How BrookeAB and Young Nails are Starting a New Movement in Streaming (2024)

Young Nails

Published Feb 5, 2024

A trailblazer is somebody who challenges themselves—and you—to rebel against what everybody says is "the norm." As a young woman who has dutifully marked her territory in a field where she's outnumbered by men, prominent creator/streamer BrookeAB (who's a member of the eSports org 100 Thieves) knows a thing or two about fighting against the labels and stigmas put on a person for reasons as simple as "being a girl." A lover of all things beauty and fashion, Brooke (who has nearly four million followers across all the major social media platforms) is determined to merge the worlds of beauty, fashion, and gaming to create a conglomerate some individuals have been far too eager to enthusiastically maintain "don't go together."

That attitude is precisely why the streamer was deemed the perfect choice to be the newest face of Young Nails—a popular beauty brand carving a niche for themselves in the streaming space. A year-long partnership at the moment, Brooke's deal with the brand is one of many as she continues to become a rising force in the entertainment industry. Upon meeting the creator via Zoom on a recent afternoon, her instant presence made it easy to see why she's been chosen to represent the Young Nails brand. Pretty with a magnetic personality, and very fashionable along with her flawless makeup, Brooke instantly draws you in with her warmth, but at the same time there's a detectable fiery spirit and confidence—the exact traits needed to make it successfully in the world of streaming and eSports.

RELATED: Ayesha Curry Talks Skincare Brand Sweet July Skin and Honoring Her Jamaican Roots

"I've always been into any and everything beauty related," she tells ONE37pm as she discusses how her deal with Young Nails came to be. "The first time I met the Young Nails team, we started vibing right away. They were so welcoming and nice, and that's what specifically drew me to them. Their team is fun, and their attitudes are what matches the colorful nature of who they are as a brand. It's a one-year partnership and we have a lot planned throughout the year."

Since becoming a renowned streamer with 100 Thieves (who themselves have made a name for themselves in the streetwear space), one of the things that has been complimented and noticed about Brooke in additionto her epic streaming skills is, of course, her passion for beauty and fashion.

Mentioning how she's never had an opportunity to be as hands on as she's been with Young Nails with any of the other brand's she's worked with thus far, a BrookeAB customizable nail kit is just one of the many exciting things in store as the two begin their 2024 journey together. "Even though beauty and lifestyle isn't my main content, I always jump at the opportunity to work in that space because I enjoy it so much," she says matter-of-factly. Brooke continues: I'm always asking my team what I else I can get in beauty and fashion because I always want more. 100 Thieves has been a great way of introducing to me so many cool things—we even did a collaboration with Gucci!"

100 Thieves may have laid the groundwork for Brooke to do the things she's doing now, but Brooke herself has taken the map and run with it to create her own lane—much like the Young Nails team, who have been able to build a unique space for themselves in streaming. Obviously a beauty brand doing partnerships within the streaming and gaming industry is uncommon, so I next ask Brooke if we can expect for these two worlds to come together more often. In the words of the great Bob Dylan, "the times they are a-changin'." A resounding "absolutely" is Brooke's response. "There's even a difference from when I started streaming five years ago," she explains. "There's a big difference then and now with women in the space, and it's beyond what I could have ever imagined."

"I'm seeing more women and men as well in this space that are doing lifestyle collaborations focusing on lifestyle, wellness, skincare and all of that. I think we'll continue to see that grow because I know there's a lot of people like me who really want to combine their multiple passions. I love beauty and I love gaming—sometimes I'll even do a 'Get Ready With Me' (GRWM) before I stream, where I'll do my makeup on stream so those two worlds combine. The funny thing is—even though it's a male-dominated space, the men in the chat will still comment on how they're going to buy what I'm using for their moms, sisters and girlfriends."

One of the most interesting things about Young Nails is that the company was founded by two brothers—a shocker for those expecting to see a woman (or women) as the founders and CEOs. "I was really surprised initially," Brook shares. "I heard the story about their mom—I was actually lucky enough to meet her the other day—she started this when she was 49 years old. This is as family as a family business gets, and they are all really passionate about it. I love how her sons took something that their mom loved and made the brand what it is today. It really speaks to the family feel Young Nails has. I felt so welcomed and part of the family when I met them, and something that stuck out to me when I looked at their Instagram was how responsive they were to their followers."

It's that very structure and familial feeling that has allowed Young Nails to really build community—a community that is only going to continue to grow now that Brooke has been welcomed in. "Getting your name out to an audience that you may not reach or haven't reached in the past is very important—especially since we're talking about gaming," she says. "Sure, beauty interests might not be within your target audience, but if you are passionate and teaching people about it, then it can really make a difference on both ends as you're not just advertising to people who may not have even heard of the brand, but also to people that want to take care of themselves. Young Nails having a Twitch account and being communicative with the gaming/streaming community shows how in-touch they are."

Wellness is such an integral part of not just beauty and lifestyle, but also streaming and gaming. Brooke explains how she's prioritizing her wellness, along with tips she has for others to make sure they too are at their top of their game, not just externally and with their respective careers, but internally as well. "I think people go into this business thinking it's easy," she tells me, adding: "You have to put in a lot of work not just with streaming but also with networking and connecting with people. The morning I got my big break I actually didn't feel like streaming. I changed my mind and that decision alone is why I'm here today. You never know when something is going to come your way.

"Put in those hours and put yourself out there as much as you can so that way you can hopefully get the opportunities you are looking for," she continues. And as for the self-care element? "Sometimes when you stream you are literally sitting there for nine hours, and when I get up I can feel my bones cracking. I'm really trying to take my health more seriously this year because it's terrible for you to sit all day long hunched over not thinking about posture and all of that. This year I'm really trying to focus on wellness because I don't want to do damage to my body that can't be undone. I've been doing this for five years and I'm starting to feel it! My goal is to do 10,000 steps a day."

"Also, a lot of my friends have started using the standing desks with the treadmills underneath while they stream so I might try that. With my nail health, in particular, I've always had a really bad habit of biting my nails. I realized I was going to have to get it under control when I started working with Young Nails, and I'm happy to report this is the longest and healthiest my nails have ever been!"

We've only just started 2024 and Brooke already has this exciting deal with Young Nails kicking things off—so what else can we anticipate as the year progresses? "Moving back to fashion—each year we have the Streamer Awards which is hosted by friend QTCinderella who does a beautiful job, and I'm actually getting dressed by Dolce & Gabbana for that so I'm excited—I have a fitting coming up actually! I'll also of course have some cool nails courtesy of Young Nails to match, and I just want to continue to come back to beauty and lifestyle with different opportunities. Whenever I get to create something in the beauty/lifestyle space with a brand it's my most productive self because I'm most passionate about that."

You can continue to keep up with BrookeAB via Instagram, Twitch, TikTok and YouTube, and be sure to follow Young Nails via their website, Instagram, and Twitch as well.

RELATED: OKANE is Bringing Fashion's Past Into the Present