Léna Situations, the YouTuber who is a hit in bookstores

Parents barely know her name, those under 25 swear by her.

With her positive messages, her humor and her boundless energy, the bubbly Léna Situations is throwing the counters into a panic: more than 1.6 million subscribers to her YouTube channel, 2 million fans on Instagram and 1.3 million on TikTok.

And now the success of his personal development book “Always more” (Ed. Robert Laffont, 152 pages, 19.50 euros) which, barely out in bookstores, is at the top of the best sellers.

It is in her Parisian apartment that the pretty brunette receives us to tell us without taboo her phenomenal journey.

From Léna Mahlouf to Léna Situations

From the top of her 22 years, she remembers a "childhood of love" in Paris between a father actor and cartoonist, a stylist mother and a little brother "adorable and as calm and reserved" as she is " speed and extrovert ”.

For his Algerian parents who fled terrorism before his birth, “everything is fine as long as the children do not take drugs and that they work well at school,” laughs Léna.

Passionate about fashion, she opened her first blog at the age of 15, but things got serious later.

Her baccalaureate in hand, she dreams of joining a marketing and communication school specializing in fashion and luxury.

Small problem, you have to pay 9,300 euros per year to enter.

Léna does not allow herself to be taken down and has up to five odd jobs to get there.

It was at this time that she launched her YouTube channel which would be her escape route.

Léna Situations was officially born.

An excellent student, she is taken to do her 4th year in New York.

“I set foot in the United States for the first time, it was crazy, magical and I have a thousand things to say”.

Life is sometimes well done: having classes only in the morning, the student addicted to social networks finally has time for her YouTube channel.

His original daily videos and vitaminized on his American life ignite the Web.

But she doesn't know it yet ...

Youtuber and businesswoman

It is when she returns to France and we recognize her in the street that Léna realizes that she has become a YouTube star.

But finance question, "it's the disaster, I no longer have a money".

Not very motivated to resume a life of odd jobs, the ambitious bet to earn a living on the Internet with her videos.

Banco, the platform's advertising network, pays her and she is also successfully embarking on product placements for more and more brands that want to work with her.

And who invite him to the end of the world.

But she wants to become independent from advertising and begins to work a lot to master everything from A to Z. Efforts rewarded, her fans are always more numerous.

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His recipe?

"A very dynamic editing, an eclectic and brilliant playlist that goes from the Beatles to Beyoncé, including Mozart or Aya Nakamura and of course always a small positive message", comments the YouTuber who does not hesitate to talk about the difficult moments of life.

"But always with sincerity and kindness," continues the one who can be ultra-makeup in a two-piece swimsuit or disheveled in a good old pajamas.

She ended up being spotted last year by Loïc Prigent, the pope of fashion journalists.

Fashion shows ...

“Here again it's a crazy story.

Returning from Italy where he was for Milan Fashion week, Loïc was caught by Miss Covid and quarantined.

So he sent me to cover the Balmain show ”.

She was paralyzed but that won't prevent her video from being seen millions of times.

And Léna to make her entry into the big leagues.

Immediately afterwards, Dior gave her carte blanche to film her fashion shows, workshops, backstage ... Then it was Prada, Etam or even Isabelle Marant who asked her.

Léna is like a fish in water and she would dream of receiving an invitation card signed by Chanel.

Because for her fashion is not reduced to shopping: "It's an exciting world, it's societal and it affects everyone".

... and a book

She was considering writing a diary, but her editor ordered a real book from her.

Lena puts down on paper her advice “no to depression, gloom and negative spiral!

The cool thing about a book is that it lasts a long time and not 24 hours like a video or a story ”.

And after the book?

“If I am offered a role in the cinema or the theater, I say yes right away!

», She confides, bursting out laughing.

His friends, his life, his fights

When she decides a few months ago to leave the family nest, Léna promises to afford a huge sofa where she can wallow with her friends as in “Friends”, her cult series. At home, the door is always open for her friends. Among them, Bilal Hassani "his ray of sunshine" and also her lover, Seb La Frite, also a YouTube star with 4.5 million subscribers. Deeply shocked by homophobia, sexism and racism, Léna calls on her fans to mobilize. Even if it means losing 13,000 suddenly when she asks them to sign a petition to support the American movement "Black Lives Matter". On the liberation of the voice of women, the YouTuber believes that “if serious things happen, whether on YouTube or elsewhere, the victims must dare to speak out. No one should use his notoriety to attract young girls and we should not hesitate to denounce the disgusting behavior of some men! "