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The top 15 makeup and beauty YouTubers in the world, some of whom are making millions of dollars
The top 15 makeup and beauty YouTubers in the world, some of whom are making millions of dollars
Amanda PerelliAug 6, 2019, 19:22 IST
Jeffree Star, Manny Gutierrez and James Charles at the KKW Beauty launch.Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images
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YouTube's beauty community is one of the largest on the platform, with creators like Jeffree Star and James Charles dominating the space in views and subscribers.
Some of the earlier top creators in this space, like Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota (MacBarbie07), and Zoe Sugg (Zoella) - with 8, 10 and 11 million subscribers respectively - rarely upload videos anymore. These beauty gurus have taken a backseat, as new creators like Charles have risen to the top.
Here are 15 of YouTube's most subscribed-to beauty and makeup influencers in the world right now.
YouTube's beauty community, which is awash with money, views, and big personalities, is one of the largest communities of creators on YouTube.
Across the world, beauty and makeup creators (along with those from other top categories, like gaming) are dominating the influencer space. Makeup artist and beauty entrepreneur Jeffree Star ranks No. 5 on Forbes highest-paid YouTube influencers list, earning an estimated $18 million between June 1, 2017 to June 1, 2018.
Throughout the years, the quality of videos within this category has intensified. The traditional "get ready with me" makeup look, or "quick how-to" videos (like Zoella's wildly popular, "How To: My Quick and Easy Hairstyles," video from 2013 with 12.7 million views) no longer make the cut, as more professionally produced content floods the space.
Bethany Mota's "Getting Prom Ready" video has 7 million views.Bethany Mota/YouTube
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Some of the earlier top creators in this space, like Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota (MacBarbie07), and Zoe Sugg (Zoella) - with 8, 10, and 11 million subscribers respectively - rarely upload videos anymore.
These beauty gurus have taken a backseat, as new creators like James Charles (15.9 million subscribers) have risen to the top.
Charles takes an artistic approach to his tutorials, and with a steady hand, the internet star has filmed some intricate looks, a makeup trend popular among influencers like Charles on social media.
James CharlesJames Charles/YouTube
Among all these changes, YouTube's beauty community has attracted some major public attention, with publications like The New York Times covering the scandal between YouTube influencer Tati Westbrook and Charles.
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In May, Westbrook publicly ended her friendship with Charles in a 43-minute YouTube video titled "Bye Sister," which has since been deleted. The feud ended in Westbrook gaining about 4 million subscribers on YouTube, and Charles losing about 3 million that month, according to data from Social Blade.
Here are 15 of YouTube's most subscribed-to beauty and makeup influencers. We ranked the top consistently active makeup and beauty channels, based off their subscriber count and collected the data using Social Blade and YouTube.
Promise Tamang is related to one of YouTube's first "break-out" creators, Michelle Phan – who has 8.8 million subscribers on YouTube, but has not posted a YouTube video in over 2 years.
Jaclyn Hill took a break from social media between mid-June and the end of July, after she faced backlash online in response to the launch of her cosmetics line, Jaclyn Cosmetics. Hill deactivated her social media accounts after fans who purchased a lipstick from her brand said the product caused swelling and bumps. Hill has since returned to YouTube to address the concerns.
In 2018, Bunny Meyer filmed a three-part docuseries with the YouTube star, Shane Dawson, for his channel. In the series, Meyer opened up with Dawson about the secret life she's been keeping from her online followers and the struggles she's had with her YouTube channel. Her response video, "Why I've been Lying About My Life," gained 5 million views and 300,000 likes on YouTube.
Tati Westbrook instantly gained about 4 million subscribers on YouTube in May, following her 43-minute YouTube video titled "Bye Sister," which has since been deleted, where she publicly ended her friendship with James Charles, according to data from Social Blade.
Nikkie de Jager became massively popular online after her YouTube video, "The Power of MAKEUP!", went viral – which shows a side-by-side comparison of her face with and without makeup. The video has 40.6 million views.
Amid his public feud with YouTube influencer Tati Westbrook, James Charles immediately lost about 3 million subscribers in May, according to data from Social Blade.
