Ok girls- my Moscato wine is giving me the liquid courage to finally confess something that I have wanted to write about for awhile. Well, I have hinted about this obsession in a previous post but besides my closest friends and family, there aren't many people that know that I may or may not LOVE watching makeup/fashion/shopping youtube video tutorials and hauls. I know, I know. Most of you are probably scratching your head because...
Anne = Law Student/Fairly Serious/Can be found on most days wearing her notre dame hoody with hair in an ugly bun...EXHIBIT A
I honestly have no idea how I became introduced to these videos or even really when I started watching. All I know is that watching these videos is something I really look forward to because they for some reason are something that help me to just relieve stress and tension from a long day at work/school and provide me with great ideas and advice. In a nutshell, this genre of youtube videos mainly features women around my age who film themselves giving tutorials about hair/makeup styles, displaying recent purchases from a store and reviewing those items for quality/satisfaction, or suggesting lifestyle/health choices. In a practical way, these videos are super helpful for planning shopping trips because you can hear about a product without having to buy it and try it out yourself. I also like watching girls that have the same hair color/skin tone as myself so I can get ideas for what types of shades and colors would look good on me.
The biggest criticism I hear about these videos is that watching girls do hair/makeup or talk about their shopping purchases perpetuates materialism and/or suggests that girls need to wear makeup or wear certain clothes to feel beautiful. Honestly, I think these are very fair criticisms. My only response will be that personally, I enjoy watching these videos as a hobby and enjoy trying out makeup products or hair styles as something fun to do in my free time. I personally feel that I am still a generally non-materialistic person and still feel more comfortable in my own skin, free of fancy or flashy accessories. But I don't think this is likely true for all viewers...
For those of you who are curious, here is a list of my Top 5 favorite channels to watch:
Warning: I've found that people either Love or Hate these videos. Some friends I've shown these too get hooked and some, after 15 seconds, roll their eyes and make me turn it off. My only request, regardless of your reaction - don't make fun of me too much (;
Missglamorazzi, or Ingrid in real life, is my favorite guru not only because she is my age but because she is just so much fun to watch. She is so down to earth and has a great sense of humor so I almost feel like I'm having a conversation with a friend while I'm watching her. Her love of neon clothes isn't really up my alley, but her tutorials provide ideas that are so wearable because she prefers the natural/girly makeup look.
#2: http://www.youtube.com/user/aLoveTart?feature=g-u-u
While the owner of this channel is little older than me, I really enjoy watching her because she almost exclusively uses very affordable products. I watch her when I want some ideas from what to get from the drugstore makeup aisles.
#3: http://www.youtube.com/user/emilynoel83?feature=g-u-u
Emily is a news anchor who just enjoys filming makeup tutorials during her free time. She is so great in her explanations of how to do things and is just so cheery and pleasant in her demeanor. She also has a series called "Shopping List Ideas" where she gives her suggestions for products that she herself has bought and would recommend to others. I like this series better than hauls where girls will simply show what they've bought without trying them out first.
#4: http://www.youtube.com/user/NikkiPhillippi?feature=g-u-u
Nikki is probably the funniest guru of all of these ladies. She is has been an actor so I think that makes her really great for being in front of the camera. Although I have so much fun watching her videos, my only complaint is that her videos have mainly just been video diaries lately and not really tutorials.
#5: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllThatGlitters21
This channel is probably the most famous of the five. Elle Fowler, along with her sister Blair who also has a channel, is my age and has become one of the most popular youtube gurus of all time. I really like her style, she is very classic but loves to put color into her more traditional pieces, and think her makeup is always so natural but still makes her look really glamourous. The only reason I have put her at #5 is that I don't trust her endorsements as much anymore. Because of her notoriety, Elle is sent most of the products she mentions for free and is paid a lot of money by youtube to make videos, giving her the ability to buy products that I just can't afford. If Elle limited herself to more affordable products and didn't accept as many products, she would probably be my #1.
