If you’re an avid viewer of YouTube videos in the beauty category, it is safe to say that you are no stranger to the drama that has been surrounding the community lately. From cutting ties over vitamins (I’m looking at you, James Charles and Tati Westbrook), to issuing faulty lipsticks to fans (cough, Jaclyn Hill, cough), the “popular” beauty YouTubers we once adored are becoming harder and harder to trust.
We, the lovers of all things beauty, need someone, or rather some channel, to provide us with our beauty fix while being honest and truthful, and thankfully this is possible through smaller, lesser known beauty YouTubers like the following six.
1. Jamie French
Missouri native Jamie French has been on YouTube since 2016, beginning with tutorials like her “Full Face Fall Glam Look” and “Warm Halo Eye Look.” French currently has over 107,000 subscribers.
She experienced a surge in her subscriber count thanks to her now viral video, where she imagines what beauty YouTubers would be like if the platform was around during the decade of body glitter and butterfly clips. French is quite comical and down to earth, which makes her videos extremely enjoyable to watch.
Viewers will also appreciate that, unlike some beauty YouTubers, French isn’t afraid of a good deal and will let subscribers know about dupes and the best drugstore products. French keeps it real with her subscribers, from talking about her struggle with hypothyroid disease to giving an honest review of Jaclyn Hill’s lipsticks.
2. Amy Lynn Thompson
Amy Lynn Thompson (now Sattler), started her YouTube channel in 2013. Thompson began her channel with many “favorite” videos, like her “January 2013 Favorites.” With just over 51,000 subscribers, Thompson’s channel is small, but in a way that makes it feel like a hidden gem when discovered.
Beauty lovers who enjoy review and haul videos over standard makeup tutorials will appreciate Thompson’s multitude of videos that she calls “empties.” In these videos, she goes through products that she has used up and gives an unfiltered review of each item.
As Thompson has gotten older and changed, her channel has changed along with her. While the YouTuber still focuses on beauty, she has made additional videos about plants, essential oils and cooking. Thompson’s channel is focused on beauty at the core, but her sweet and humorous personality mixed with her diverse range of topics offer a little bit of something for every YouTube connoisseur.
3. Leigh Ann Says
Despite being on YouTube for almost 10 years, Leigh Ann only has around 815,000 subscribers, making her underrated compared to the well-known gurus, like Nikkie Tutorials or Jeffree Star.
Leigh Ann started her YouTube career making Outfit of the Day videos and makeup hauls. Any longtime viewer of Leigh Ann knows all about her many hair changes and tutorials, which makes her a great source for anyone looking for videos that focus more on hair than makeup.
However, if makeup reviews and tutorials are what you desire, Leigh Ann’s channel does not disappoint. Leigh Ann has tried out an abundance of different foundations, palettes and hair tools, and offers her viewers inspiration and instruction on various looks throughout her tutorials.
Similar to Thompson, Leigh Ann has also ventured into making videos outside the typical beauty category including style challenges, DIYs and cooking.
4. Claudia Sulewski
Claudia Sulewski currently has 1.9 million subscribers, making her a bit more well-known around YouTube than the previously mentioned content creators, however there are still many YouTube fiends who have yet to watch and enjoy a video or two from the 23-year-old.
Sulewski has been releasing content on her channel since 2009, when she kicked things off with videos of the youthful variety. As she got older, Sulewski and her channel began to develop into something vastly different from her wholesome teenage image.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd-t5yn_pDw
The YouTuber has become like a cool older sister to viewers, as she shows them how to apply makeup and fix their hair, but also how to feel good about themselves on the inside. As a further example of how well-rounded her channel is, Sulewski has dabbled in acting and has discussed her endeavors in her videos.
5. Jessica Braun
Jessica Braun, whose channel is JAMbeauty89, has been around in the YouTube universe since 2013. Braun made her debut with the typical beauty YouTuber content, like “What’s In My Bag” and drugstore haul videos. Braun’s subscriber count comes in at 543,000, which arguably makes her channel a smaller one.
She has garnered attention from larger channels like Tati Westbrook’s, who has mentioned Braun and her channel in a “Youtubers Made Me Buy It” video. Viewers of Braun, called “Jammers,” appreciate how real the creator is about being on YouTube and how she does not hold back about what it is truly like to be a member of the platform.
Braun enjoys trying and testing out the latest and most trendy hair, makeup and skin care. From drugstore favorite Wet N Wild to Sephora cult favorite Drunk Elephant, Braun has covered the highs, lows and everything in between when it comes to beauty.
6. RawBeautyKristi
Kristi of RawBeautyKristi, has been on YouTube since 2013. Kristi began her work on her channel with several tutorial style videos, like her “Sexy Smokey Eye,” later branching out into making videos about weight loss, costume makeup and chatty, get-ready-with-me videos.
The YouTuber’s name may be misleading, as many (including me) think they are going to stumble across videos about the raw diet, however, the “raw” in her name is for the real and candid element that Kristi possesses in the videos she releases to her 687,000 subscribers.
Those who enjoy beauty videos that are a little outside of the box will quite enjoy Kristi’s channel and her many unique videos, like her “Looking At Old Expired Makeup Under A Microscope” video, or her video where she tries on new makeup products while discussing her love of cats. Like several of the other YouTubers previously mentioned above, Kristi does enjoy making videos about other areas of interest like fashion, organization and home decor, so whatever you’re in the mood to watch, you are bound to be entertained.
