CoverGirl Talia Joy Castellano, whom you likely know as Taliajoy18 on YouTube, was a beauty vlogger, a makeup artist and guru, and an active YouTuber with millions of views and hundreds of thousands of subscribers. She didn't just teach women and girls how to put on makeup, and put it on well; she showed us how to improve our self-esteem with cosmetics, to feel good about ourselves, and to make the best of seemingly hopeless situations. So many of us got to know her through watching her sweet, funny, and damn good how-tos and tutorials, and we're all feeling the loss.
I just want to say a little something about this sweet soul and sister in beauty-blogging in case any of you were not fortunate enough to have watched her. If you're reading a beauty blog, then you've surely heard of her, especially since her passing. But if you did not have the good fortune to follow her while she was still with us...
More after the jump.
In 2007, Talia was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma cancer at the age of seven, and since suffered many ups and downs with treatment, remission, re-diagnosis. Soon after her diagnosis, she discovered that makeup could be fun to play with but also a safe and effective way to boost self-esteem, even while undergoing harsh medical treatments. Last year, she announced that the neuroblastoma cancer had returned and that she was also suffering from leukemia at the same time. She declined further (horribly painful and aggressive) treatment in favor of comfortably enjoying her remaining time. That is a brave decision for someone so young to make, and it's just a nightmare that she was forced to make it at all.
Her famous bald head was something that would have made other women feel self-conscious or even ashamed, but Talia embraced it, sometimes even made it up and painted it. She wore it proudly and used it to teach us that we don't have to meet any standards to be gorgeous. Talia did not wear wigs - they made her feel "fake" and "just not me" - and only rarely covered her head; she used makeup instead to boost her confidence.
Talia was made an honorary CoverGirl by the cosmetics giant of the same name after they saw her videos and heard her story. The news was announced to her (and the world) by one of Talia's heroes, Ellen Degeneres, when she appeared as guest on Ellen's show. Ellen also presented Talia with a lovely framed Cover Girl poster of herself and made her the show's red carpet correspondent to the 2012 iHeartRadio concert, where she met and interviewed several famous musicians and got dozens of autographs. Not long after, Ellen also got to announce Talia was made an Official Cover Girl and would begin filming professional tutorials and how-tos for the Cover Girl brand.
Another of Talia's amazing successes and dreams come true is her collaboration with Urbana Chappa (a cancer survivor herself!) on designing her own clothing line for Maison de Urbana. Talia was actually hospitalized throughout the designing process, but she was upbeat and hard working, says Urbana. She is now working hard to get Talia's clothing line picked up by major retailers. And I could go on and on about all of her success, all the things that she accomplished in her all-to-brief life...
In the weeks leading up to her passing, Talia had been in bed for some time, too weak to do much at all, even update her social media or film any tutorials. She had her family and friends caring for her. As weak and sick as she was, she still had it in her to crack jokes, and just two days before her death, her family tweeted:
“Talia woke up again today and looked a bit uncomfortable so Talia’s Mom and the nurse moved her and tucked pillows behind her back and legs. Talia’s Mom then said ‘try and sleep and rest’ and Talia responded, ‘I am trying, but you keep bothering me.’… Lol, that’s Talia for you.”Right now, the internet is coming together in a sweet gesture to remember Talia. Her fans from all over the world are filming and photographing themselves doing things from Talia's own bucket list. The images are being shared on facebook and twitter. This outpouring is a testament to how many people's lives she touched.
This bright young woman taught women that - no matter what - you can and should feel good about yourself, that you are beautiful. Even at her young age, she fully understood how important it is to a woman to be able to have confidence. She did more in her brief life than many people will do by retirement. She was an inspiring, amazing young woman with a bubbly, silly personality and an incredibly upbeat attitude and outlook on life. She was a beautiful girl and a beautiful soul. This is a heartbreaking, tragic loss.
Talia Joy Castellano passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by loved ones, on the morning of Tuesday, July 16th.
She was only 13 years old.
She was only 13 years old.
Rest in peace, sweetheart. We take comfort in knowing that your pain is finally over, but we miss you already. Thank you for everything you did for us!
You were an inspiration.
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