Christina ‘Tinx’ Najjar opens up to ET about becoming a social media superstar, building her empire and her signature dating theories.
Meet the latest one-name talent to captivate the hearts of millions around the world: Tinx!
Christina "Tinx" Najjar is a 30-year-old social media phenom who achieved internet superstardom in just under a year. How? It’s all thanks to her fresh perspective, relatable charm and quick-witted sense of humor seen in videos across her TikTok and Instagram accounts -- which has earned her the affectionate nickname of “TikTok's big sister.”
“It's incredible. It's honestly such an honor,” Tinx, a Stanford graduate, gushes to ET as her face lights up when asked how that title feels. “I always wanted a big sister myself, so the fact that people are calling me their big sister, I'm honored and it feels great. And I love it. I do feel like they're all my little sisters out there. My mom always jokes, she's like, ‘I feel like you're the president of this really big imaginary sorority.’ And I'm like, ‘Yeah, kind of!’”
@tinx you’re a member at national, duh ##richmom ##southampton ##hamptons ##santambroeus ##hermes ##newyorkcity ##citarella ##landrover ##starterpack
♬ original sound - Tinx
Chances are, you’ve seen a video or two of Tinx before, diving into her fascination with “rich mom culture” by creating “starter packs” for moms living in different cities. Or perhaps you’ve seen some of the other niche content she shares, tackling the signature tenets of “Tinx culture,” which includes lighter fare like Botox, dating woes, spicy margaritas, rotisserie chicken, the Kardashians and traveling. But that’s not all -- Tinx gracefully strikes a balance by sharing her insight, wisdom and personal experience with topics that many struggle with: anxiety, body image, sex-positivity and the importance of always being kind to yourself and others. Regardless of the subject or tone, Tinx’s strong sense of authenticity shines through in every video, which in turn, as of May 2021, has amassed her over 1.2 million loyal followers on TikTok alone.
Tinx joins ET for a wide-ranging interview via Zoom on a Thursday from her LA home. The American-born and British-raised star looks effortlessly chic in a royal blue sleeveless collared top with her hair neatly pulled back, accented by her dainty jewelry and beautiful smile. She answers every question with a certain bright-eyed zeal, starting with the beginning of her journey into social media, which began in May 2020.
“I always tell my followers, ‘If you haven't found your thing yet and you're in your young twenties, don't worry. I'm 30 now. I found my passion when I was 29,’” she shares. “Like so many people, I downloaded TikTok in quarantine, and before that, I was a writer and I never thought of myself as an on-camera person, but I was like, ‘You know what? I'm loving TikTok. I might as well try to make some things and make a few videos.’ And as soon as I made my first video, I knew that that is what I was supposed to do for the rest of my life.’”
While many creators often make videos with a goal of being able to do it full time, Tinx says that thought never crossed her mind. “I think that was a big secret to why it felt so natural, is that I had no expectations. I was making content that I wanted to see and it resonated with people and I feel so grateful for that and it's been a really wild year ever since.”
Tinx recalls the TikTok community being “very welcoming” from the get-go, and explains why she chose that platform specifically to house her videos. “There's a low barrier to entry. So TikTok is less about looking perfect and getting the perfect shot and having your hair look great. It's more about your idea. It's more about, ‘Is your video funny? Is your video informative? Are you being real? Are you being authentic?’ And I think that's why I thought, ‘I can give this a go.’ And I literally started [making videos] in hoodies and I would even wear sunglasses sometimes because I was like, ‘I don't care,’ and I feel the reaction to people on TikTok, they don't mind that I look like a mess. They're just interested in my hot take on the latest [Keeping Up With the Kardashians] episode or my review of a certain beauty product.” She concludes her thought on a self-deprecating note, exclaiming, “Thank God, because if I had built my platform on looks, I mean, I get dressed up for my friends’ weddings, but other than that, it's workout gear and shorts!”
Every successful creator has a moment where a single video takes off in a unique and special way, and lets them know they’re onto something. For Tinx, that video came at the intersection of her Kardashian obsession and passion for a delicious salad.
@tinx who drives 35 mins for a salad??? ##kardashianlife ##kuwtk ##calabasas ##salad ##celebritytiktok ##kimkardashian ##losangeles ##kourtneykardashian
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“One of my very first viral videos was, it was still in quarantine, and I decided to drive to the [San Fernando] Valley to try the Kardashian salad,” she recalls of her experience driving to Health Nut, the restaurant that makes the salads served in clear plastic bowls often seen on the famous family’s former E! reality series. “Health Nut is my favorite, oh my gosh, I'm obsessed with it,” she continues, before adding, “I thought, ‘There's no way that people would care about this, but I care about it, and I always tell content creators starting out, ‘Make the content that you want to see.’ And I was like, ‘Well, I actually do care about the salad that they always eat, so I'm going to go check it out.’ So I drove and I made a funny video on it. Not a serious one, a funny one, and it really resonated with people. That's when I kind of realized, ‘Wow, I live in LA and I have access to these things that everybody might not have and I can tell people what they're really like and I can give my experience on it… I love being the spokesperson for all these people who have the same questions and curiosities about LA and celebrities that I have, and I can be the middleman.”
Specificity, like chasing a particular salad consumed by the Kardashians, is a key component of Tinx’s success. Why? Tinx says life is too short to spend your time or money on something that is simply sub-par, so you need to be specific with your choices to ensure enjoyment.
“Everything that I do is very specific because I think if you tell someone, ‘Oh, go to this restaurant,’ that's great. But if you tell them, ‘You've got to go on a Wednesday because that's when this exact pastry chef is working and you’ve got to order this exact breakfast and make sure you stop to get a coffee here after.’ That's worth its weight in gold.” As a result, her detail-oriented nature earned her a variety of menu items named in her honor: a bowl at Chipotle, smoothie at Erewhon and a sundae at LA hotspot Craig’s.
Not only are brands noticing Tinx, but celebrities are too. Among her followers on Instagram are Chrissy Teigen, Miranda Kerr, Kelly Osbourne, Sophia Bush and Gwyneth Paltrow, the last of which she says she’s personally connected with.
“Gwyneth Paltrow is a huge inspiration to me. She DM’ed me and said she'd seen my rich mom videos and I was just like, ‘Oh my God!’ I'm manifesting [a collaboration together]. I'm just going to keep working. She's the patron saint of rich moms, so I feel like I could really learn a lot from her.”
@tinx I love it Kim :) ##kkwbeauty ##kimkardashian ##kardashiansjenner ##kkwfragrance ##perfumetiktok ##reviews ##ratingthings
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Tinx has also found herself on the receiving end of coveted celebrity PR packages, including many from the Kardashian-Jenner family. The Washington DC native tells ET it all started, naturally, with a video. Around Valentine’s Day, Tinx noticed many influencers having fun on social media, using a small hammer to crack open a chocolate heart containing Kim Kardashian’s latest perfume. While many onlookers may have been curious for a review on the perfume’s aroma, Tinx was fixated on something else, so she made a video about it.
“I was lying in bed and I was on Instagram and I was seeing all the influencers get the chocolate box that Kim sends out for the perfume. And I was like, ‘God, I wonder what it tastes like.’ So then, I woke up in the middle of the night and I just made a TikTok about it. The next morning, I woke up and the TikTok had gone viral and I had a DM from Kim's team being like, ‘We want to send you the box,’” she shares. “What I try to do is not just do the unboxing, but do the unboxing that every girl out there would do. Most people would take a bite of the fricking chocolate, and it was delicious! She works with this fancy chocolatier, and it was the best chocolate that I've ever had. I still have some in my freezer. Saving it!”
As for Kim’s younger sister, Kendall Jenner, she’s also taken notice of Tinx’s influence. Not only did the 25-year-old supermodel send Tinx several bottles from her 818 Tequila line, but she took it a step further and invited her to a private celebration in Malibu. “I chatted briefly with her,” Tinx dishes on her time with Kendall at the soiree. “She is even more stunning in person, was such a nice girl, and it was crazy to be at that party. I mean, it's so insane. I think I started blabbing about my breakup and she was like, ‘I'm really sorry.’ She was so sweet to me.”
The breakup that Tinx is referring to came unexpectedly in late June when she emotionally addressed her followers in a tearful video, revealing she had received “a horrible message” that left her feeling “sad beyond words” with her “heart in broken two.” While Tinx never shared her beau’s identity out of respect to his privacy, she lovingly nicknamed him "Young Gemini" or "YG" (not the rapper) for short, and would often post about their romance and various outings together.
She explains, “I had invited my followers into my life and I had become so happy. I totally fell head over heels, and I'm happy that I showed that, and I'm happy that I was vulnerable. You know what, as soon as [the breakup] happened, I thought, ‘I have this opportunity to really practice what I preach.’ I'm in this state of intense pain and something bad happened, but I can practice what I preach and tell [my followers], ‘I'm not embarrassed. I don't regret anything. I feel grateful for how happy I was and how it reminded me how much I love and how deeply I love.’ And now, I have this opportunity to show followers how you show up. Your character is not who you are on the best day of your life, your character is who you are and how you show up in the face of adversity,” she states, poignantly.
Tinx takes a moment to show love to her online community, who she says boosted her up during an otherwise trying time. She is confident when she says she’s “made peace” with the ending of her latest relationship. “I moved on, and it's time for the next chapter… You have to focus on what you deserve. I know my worth, and I know how I deserve to be treated.”
@tinx ##duet with @scotttty2hotty What did I do to deserve u guys 🤍🤍🤍🤍
♬ On My Mind - Diplo & SIDEPIECE
The media maven confirms she has started dating again, but explains she’s “slowly submerging -- it’s not a dive in, it’s a wade in.” Several fans have suggested she’d make a great pair with DJ/ producer Diplo, whom Tinx has long been a fan of before they ultimately connected through social media. In fact, the pair recently shared videos to their Instagram stories hanging out together while they were both visiting Las Vegas.
“He's so sweet. Diplo and I are friends,” Tinx shares, setting the record straight. “Just friends. He's a great guy. I love his music, I really am his biggest fan and I ran into him in Vegas just by chance and fate brought us together. So we had a really fun time running around Vegas for a night, but he's very sweet.” As for whether the musician has a chance at dating Tinx? She smiles and playfully replies, “God, I don't know. I might friendzone him, honestly. I can't tell, but maybe, never say never!”
Fans have also thrown Tinx’s name in the hat to become the next Bachelorette, but the 30-year-old funnygal has one specific qualm: “I think I swear too much to be on The Bachelorette, like every other word!” She then adds, “That is a comment that I get quite a lot. I don't know if I would do that. Again, I never say never, we plan and God laughs, so I'm open.”
@tinx Reply to @allegra0312 my box theory™️ ##datingexpert ##datingadviceformen ##datingtiktok ##datinghack ##adviceforgirls ##rules
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Dating aside, Tinx is booked, busy and laser-focused on her rapidly-soaring career. Among the many items on her to-do list, she says she’s working on trademarking a variety of mantras and theories she’s created, which function as yet another strong pillar of her platform. Her favorite mantras to live by include sayings like, “Comparison is the thief of joy” and “Men always come back or their lives get worse.” She’s also conceptualized Box Theory, Reverse Box Theory, Ick Lists and Planning a (metaphorical) Funeral. You can watch Tinx explain them in detail by watching the video above.
You can also count on Tinx to expand her empire by moving into various forms of media, telling ET she’s interested in “[Podcasting], radio, hosting -- I want to try it all, I really do.” As an avid consumer who is regularly seen wearing a variety of chic sports bras, leggings and loungewear, Tinx also says she has a goal of starting her own merch or athleisure line. But on a more personal note, the savvy creator insists her ultimate goal is connection, as she continues to nurture and strengthen the bond with her audience.
“I feel this incredible connection to all my followers and I always say to them, ‘I want to grow up with them, I want to do everything with them, I want to learn with them and grow with them, I want them to learn from my mistakes and I have followers of all ages and I want to grow up with them.’ So I would say, I want to continue to speak to them directly, the ways in which I do that and the places that I do that, I hope that they grow and are bigger and bigger, but that's the goal. That's what always brings me back to center, that's my North Star and I want to have fun and make fun content and make people laugh. I always want to leave people in a better mood than I found them, whether that's giving them advice, making them laugh, giving them a great product recommendation or encouraging them to go have a margarita.”
Cheers to that, Tinx!
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