I’ve never really been a girly girl and it wasn’t until about eight months ago did I really get into makeup and realize how much fun it could be. It all started with me searching for makeup tips for my best friend’s wedding and then I found this whole world of makeup related videos on Youtube. Not only were the videos informative and helpful but they were also very entertaining to watch. Some of my favorite makeup gurus are professionally trained makeup artists, some aren’t and one is actually an art student. The five Youtube makeup gurus I’ve listed are my favorites.
First up is Panacea81, Lauren Luke, she was actually the first makeup guru that got me interested in makeup. I love her English accent but what I love most about her videos is that she’s not a professional, she’s a very laid back person, humble and uses both higher end products as well as very inexpensive drug store brands. Basically, she’s not a makeup snob. Her videos tend run on the long side, roughly nine to ten minutes each, but she’s so entertaining to watch and keeps my focus that I rarely ever notice. Luke has become quite a success since breaking out as a Youtube star. She first got a job with the local paper as a makeup columnist and recently she was given the opportunity to create her own makeup line. Not long after the launch of her makeup By Lauren Luke her line has become available in Sephora stores. I love how open she is with her fans. She shares so much of her life with the viewers, even the launch of her makeup line at a Sephora store in New York. I haven’t tried any of her makeup palettes yet but I do love the packaging and it comes with eye primer, eye shadows, blush, lip colors and a liner, all for just $32.50.
The next makeup guru that I came across was Michelle Phan whose Youtube handle is MichellePhan. She is of Vietnamese heritage and I watch her videos because she’s Southeast Asian like myself and we have similar coloring. I like her makeup tutorials because she’s very informative and does each step of her makeup slowly, and for a beginning that’s important. Phan prefers to do voiceovers as oppose to speaking live. Many people have mentioned how soothing her voice is and I have to agree with that. Phan has met with some success as well and has her own skin care line called IQQU Beauty. I get the impression that she’s an art student, at least I think she mentioned it once. Phan also offers several tips on DIY skin care as well as tips on how to better apply eye makeup without causing pre-mature wrinkles and sagging.
Up next is MakeupGeekTV, Marlena. Marlena is a professional makeup artist so her makeup tutorials ranges from every day look to very dramatic evening looks. I like her makeup tutorials because she almost always lists all the products she uses in the information box. It makes it easier to substitute brands if I know what she’ working with. Marlena also works with everything from high end products to inexpensive drug store makeup. She’s also very thorough with her videos. I like that she explains what brushes to use, why, what can be substituted and how to properly apply each color to the eyelids. It doesn’t hurt that she’s always very chipper.
MissChievous is another favorite makeup gurus of mine. Her name is Julia and she’s Swiss-Canadian but currently lives in Switzerland. I was drawn to her videos because of their artistic nature, even her introduction looks artistic. She does many makeup requests like Marlena does but I’ve noticed that Julia tends to take her looks a step up. Her artistic and more daring stuff are her Arabian, Halloween and Fantasy stuff. She also uses all sorts of makeup, everything from high end brands to small brands that are just getting started.
Last but of course not least is OxfordJasmine. I’m not sure if her real name is Jasmine or if she actually lives in Oxford but I know for sure just by her accent that she is English, and she is of Indian descent. Like the other makeup gurus she does a lot of requests but her looks tend to be more for the every day or evening look. I haven’t seen her do any crazy, artsy looks yet. I like her videos because it tends to target people with Asian and Indian features and coloring, as well as people with a medium skin tone. What I like the most about her tutorials is that every makeup brand she uses is cruelty free and she’s always on the look out for other cruelty free brands to share with her viewers.
So those are my favorite makeup gurus and why I love them. If you’re ever in a makeup jam or need help finding a look for any occasion search Youtube for one of these ladies.
