has somehow the time to add beauty entrepreneur to her CV thanks to the launch of MIJ Masks, her new face mask range.
When it comes to her daily routine, she swears by washing her face in the morning with cold water and using jade rollers to de-puff.
"I'm new to the jade roller life but they've changed the game," she says. "I jade-roll my face in the taxi on my way to work or while I'm in the chair, getting my hair done before makeup."
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When it comes to her locks, she swears by Aussie's Shine On Serum but enjoys a low-maintenance approach to haircare.
"When I'm not working, I can literally go about two weeks without washing my hair," she says. "Actually, two weeks is an exaggeration, probably more like a week and a half."
Maya has been using the brand's hair products since her teens, and says their environmental work with WWF makes the partnership a natural fit.
In response to the devastating Australian bushfires of January 2020, Aussie provided help by donating over $150,000 AUD (£84,000) from sales of their SOS range, which went towards supporting the recovery of Australia's wildlife and landscape.
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"As I've grown older and learnt more about branding and what goes on behind the scenes," Maya adds. "I'm so much more conscious of who I work with and if they reflect me."
From 10 March to 4 May 2021, Aussie will be further supporting the great work WWF is doing in Australia by donating £1 for every Aussie SOS Save My Length's Vegan Hair Mask to WWF's Australian bushfire recovery fund. You can find further information on the partnership here.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/ Maya JamaTopics: Beauty, Beauty News, maya jama, Celebrity News