Afia grew up in Aurora, Colorado, with five siblings, and attended Smoky Hill High School. Her mother, Anne, was born a Christian in Lebanon to Swiss-Lebanese parents, and converted to Islam prior to marrying Afia's father, who is Moroccan. In 2011, when she was 18, Afia married Asef Noorzai, a childhood friend.
While at home with her first baby in 2011, Afia began watching beauty videos online. She was inspired to start recording her own videos, using electronics borrowed from family. Over time she grew her channels to reach 213,000 YouTube subscribers and 300,000 Instagram followers. Afia also began to do photo shoots and work with modest fashion brands.