Beauty has never really been just about the products you swipe on. The creators shaping the conversation today — the ones shifting beyond perfection — understand that what resonates is what lies beneath the filters. People want the stories, the struggles, the hacks that actually work, and the ones that don’t.
That’s where “wellness” comes in — a word that’s come to mean everything and nothing at once. It encompasses everything self-care related, from morning juices to meditation guides, workout routines, and luxury skin care, yet no one knows exactly how to define it. But for Bustle’s Beauty Icons, wellness is about the choices that help them show up for themselves and others, whether that’s doing glam after a Peloton workout, hosting a book club podcast, or building community around chronic illnesses.
Icons are creators who have been there, done that. But their experiences aren’t just fodder for content — these nine women are actively shifting the culture, creating spaces where their followers can laugh, learn, and feel seen. They turn vulnerability into empowerment, honesty into empathy, and everyday routines into inspiration, proving that wellness isn’t just a beauty trend. It’s an appreciation of all the little things that add up.
Ahead, meet the wellness heroes of Bustle’s Beauty Icon Awards who are redefining what it really means to be beautiful — inside and out.
The Tampon Tax Warrior: Nadya Okamoto
Courtesy of Nadya Okamoto
Follow: @nadyaokamoto
Followers: 4.4 million
In 18 states, period products are still taxed as luxury items instead of essential goods that “literally make human life possible,” according to Nadya Okamoto. Her company, August, is working to eliminate that financial burden once and for all. Founded in 2021, the gender-inclusive period care brand offers a reimbursement program on any purchase — even now that its organic cotton products are stocked at Target, Whole Foods, and Gopuff. All you have to do is enter your phone number, upload a photo of your receipt, and wait up to 48 hours to receive the refund via Venmo or PayPal. On TikTok, Okamoto shares day-in-the-life videos behind running the brand, from donating surplus items at a food bank to changing her own tampons and pads— content that’s even been controversially taken down for showing real blood on screen. But as a period-equity advocate, Okamoto proves that beauty is political, and a wellness mindset can enact real cultural change.
The Facial Fitness Guru: Olivia Szmidt
Courtesy of Olivia Szmidt
Follow: @oliviaszmidt
Followers: 304,000
Austria-based facial massage expert Olivia Szmidt is bringing her cult-favorite brand, Get Face Fit, stateside this month, introducing U.S. audiences to her non-invasive approach to skin sculpting, longevity, and stress release. Previously the facialist-in-residence at Dauphin Paris, Szmidt now offers her expertise through weeks-long online courses like “7 Day Face Lift” and “Reverse Aging,” building a global community that swears by the transformative power of her facial exercises. Szmidt recently released an ox-horn gua sha for scalp stimulation alongside a massaging balm that makes at-home sculpting more acceptable — reflecting her belief that “there’s no technology that can replace the power of hands.” In a wellness landscape obsessed with devices and quick fixes, Szmidt is redefining modern anti-aging as something slower, smarter, and deeply intertwined with self-care.
The Literary It Girl: Olivia Ponton
Courtesy of Olivia Ponton
Follow: @iamoliviaponton
Followers: 7.5 million
Hot girls read, and if you need proof, look no further than Olivia Ponton’s new podcast Booked & Busy. On it, the Sports Illustrated Swim breakout star and Victoria’s Secret angel shares her favorite reads with book club-style discussions between authors and friends — providing the perfect soundtrack for any evening wind-down. On TikTok, she shares things like her “winter arc,” a self-care challenge designed to beat seasonal blues. One of her favorite rules? Doing a lip stain a day, something quick and easy that still makes her feel put together. Because for Ponton, confidence — like a good book club — comes from showing up for yourself.
The Burnout Buster: Katriona Li
Courtesy of Katriona Li
Follow: @mindfulnesswithkat
Followers: 90,100
Katriona Li is on a mission to help young professionals reset, recharge, and fight workday fatigue — all with a few “Chinese Aunty” exercises. On her TikTok, she shares yin yoga poses designed to release joint tension and restore mental clarity — grounded in “ancient Chinese wisdom for modern burnout,” as she puts it in her bio. Li’s approach is refreshingly simple: Slowing down doesn’t have to be complicated, and wellness exercises don’t require a full studio or expensive equipment. From desk-friendly stretches to longer evening programs that help you decompress from mind to body, she demonstrates how consistent, accessible practices can breathe new life into your day. With her, slowing down feels playful, interactive, and achievable.
The Body Neutrality Advocate: Samyra Miller
Courtesy of Samyra
Follow: @samyra
Followers: 2.3 million
Samyra Miller knows exactly who she is — and she’s unapologetic about taking up space. Her TikTok videos always start with the same pointed question: “Excuse me, where are your plus sizes?” signaling to her millions of followers that she’s about to put another so-called “inclusive” brand to the test. Miller uses her platform to champion body neutrality, an alternative framework to body positivity that acknowledges systemic weight-based biases and demands real inclusivity for (literally) everybody. She once went viral for calling out an airline after they denied her entry to a flight due to inadequate size accommodations — a moment that crystallized her larger mission. Through humor and unflinching honesty, Miller highlights the absurdity of everyday fatphobia while empowering her audience to demand accountability and move through the world without shrinking themselves.
The Fertility Educator: Adriana Wong
Courtesy of Adriana Wong
Follow: @adrianawongmd
Followers: 25,300
Dr. Adriana Wong, M.D., is the OB-GYN everyone wishes they had on speed dial. On TikTok and Instagram, she tackles the questions you’re too embarrassed to ask — from spotting endometriosis symptoms to navigating IVF — with clarity, empathy, and no judgment. As the self-proclaimed “BFF fertility doc,” nothing is off-limits, and her advice comes straight from an actual medical professional, which feels especially grounding in today’s algorithm-driven wellness space. Postpartum herself, Wong also shares candid tips on how she’s “reclaiming” her identity as a new mom, whether it’s a weekly blowout, strength training, or doing her makeup every day. Her message is clear: wellness includes medical truth, self-expression, and showing up for yourself in ways that feel sustainable.
The Peloton Princess: Katie Wang
Courtesy of Katie Wang
Follow: @katiewongspelledwang
Followers: 128,600
If you’re a Peloton stan, you already know Katie Wang — the resident strength-training instructor whose classes leave even the most dedicated exercisers with sore muscles. But off the bike, she’s proving that fitness girls get glammed, too. On TikTok, Wang has become a product review queen, sharing makeup picks with the same upbeat energy she brings to every workout. Her content goes to show that strength, self-care, and style aren’t mutually exclusive. Wang encourages her followers to push themselves physically while still making space for fun, expressive beauty routines — because for her, sweating and glowing go hand in hand.
The Skin Detox Diarist: Jada Jones
Courtesy of Jada Jones
Follow: @_jadajonesss_
Followers: 255,400
OG followers will remember Jada Jones at the height of her topical steroid withdrawal in 2024, as she documented the painful, raw reality of chronic eczema after stopping her prescribed creams. Her skin was cracked, inflamed, and tender — and she never hid it. Determined to find a solution, she traveled the world, exploring holistic remedies that could give her some relief. Today, she’s back with glowing, radiant skin, crediting part of her recovery to salt water therapy. Now, Jones uses her platform to help others navigating chronic skin conditions, even hosting a biweekly support group via Instagram. Her page is an empowering reminder that healing isn’t linear, and wellness starts with finding community.
The Beauty Big Sis: Tatyana Lafata
Courtesy of Tatyana Lafata
Follow: @tatlafata
Followers: 1.2 million
Tatyana Lafata shares her beauty secrets as freely as her life updates — from heatless rollers and brow-dye hacks to her favorite scent pairings. Since she got diagnosed with PCOS in 2024, it was only natural that she would share that with her followers, too. After a year of experimenting, she revealed the lifestyle changes that helped her: eating an unprocessed diet, lowering cortisol by skipping coffee on an empty stomach, and swapping intense weight training for low-impact workouts like Pilates. Lafata’s platform has become a judgment-free space for PCOS education and her characteristic “big sis” advice, all without product pushing. It’s effortless glam with substance — proof that managing your hormones and feeling good in your skin can coexist.
