I love using my platform to shine a light on the creators who inspire me and other makeup lovers around the world. In today’s post, I’ll be shining a light on the huge beauty gurus who inspire me.
ILuvSarahii
Karen, otherwise known as ILuvSarahii, is the smallest creator on this list but one of the influencers who inspires me the most. Have you seen her Instagram???
Of the huge beauty gurus mentioned on this list, Karen is the only one who consistently posts tutorials. Therefore, she is a major source of creative, glamorous inspiration. Also, I love that her content isn’t review based. It is a nice change to just see someone playing with makeup. (Additionally, with her talent, she could convince me to buy almost anything.)
As I previously mentioned, Karen is the epitome of glamour. Her looks always leave me feeling inspired to create or to try something new.
Don’t believe me? Check out the below video where she flawlessly recreates Kim Kardashian’s iconic Met Gala look.
Jackie Aina
Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie Jackie. 🙂
I love seeing Jackie‘s channel flourish and grow. Seeing her grow from less than 500,000 subscribers to over 3,000,000 subscribers truly makes me happy.
Jackie is charismatic and engaging. However, beyond her standout personality and skills with makeup, I appreciate the way she uses her platform for good. More specifically, I am impressed at the way she uses her voice to shine a light on subject matters that are important to her. For example, diversity and representation within the beauty community is a huge part of her content. In the below video, Jackie shines a light on Muslim owned brands and constantly gives shout-outs to other indie and minority-owned brands.
Kathleen Lights
Like Jackie, I remember watching KathleenLights when she had less than 1,000,000 subscribers. Seeing her channel grow over the years has truly made me happy.
Unlike many beauty gurus who move out to California or New York, Kathleen is still living in Florida. As a result, her (and her personality) content still feels relatable for many beauty lovers. This is the reason why she continues to inspire so many people to try the products that she recommends.
I’ve discovered so many new-to-me brands through her channel. In fact, I specifically look to see if she has reviewed a product before I purchase it. From ColourPop to Milk Makeup and Glossier, Kathleen’s full-brand reviews provide insight into a brand’s full line of products. Funnily enough, sometimes her negative reviews will inspire me to try a product, too!
Tati Westbrook
I’m fairly certain that Tati was the first beauty guru I watched. In fact, I still vividly remember watching her baking tutorial in my dorm room. I replayed it and replayed it, desperately trying to follow along.
Over the years, Tati’s channel has grown in size but the quality of her reviews and her content has not wavered. She consistently churns out honest, in-depth reviews and isn’t afraid to share her honest opinions.
Want to learn how to bake or curious about what baking actually means? Check out the below video from Tati where she walks through baking, step-by-step.
Also, I love how Tati tries everything from the weird and wacky, to the drugstore and high-end products. She uses her voice to review indie and small brands, too.
Final Thoughts on the Huge Beauty Gurus Who Inspire Me
Even though I am most inspired by small to mid-size creators on YouTube, I have to give props to the OG YouTubers who paved the way in the community. These women continue to inspire me today.
Each of these talented women has their own unique voices, styles, and way of doing their makeup. Although different, these ladies inspire me to pursue my own creativity with makeup.
Also, it is exciting to see that both Kathleen and Tati used their influence to launch successful brands, Lights Lacquer and Tati Beauty. Read my review of the Tati Beauty Blendiful.
Let’s connect on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin’ | Influenster
Looking to discover talented, mid-size influencers on YouTube? Check out my first roundup of Underrated Beauty YouTubers or my second roundup Underrated Beauty YouTubers Volume for a mix of small to mid-size beauty YouTubers.
Check out the purchases that were inspired by YouTube in my posts, YouTube Made Me Buy It or A Beauty Guru Made Me Buy It.
Have you watched or heard of any of these OG Beauty Influencers? Who inspires you creatively? Please let me know in the comments below.