You sit in front of your mirror, hands shaking as you struggle to create the perfect cat-eye look. You can’t create the perfectly elegant wing if your life depended on it. After smudged attempts and an overload of frustration, you open your laptop and head straight to the only place you know can help – YouTube.
YouTube has changed the way we consume our media, entertainment and music. On top of YouTube’s endless black hole of video content, many YouTube stars have risen to the forefront of the beauty world. Beauty channels may seem like a niche market, but their growing success has pushed them into mainstream media.
Many of these inspirational beauty gurus are stepping outside of YouTube and growing their brand, stardom, and expertise. Grace Helbig, a YouTube Comedian, had a show on E! named, “The Grace Helbig Show.” Beauty blogger Bethany Mota was featured on season 19 of “Dancing With the Stars.”
These YouTubers have changed the way society understands the entire beauty industry. They make the process of applying makeup and attaining show-stopping, red carpet looks less mystifying. These online celebrities have created more accessible forms of beauty so everyday gals can finally perfect the winged liner.
And, because these bloggers spend so much time providing step-by-step tutorials, fans from around the globe also become enamored with their personality – the way they speak, their sense of humor, their personal stories. People follow them because they like their tutorials and because they like who they are. Vloggers, then, become characters that followers everywhere support and emulate.
Here is a list of some of our favorite beauty YouTubers and their stories of glam-success.
Makeup educator Marlena Stell started her channel, Makeup Geek TV, in 2008. In the last eight years, the channel has earned 1.3 million subscribers. In 2009, Stell started her makeup line, also called Makeup Geek, which it has been incredibly successful. According to a 2015 Forbes article, the company grosses around $1 million every month. They sell everything from eye shadow palettes to brushes to contour palettes.
If you’re a highlighter fanatic, then you probably already know about Jaclyn Hill. In May 2016, the professional makeup artist and YouTuber collaborated with Becca Cosmetics on a collection. The Jaclyn Hill x Becca Champagne Pop Collection is an eclectic palette of shimmering products. Allure recently tested the champagne pop highlighter and found that it’s universally beautiful on everyone!
Zoella, or Zoe Elizabeth Sugg, is one of the most famous beauty bloggers on the Internet. She started with her YouTube account and blog and has since ventured into writing. Her book, “Girl Online: The First Novel by Zoella” is sold on Amazon and is the first of a three-book series. She also has her own beauty line, which was created with Feel Unique and Superdrug. Zoella sells a variety of products, including eye shadows, “bath lattes” and body lotions.
Bunny, or Grav3yardgirl, is an energetic vlogger from Texas who is known for her spunky personality and her “Does this thing really work?” videos, in which she tests products that have been suggested to her by her followers. Her energetic smile and goofiness have attracted a “swamp family” of over seven million subscribers. In late May 2016, Tarte launched a collaboration collection with Bunny called “Swamp Queen.” Swamp Queen offers an eye and cheek palette and three lip paints, which currently have a 4.5-star rating on Tarte’s website. Watch Bunny herself chat about the product here.
I got my eyes on you…. pizza ?
A photo posted by M I C H E L L E (@michellephan) on
Michelle Phan was one of the first beauty YouTubers in the online beauty world. She began recording her videos in 2006 on her channel with a webcam and very few followers. Now, she has over eight million YouTube subscribers and is one of the most successful beauty vloggers to date. Her first collaboration with a big-name brand was with Lancôme. In 2012, she launched her own beauty brand called “Em Cosmetics.” Her biggest success, however, was with her business, Ipsy. According to Forbes, Ipsy is valued at approximately $500 million. Every month, Ipsy’s more than 1 million subscribers receive personalized “glam bags” which contain suggested concealers, lipsticks, shadows and other beauty products. Due to her success with Ipsy, Forbes featured Phan in their 30 under 30 list in January 2016.
But if you’re not in the mood to go through various YouTube videos, here are some makeup tips to help you master the art of flawless skin.
