February is LGBTQIA+ History month and we are honoured to spotlight and celebrate some of the amazing creators from this community, so our latest Creator Spotlight features Niall Casey, known on TikTok as @nialllcasey
Q: What does LGBTQIA+ History Month mean to you?
A: LGBTQIA+ History Month for me is all about remembering our history and those who came before us. It’s important to recognize all they’ve done for our rights and freedoms today. LGBTQIA+ people have existed forever, and their determination and resilience in fighting for rights throughout history are what we present-day LGBTQIA+ people must be grateful for.
Q: Who from the LGBTQIA+ community inspires you?
A: I have lots of LGBTQIA+ icons, I think an honourable mention here in Ireland is Panti Bliss. If you don’t know Panti, she fought tooth and nail for LGBTQIA+ rights and marriage equality in Ireland. She is also an advocate for the HIV-positive community and recently dedicated a dance on Dancing With The Stars to the doctor that first treated her. She is a true icon and national treasure. I was lucky to have met her during my time on Glow Up Ireland and I still cherish that moment to this day.
Q: What first inspired you to create on TikTok?
A: I was always a creative child and during my teenage years, I decided to pursue makeup. When lockdown hit, the world was my oyster. I started making TikTok videos in my bedroom. I saw how possible it was to make a name for yourself on TikTok and how anyone could do it. I don’t think at this stage I had even properly come out to my parents! I feel such nostalgia lookingm back at this time and the long summer nights spent painting my face hidden in my room in Kerry.
Q: Why is TikTok right for your feel-good content?
A: TikTok is the perfect platform for my content because once you reach a specific audience, they really stick by you and support you. The LGBTQIA+ community being one of those. TikTok is so creative, you can literally do anything, manifest anything and really attract the attention you deserve. This is an artist and creator is great fuel to keep creating content, to see how far I can take it and to share my love for makeup and transformation with the world.
Q: What is your goal on TikTok?
A: My goal has been and always will be just to have fun and share my art. Wherever real life takes me it’s comforting to know that TikTok and all my followers are always there to support me.
Q: What is your favourite TikTok you have made to date and why?
A: My favourite TikTok is probably my skinwalker makeup, it has 30M views and people all around the world were recreating my “swirl” trend which I thought was so mad and cool!
Q: What is your favourite recent trend on TikTok?
A: I think I’m definitely guilty of bingeing those foundation technique videos of people recreating the Meredith Duxbury foundation method. Watching all the foundation being slathered on, it’s like a sensory overload, I don’t know if I love it or hate it.
Q: What else or who else is on your TikTok For You feed?
A: My FYP is wild it goes from drag race memes to true crime instantly. I do get the occasional makeup video though. Some of my fave creators are Holly Murray makeup, Sarah
New SFX and Henri Galea.