It is a perfectly sunny afternoon in Santa Monica when we meet. Tartine in Santa Monica hums with quiet chatter, the scent of fresh bread and espresso curling through the air. Dawn Ngo arrives to meet me for lunch with effortless ease, a presence that is both airy and grounded.

She’s dressed in a white, flowy dress from SNDYS The Label, a cashmere sweater draped over her shoulders just in case it gets cold. There’s a quiet confidence in her style—understated but thoughtful. A brown suede Alaia Le Teckel bag rests beside her, Dolce Vita cheetah print mesh mules peeking from beneath her dress. “It’s easy to get caught up in trends, but I think personal style should be just that—personal. Sometimes I’m all about low-rise baggy jeans, sometimes I wanna dress like an East Coast housewife. I love the fluidity of it.”

Her shih-tzu, Storm, trots beside her like a devoted shadow.

“I’m a twenty-something delulu girl,” she says, laughing as she tucks into a park bench, “Of course I actually view her as my firstborn daughter.”

She orders a matcha, swearing by its quality, and settles into a park bench in the café’s relaxed outdoor space. This is where she feels at home—somewhere beautiful, effortlessly chic, but most importantly, real.

And real is exactly what she is.

It’s an irony not lost on her that she never planned to become a full-time content creator. “I would have never guessed that this would be on my bingo card,” she admits. But the world of social media has a way of drawing in those who are meant to be there, and for her, it was magnetic.

Modeling had always been a part of her world—a career she understood intimately. She’s worked with globally recognized brands such as Skims and Forever 21, her image dancing across screens inside Guess stores in the US and Canada. She walked the runways of Miami Swim Week, working with an endless roster of brands that recognized her unique presence. 

“Modeling always made sense to me,” she says, adjusting her sweater slightly as the breeze shifts. "It’s what I knew. But social media? That was different. That was new."

A model by trade, she found herself unexpectedly swept into the digital space when she began posting makeup videos on TikTok in early 2024. What started as a casual creative outlet quickly transformed into a full-fledged career.

Her journey started in January 2024 with a simple love for beauty. She created a brand-new TikTok account, starting from zero, and within just over a year, she had cultivated a following of nearly 20,000 people.. More than numbers, it was the caliber of brands she began working with so early in her career that solidified her place in the industry: L’Oréal, Revlon, Laura Mercier, Ilia Beauty, Armani Beauty—names that she once saw in glossy magazine pages were now appearing in her email inbox, asking to collaborate. 

Sometimes, the magnitude of her work reveals itself in the quietest ways. Go to Sephora’s website—arguably the modern temple of beauty—and click through to the product page for Laura Mercier’s Limited Edition Lunar New Year setting powder. A rare and celebratory release of their iconic cult-favorite—you’ll find Dawn’s face there, her video seamlessly guiding viewers through the product. It’s the only influencer video featured on the page. Laura Mercier, a brand that has stood at the pinnacle of the cosmetics world for decades, trusted her content to speak directly to their global audience. 

“That was a pinch-me moment,” she reflects. “To be the face that lives on that page? It felt like a real marker of something special.” But it doesn’t stop there. 

Scroll through the feeds of internationally renowned giants like Revlon, or cult-favorite rising stars like Refy Beauty and Josie Maran, and her work is there too—gracing their social pages with product videos and tutorials, all crafted with a signature style that’s undeniably hers. 

During this year’s Oscars, Revlon asked her to recreate the makeup look worn by their global brand ambassador, Camila Cabello—a request that speaks to the level of trust and creative respect she’s earned. Whether it’s an elevated tutorial or a 15-second swipe of magic, brands are not just reposting her content—they’re seeking it out, featuring it, and anchoring their campaigns in it. That kind of visibility, that kind of creative trust, is extraordinary.

“Sometimes I feel like I have to pinch myself,” she says, stirring her matcha. “I’m at home in Canada filming brand deal videos for these brands and I’m like, and it’s like—wait, this is real?”

It is real. And it’s well-earned.

There is something innately intuitive about the way she approaches content creation. While many influencers thrive on strict schedules and meticulously planned content calendars, she prefers to move in creative cycles. “I probably should be more organized,” she admits with a laugh, “but I guess I’m a true creative at heart.”

“If you let it, social media will convince you that you’re never doing enough,” she confesses. “There are moments where I’m so inspired and post every day for two weeks straight. And then there are times when I need a break, and I won’t post for a week or two. I think that balance is important, but it’s hard not to feel guilty about it sometimes.”

Her approach is different, but it works. Because at the heart of her success is something that can’t be manufactured: authenticity. Her audience resonates with her because she isn’t performing for them—she’s simply sharing. And in a digital landscape oversaturated with curated perfection, her genuine nature is her superpower.

It’s a delicate balance, knowing when to create and when to simply live. 

“That’s part of why I focus on beauty,” she explains. “If I were making lifestyle content, I feel like I’d always be thinking, ‘Wait, let me film this.’ I never want to live a life where I’m not present because I’m too busy capturing it.”

There is a quiet kind of peace in her self-assuredness. She knows who she is. Maybe that’s the gift of stepping into a professional social media career in her late twenties, when the insecurities of early adulthood have softened into something more solid. 

“Had I started younger, I think it would’ve been harder. I feel lucky that I started this at a time where I don’t feel like I need to compare myself to others. Everyone is on their own path, I think it’s important to cherish the one you’re on.”

Still, the nature of the job means facing an audience that is constantly watching, commenting, forming opinions.

“There’s this expectation to always be 'on'—to always look perfect, to always have something to say. And then there’s the criticism. You can have a hundred people hyping you up, but it’s the one negative comment that lingers.” She exhales softly. “It’s taken practice to not internalize that.”

Despite these challenges, there is no denying that she has built something extraordinary. Her content feels effortless but is backed by an undeniable expertise, a clear vision.

She speaks about the future with a quiet confidence. In ten years, she envisions a life filled with love, family, and creativity.

“I have baby fever so bad right now,” she says, half-laughing, half-serious. “But I know the timing isn’t right just yet. I want the whole thing—the marriage, the kids, the dog, the white picket fence.” 

But alongside that dream, she sees an empire.

“And, of course, I want to keep growing, keep creating. Whether that’s through social media, modeling, acting—who knows? I just know I want to keep doing what I love. The beauty of this career is that it evolves with you—there will always be people at the same stage in life who can relate to what I’m sharing.”

As the afternoon light begins to shift and Storm stretches lazily on the bench, there is an undeniable sense of clarity in her words. She has built something meaningful, something rare. 

And she is just getting started.

Images Courtesy Dawn Ngo.