Inside the YouTube beauty community that's turning makeup artists into millionaires

beginner's guide beauty youtube 2x1

Samantha Lee/Insider
  • Beauty influencers similar NikkieTutorials, James Charles, and Jeffree Star are some of the biggest creators on YouTube.
  • They, too as hundreds of others, make upwards the YouTube dazzler community, where millions of people subscribe to see makeup tutorials, product hauls, and more than.
  • In recent years, the YouTube genre has also become synonymous with drama, every bit numerous creators have found themselves involved in scandals and fights.
  • This is office of Insider's "A Beginner's Guide To The Cyberspace" series, introducing readers to fascinating corners of the worldwide web.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

For decades, people turned to beauty books and makeup counters to acquire cosmetic skills. Today, however, searching for a makeup technique online volition yield thousands, if not millions, of results.

Back in 2007, makeup artists and dazzler fanatics began sharing their tips and tricks on YouTube. The community has grown tremendously since, fostering some of the internet's biggest stars in the procedure — call up James Charles and Jeffree Star.

Of course, in that location's more than to the genre than heart-shadow tutorials and Sephora hauls. In recent years, dazzler YouTubers have also become known for their scandals and feuds, which oft overshadow the community every bit a whole.

Hither'due south everything you need to know about the beauty community on YouTube, which is turning many makeup artists into millionaires.

Who are the biggest creators today?

NikkieTutorials has more than xiii one thousand thousand YouTube subscribers at the time of writing.
NikkieTutorials/YouTube

Though tutorials are however popular and reviews are common, dazzler YouTube is far dissimilar today than it was 10 years ago.

For example, makeup hauls have largely been replaced past anti-hauls, during which YouTubers share the makeup products they don't programme on purchasing. It'due south also mutual for beauty vloggers to dedicate entire videos to unmarried brands, and do makeovers using products they "hate."

Many beauty vloggers from YouTube's early days take likewise stopped uploading makeup-related content. Instead, the customs is at present ruled past digital stars similar Jeffree Star, James Charles, Tati Westbrook, NikkieTutorials, Jackie Aina, and Jaclyn Colina.

Their videos are often a lot more personal than those posted by YouTubers years ago. For example, the biggest stars rarely post in-depth tutorials today, simply instead share videos in the style of "chit chat get ready with me," where they talk near their lives while doing their makeup.

It's also common for beauty vloggers to now promote their own makeup products through their channels, which double equally outlets to post everything from house tours to advice videos.

Who watches dazzler YouTube?

James Charles poses with a fan afterward a console at Playlist Alive in Orlando, Florida.
Kat Tenbarge/Insider

Every beauty vlogger on YouTube makes videos for a different demographic. James Charles, for example, is especially popular amid immature viewers, whereas NikkieTutorials makes videos for a slightly older audience.

That beingness said, it doesn't matter if you're a professional makeup artist or a cosmetic enthusiast — there are dazzler videos for everyone on YouTube. Subsequently all, many people who watch beauty YouTube don't actually clothing makeup at all.

With the rise of stars similar Bretman Rock — who infuses comedy into his beauty videos — many of today's videos and creators are accessible to a wider audience than those pop over 10 years agone.

How is beauty YouTube changing the beauty industry?

People expect in line to purchase the Shane Dawson ten Jeffree Star Cosmetics collection.
Amanda Krause/Insider

The beauty manufacture was valued at $532 billion in 2019. That number could largely be attributed to beauty YouTubers, who influence their subscribers to purchase products they recommend, and glory makeup lines, like Kylie Corrective — which led the reality-television star to become a billionaire.

But coin isn't the simply way YouTube has helped the beauty industry to flourish. For example, it's becoming rarer for people to stick with a few tried-and-true beauty products. Instead, many people now own stockpiles of products, many of which they might not ever use, inspired by YouTubers.

YouTubers have also changed the way many people store for makeup. For example, lines class exterior Morphe stores whenever Jeffree Star releases a new makeup line, every bit his products typically sell out correct abroad.

Why is there then much drama?

Jeffree Star, James Charles, and Tati Westbrook found themselves in a huge feud in 2019.
James Charles/YouTube

As the beauty customs on YouTube has grown over the last decade, so take the opportunities bachelor to creators. Not merely can beauty vloggers now partner with makeup brands for sponsorships and collaboration products, but they can even launch their own lines — oftentimes earning them huge profits in the procedure.

Every bit a result, numerous fights have erupted between YouTubers and sometimes brands, peculiarly in recent years. In 2017, for example, a feud between NikkieTutorials, Jeffree Star, and Too Faced Cosmetics began, after Star revealed that the make had underpaid NikkieTutorials for their collaboration makeup line.

More than recently in 2019, James Charles and Tati Westbrook had a major falling out subsequently Charles promoted vitamins from Carbohydrate Bear Hair, a direct competitor of Westbrook'southward Halo Beauty. Star eventually got involved, and the iii are no longer friends.

Scandals also play a big part in YouTube's dazzler community. Non only have multiple YouTubers — including Star and Charles — been accused of everything from racism to lying near their makeup skills, just some take likewise faced criticism for selling faulty products.

Jaclyn Hill, for example, launched her namesake beauty brand, Jaclyn Cosmetics, with a line of lipsticks in May 2019. Every bit customers began to receive their orders from the brand in June of that year, many said they had received damaged products, some of which were said to cause infections.

Hill received much criticism after the launch, which continues to this day, as some people believe she rushed production of the products or possibly sold old ones — which she's denied — to brand a profit.

What celebrities have entered the space?

Kylie Jenner does her makeup for a YouTube tutorial.
Kylie Jenner/YouTube

In recent years, celebrities have both collaborated with dazzler vloggers and, at times, created their ain videos. Kylie Jenner is one of the virtually frequent celebrity faces seen in the community, as she often uploads makeup videos to promote her brand, Kylie Cosmetics.

Her sis Kim Kardashian Westward, on the other hand, has appeared in videos with YouTubers like James Charles and Jaclyn Hill. Similarly, Lady Gaga has appeared on NikkieTutorials' aqueduct, and Kesha has starred in one of Manny MUA's videos.

As mentioned earlier, celebrities have helped the beauty industry transform into the money-making motorcar it is today. As a consequence, numerous stars have created their own cosmetic lines to cash in on the craze.

At the time of writing, celebrities who have their own dazzler brands include: Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Kesha, Drew Barrymore, Kim Kardashian West, Kylie Jenner, Victoria Beckham, Millie Bobby Brown, and Jessica Alba.

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