Meredith Duxbury is brushing off the negative comments about her controversial makeup routine.
Within the last three years, the TikToker—who has amassed more than 17 million followers—skyrocketed to fame thanks to her foundation technique, in which she applies an excessive—we're talking an excessive—amount of product onto her face. And while Meredith's signature style of full-coverage makeup can be a hot topic, she's done covering up her true thoughts.
"When I first started TikTok, it was hard because there were so many people giving their opinions at a very fast pace," the beauty creator told E! News in an exclusive interview. "I'd never experienced that type of reaction before."
But now that she's built, well, a foundation for herself, she doesn't let the haters faze her.
"There are so many people who love what I do, love my skills and my creativity," she explained. "So, I always choose to focus on the positive and steer away from the negative energy. And I do what I do because I love to inspire people."
Whether you love or hate her, Meredith's mission to stay true to herself is a message she hopes her younger audience absorbs.
"For girls in middle school and high school, it's very hard," she said. "I would want somebody that I could look up to and say, 'Don't pay attention to the negativity.' I want to be a role model for them."
As she put it, "If you're happy with yourself, that's all that matters."
Plus, at the end of the day, makeup should be fun and experimental. "There are no limits, no expectations," the 24-year-old said, comparing it to painting a picture. "You can do whatever you want."
If anything, that's the same mentality that made the social star's foundation technique go viral.
"It's something people have never really seen," she pointed out. "Right now, the 'no-makeup makeup' look is super trendy, and all over people's TikTok. But then, seeing my video pop up, they're taken aback by it."
Sure, they may judge, but once users copy her method, they're surprised by the results.
"People try it and they're like, 'I apologize, I love this,'" she shared. "Honestly, before I tried it, I was like, 'Is this going to work?' And it ended up being amazing. It's just funny to see people's reactions when they try it because they end up loving it."
Meredith's followers aren't the only ones to switch up their style. She recently pushed herself with her new campaign with e.l.f. Cosmetics.
"The campaign is so powerful," Meredith, who is the ambassador for the brand's O Face Satin Lipstick collection, shared. "When I went into film, the brand was like, 'Can you do your expressions and your nose scrunch?' I was a little nervous, but it brought me out of my comfort zone."
"And when these pictures are out on billboards or on the website," she continued, "it's going to bring people happiness seeing such fun expressions."
And now, the beauty guru is encouraging you to express yourself, too.
"For anyone who wants to pick up the camera but is scared about what people are going to say, just go for it," she encouraged. "Because it made me grow so much as a person and I've become more confident in myself."