Favorite Follow
Meet Javiera Del Pozo, the Influencer Who Knows Confidence Isn’t Size Exclusive
The influencer talks weight gain, beauty, and more for NYLON's Favorite Follow.
Welcome to Favorite Follow, a new series highlighting NYLON's favorite creators and the stories behind some of their most memorable content.
Despite the world coming to a major halt in 2020, the pause allowed certain social creators the time to really sit with what kind of content and message they wanted to put out into the world in order to perfect it. Such was the case for 25-year-old Javiera Del Pozo, a Baltimore-based, Chilean curve model and creator who — in addition to being active on Instagram and YouTube — blew up on TikTok in August after making (and recreating) a viral dance video with her mom. Today, she has over 465k followers on the platform, and over 900k on all of her social channels combined.
But what's her specific appeal, you ask? Del Pozo has landed on a mix of beauty and fashion content born out of TikTok's unique, sincere, low-fi aesthetic, with a heavy focus on body positivity. "I’m very happy that I can be very candid with my followers," she shared with NYLON over email. "I love to show the good and the bad, be transparent and be real. I’ve always said that the way you talk to yourself, think about yourself, and the language you use to describe yourself is so important. I want [my followers] to understand that no matter what, they are worthy of love and respect — no one should feel less than or made feel less than just because of a number on the scale."
To that point, Del Pozo has put herself all the way out there: wearing clothes and string bikinis that she grew up being told she shouldn't wear, being open, honest, and real about weight gain, and sharing her non-professional exploration of beauty (including her most recent DIY chunky highlight job).
"My intent was never to be known," she said. "When I started my YouTube channel it was purely for fun, as a little hobby while I was in college. I was open to the idea that I could have a following, just never to the extent it is now," she shared of adjusting to her growing audience. "It’s truly incredible and I’m so grateful for it every day."
Ahead, Del Pozo breaks down some of her most memorable posts on Instagram and TikTok, exploring beauty standards, minimal makeup, and the idea that confidence isn't exclusive to any size or number on the scale.
On Weight Gain
I decided to post about bikinis and weight gain because I remember feeling a little more self-conscious than usual. Sometimes it helps me to take pictures and really dissect my feelings, and doing these posts really helps me as well as others. There is so much pressure around “summer bodies” or “bikini bodies” and we need to get away from that type of mentality.
On Beauty Standards
In this TikTok I was pointing out how unattainable the standards are for women. Whether that’s having the "perfect" curvy body, with a small waist, big bottom, but no cellulite or stretch marks. I wanted to stress how backwards these views are and how hard it is to grow up in a society that ignores normal bodies!
On Being Called "Brave"
I remember getting tons of comments for being “brave” for wearing crop tops, or things that reveal my tummy, rolls, acne, etc. People will always assume that because I’m not a size two, it took “courage” in order to wear what I’m wearing, when in reality, I just love the way I look and there’s nothing else to it! Like I mentioned before, I love challenging the ideals and really questioning why people ask me, “How are you so confident?” To that I reply with, “Well, why wouldn’t I be?”
On Minimal Makeup
When it comes to beauty, I love looking more to skincare rather than makeup. I’ve never been one to do amazing, colorful looks, but I love the dewy “model-off-duty” look. I’ve always loved a nice clean base and getting into skincare has definitely changed the way I use products.
On "Unflattering" Clothing
I made this TikTok thinking about how I’ve always been told or asked about clothes that “flatter” my body. It made me think, what is “flattering” anyway, and who gets to decide that? We do. Lately I’ve been challenging this idea with my fashion — meaning I’m wearing loose fitting jeans, loose shirts, etc. There are no rules to fashion, and at the end of the day you should wear what you like! Anything you wear with confidence will look good.
Follow Javiera on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
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