/mēdēə ·ˈmāvən/

noun: The most on-trend, in-style, on-point Canadians we know. The ones we look up to. The creative minds representing the Great White North. Our secret (and not-so-secret) MCMs and WCWs.

Are we the only ones obsessing over Canada’s growing media landscape? From groundbreaking journalists, to influential bloggers and the stars of the Canadian screen, we have everything and more in our amazing nation. This is why we have decided to give our readers the inside scoop on some of our favourite Media Mavens. Follow along as we learn about the newest trends and exclusive tips from some of the coolest Canucks around.

With Canada Day quickly approaching, we decided to celebrate early with the introduction of a new blog series: Media Mavens. This series will be giving you the inside scoop on our favourite media personalities in the Canadian landscape.

First up? A YouTube and Much Music phenomenon who is taking over the world one makeup brush at a time. After years of promoting her healthy vegan lifestyle and her amazing and flawless makeup techniques, Jaclyn Forbes is a master of promoting her brands. We got the chance to meet with her last week before her red carpet debut at the IHeartRadio MMVAs, and instantly fell in love with her easy going and genuine personality. It’s that amazing personality that has gained her a massive following on her YouTube channel, itsJaclynForbes. She has become our go-to for lifestyle and makeup techniques, having us obsessed with her glamorous lifestyle as a vlogger and MuchMusic content creator. Basically, she’s exactly who we wanted to be at 18-years-old. 

Jaclyn Forbes

In one sentence, explain what you do.

I make videos on the internet and sometimes post (questionable) makeup tutorials. Ha! That kind of sums it up.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Luckily, with my job, every day is different and I don’t really have a set routine. That being said, every morning I have to have a big glass of water and a bowl of oatmeal or a smoothie to start my day off right. Next, I’ll check up on my emails and respond to YouTube comments. Then, I’ll get ready and either go to the studio to film something, or go to meetings, or stay home and edit videos. That’s basically a typical day for me!

What is your biggest challenge these days?

I think for a while I found it challenging to find balance in my life. I find sometimes I can get too focused on working, and forget about making time for friends or even myself. It’s taken me a while, and sometimes I still struggle with it, but I think I’m getting better at making time for all aspects of my life that are important to me, not just work!

What’s your favourite social media platform and why?

Although I do love me a nice Instagram scroll, YouTube is definitely my favourite platform! There’s so much freedom to create whatever type of content you want and it really allows me to experiment, not only with the content of my videos, but the video style. I always get inspired by other creators and love to experiment with different types of videos. I feel like there’s just so much opportunity to grow and explore on YouTube.

What are you raving about these days?

Doomies!!! It’s this new vegan restaurant in the city. I finally ended up going to eat there after hearing so much hype, and it was to die for!!! It has plant based Big Macs and all of these other dishes that taste remarkably like their non-vegan counterpart. I had their jalapeño poppers the other night and they we delicious. I feel like it’s the perfect spot to take my non-vegan friends who are interested in trying vegan food, because it’s not just your typical salad-bowl-with-veggies restaurant (which are still great, but it’s nice to have some options, ya know?!).

Instagram: @jaclynforbes
Twitter: @jaclynforbes
YouTube channel: itsJaclynForbes