It’s been a major week for YouTuber and makeup artist Nikkie De Jager, better known as NikkieTutorials. On Monday, the makeup artist and influencer released a brave and now-viral YouTube video titled “I’m Coming Out.” In it, she revealed to the world for the first time that she is transgender.
In the days following, De Jager's video has amassed more than 29 million views on YouTube, and an outpouring of support from fans around the world.
“I’ll never be able to put into words what these last few days have been like,” De Jager wrote to her Twitter followers on Wednesday. ”Thank you for accepting me and teaching me that on the other side of fear lies freedom. I love you so unconditionally, always.” As more beauty brands and celebrities come forward to thank the YouTube star for sharing her story, De Jager is showing that she has the support of the community right at her fingertips.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
— NikkieTutorials (@NikkieTutorials) January 17, 2020
Earlier today, in her first tweet since thanking her fans, De Jager showed off a symbolic new manicure, which features gradient blue nail art on one hand and a gradient pink design on the other. She captioned her nail pic with blue and pink hearts.
Fans were quick to point out that Jager's polish choices are also the colours of the Transgender Pride Flag (blue, pink, and white). According to Monica Helms, the transgender activist who created the flag, the blue stripes symbolise the traditional colour for baby boys and the pink for baby girls. The white lines in the middle stand for "those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender."
Twitter users instantly flooded De Jager's mentions with uplifting comments, praising her fresh paint job, but — more importantly — uplifting its meaning. "I just thought these were cute nails but it just clicked they’re the trans pride flag colours I’m crying," wrote one fan. "Trans pride hell yeah!!!" wrote another. One tweet summed it up pretty perfectly, though: "New nails, new life, new year." For NikkieTutorials, that's the most beautiful part about them.