Jaclyn Hill defends Meredith Duxbury's controversial makeup routine: 'I love that she smothers her face in foundation'

• Influencer Jaclyn Hill recently spoke with Insider about her career, controversies, and brands.
• She also talked about new beauty influencers like Meredith Duxbury and Mikayla Nogueira.

The internet might be skeptical of Meredith Duxbury's controversial makeup techniques, but they have Jaclyn Hill's stamp of approval.

The 31-year-old beauty influencer recently spoke with Insider about her career, controversies, and brands. She also discussed the new wave of beauty influencers that's taken over on TikTok, which includes creators like Duxbury and Mikayla Nogueira.

In particular, according to Hill, she "absolutely loves" Duxbury's "doesn't give a shit" attitude and "straightforward" videos.

"I love that she smothers her face in foundation," Hill said. "People get so upset about it for no reason."

@meredithduxbury GET READY WITH ME TO GO TO A PARTY IN BROOKLYN #tiktoktaughtme #tiktokpartner ♬ original sound - Meredith Duxbury

While Hill has never met Duxbury, she said, they have "chatted back and forth very casually online."

"She doesn't use any fancy background or fancy lighting — it's just her, her technique, and her full-glam talent," Hill continued. "That clean-girl aesthetic — that's not my vibe and it's not her vibe, and I appreciate that she's sticking to what she loves."

Similarly, Hill has also formed a relationship with Nogueira, who she described as "a very big breath of fresh air" in the beauty community.

"We DM each other quite often," Hill said about the Boston-based influencer. "She's a sweetheart and it's funny because she followed me for years and would comment on my pictures, but I didn't know — she was just a normal follower. Now, you can scroll back and see that she was looking up to people in this industry."

Hill said she relates a lot to Nogueira as they both started their beauty careers in retail — Hill at a MAC Cosmetics counter and Nogueira at Ulta Beauty — and later rose to fame online.

"It's cool to see that happen for her, but like 10 years later," Hill said. "I watch Mikayla and it's like a Cinderella story. Even last night, I was soaking in the bathtub and scrolling on TikTok, and I saw one of her videos."

"She was showing a new purse that she just got, and I was like, 'Wow, this is so crazy.' It's like I had my moment and my era, and now I've been on social media for 11 years. "I've got a couple of brands, and I'm a CEO," Hill continued. "The wheel is always turning and she is that new generation."

@mikaylanogueira Jaclyn is BOLD to be making this massive come back... #makeup #beauty #YesDayChallenge ♬ original sound - Mikayla Nogueira

Hill added that she fully expects to see creators like Duxbury and Nogueira follow in her footsteps and create their own businesses someday — especially if they stay in their respective cities of New York and Boston.

"This is another conversation that Mikayla and I have had," Hill said. "We were DM'ing one time and I was like: 'Don't ever leave Boston. Don't go to LA. Stay where you are long term. It's gonna keep you humble.'"

While Hill noted that "it's fun" to visit California and attend beauty events, she said you eventually become "a small fish in a big pond."

"There's a lot of vanity out there, and everyone's boasting you up," she said. "So I just love the fact that my support system here — my family, my friends — they don't mind being like: 'Jaclyn, you're getting a little cocky. Sit your ass down,' you know?"