"I [grew] up being insecure about wearing the hijab, [and] I never thought I would see Muslim women represented on such a large scale," Afia told Refinery29 today. "I hope [this campaign] will show Muslim women that brands care about us as consumers and we're important, especially hijabis. [We] can be featured on TV, [we] can be featured on billboards in Times Square. [We] can be represented."

We are thrilled by the inclusion of such kick-ass men and women in CoverGirl's campaigns. After all, makeup should never be exclusive, and it's inspiring to see a mass cosmetics brand show the world that beauty lovers come in all shapes, sizes, sexual orientations, genders, races, and religions.

"I’m doing this because I want there to be a time when my daughter grows up when she knows she can be anything she wants to be," said Afia. "It doesn’t matter what her beliefs are or what she looks like." We hope that time will come soon.