The Glamorous Side of YouTube

By Isabella Dale

Social media has turned into a frightening creature, a void for explicit, on-the-go information that young-adults of this generation have become hooked on like Winnie the Pooh to honey. We crave fast knowledge and take for granted the ability to connect to just about anyone on the planet within a matter of seconds. Sprung from this bizarre culture, right from the nest of the internet world in which we love so dearly, are YouTube beauty gurus. 

“I watch a couple (of videos) every night” said Jackie Trujillo, a wrestler and freshman from the University of the Cumberlands. “My favourites are Laurenbeautyy and Missglamorazzi.” 

Missglamorazzi. Photo Credits: YouTube.com/Missglamorazzi

YouTube has not only become the world’s most called upon viewing platform, but also a talent scout for every day wannabes looking to have their seven minutes of fame. Those that succeed with over millions of hits however, have perfected their craft, turning a short rant on waterproof mascara into a long personalised channel of entertaining videos connecting countless viewers world wide.

“I think we all go on to look for advice about make-up at first” said Hannah Alimajstorovic, a freshman at UC who loves spending her time on YouTube’s various beauty channels, “but I think what makes us keep going back is how glamorous they come across on screen, because we all need that in our lives.”

The gurus have become celebrities in their own right, with hundreds of thousands of views per clip and millions of subscribers. Women tune in to these on-screen identities as a source of inspiration and motivation; admiring their obvious good looks and flawless presentation skills 

edited down to perfection. 

Even full-time careers manifest out of such public popularity. According to YouTube, partners; those who allow advertisements in and around their clips, make $2 to $5 every thousand views (depending on channel popularity). This means a video that receives up to a hundred thousand views can each earn up to as much as $200 to $500. As far fetched as it seems to receive over a hundred thousand views for a make-up tutorial on YouTube, it is an every day norm for beauty gurus like Kandee Johnson and Tanya Burr. According to TheRichest.com's list of '15 Beauty Gurus That Made It Big on YouTube,’ they both are in the top ten. 

Creating Youtube videos and gaining subscribers are a fun and easy way to make money, and as a choice to earn an income, gravitating towards a career that is within the compounds of mass media can be a smart move. The world is becoming more and more about social media, and capitalising on the rising tide of society could ultimately win you bonus points in the work force. These women have found a field worth investing time into: the world of internet sensations. And as the number of views on their videos continue to grow, so do their bank accounts.