Mikayla Nogueira blasted over pronunciation of word ‘Arabic’ in viral TikTok

TikTok-famous makeup artist Mikayla Nogueira is getting slammed over her pronunciation of the word ‘Arabic’ in a video that’s going viral across the social media beauty scene.

Mikayla Nogueira has once again found herself in critics’ crosshairs due to a TikTok video she uploaded on May 28, 2024, where she responded to a fan asking her to do a “full face of Arabic glam.”

However, viewers couldn’t help but notice that the way Nogueira pronounced the word ‘Arabic’ wasn’t in keeping with the official pronunciation of the word — and they made sure to let the artist know about it in the comments section.

“I’ve never heard anyone pronounce Arabic that way,” one user wrote.

“Calling it A-ray-bic and then pulling out a picture of a Pakistani/South Asian woman fits the brand,” another said.

“Chat is Arab makeup in the house with us?” yet another joked.

Even more viewers accused Nogueira of showing off an Indian makeup look in her reference photo instead of an Arab style. Others accused her of ‘faking’ her strong Boston accent, with one user writing on Reddit: “I’m 98% sure that she mispronounces things on purpose so she can try and go viral… She’s hoping to get attention for being quirky and different.”

Nogueira responded to commenters pointing out her mistake in a few replies, saying she was “sorry” for mispronouncing the word. However, such remarks are mostly absent from her second video recreating the look, which she described as her “favorite makeup look I’ve ever done in my life.”

In contrast to the backlash, many Arab commenters congratulated the makeup artist for pulling off the style, with one writing, “As an Arab myself, you friggen nailed it! I could never!”

“As an Arab / Khaleeji, this is the definition of our wedding makeup, you ate!” another said.

This is far from the first time that Nogueira has found herself in the middle of controversy. Over the years, she’s come under fire for her reviews of makeup products, with the likes of Jeffree Star accusing her of “lying” in her viral assessment of L’Oreal’s Telescoptic Lift mascara in 2023.

Not long after, one of her foundation reviews also caught critics’ attention, leaving viewers convinced she’d added an extra layer of product to make the makeup appear to have better coverage.

Later that year, rumors abounded that her wedding had been “sponsored” by brands and that she’d had falling out with some of her friends after choosing not to invite them to the ceremony.

The influencer hit back at these claims, denying that her wedding was “sponsored” and arguing that “if you’re wondering about the friend that I chose not to invite, they’re not my friend, and I’m sure you can see why.”