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“Is the YouTube beauty community dying?”
Meet the Experts
The Rise of Beauty YouTube
YouTube officially launched on December 15, 2005.
“YouTube was also easy to use.
Adrienne K. Hickman is often credited with publishing thefirst makeup tutorial, uploading hers on March 29, 2006.
Between then and 2009, the foundation of the YouTube beauty community steadily developed.
I did, however, want tutorials from my favorite YouTubers.”
YouTube / Design by Kaitlyn Collins / Byrdie
By the early 2010s, YouTube had cemented itself as a cultural phenomenon.
Creators becamethesource of truth for product recommendations and all-around beauty advice.
“Whether intentional or not, they provided representation in a space that white YouTubers still dominated.”
Getty Images / Design by Kaitlyn Collins / Byrdie
In 2013, it rolled out the AdSense-based monetization system to eligible accounts.
However, through the 2010s, additional avenues for monetization and brand-building emerged.
Case in point: Carli Bybel designed an eye shadow palette with BH Cosmetics in 2016.
Getty Images / Design by Kaitlyn Collins / Byrdie
In 2017, Manny MUA became Maybelline’s first male brand ambassador.
In 2020, Rock worked with Wet N Wild on its first-ever influencer-led makeup collection.
In 2021, Nyma Tang became CVS’s first beauty inclusivity consultant.
Getty Images / Design by Kaitlyn Collins / Byrdie
Mega-influencers like Jay also parlayed their success on YouTube into other entrepreneurial endeavors.
Jay, for instance, started an accessories business, Karen & Rita Jewelry.
Aina leaned into the lifestyle lane, launching a line of candles and fragrances under the label Forvr Mood.
YouTubes declining beauty viewership and the shifting focus of creators coincided with the emergence of other video-first platforms.
In today’s fast-paced world, attention spans continue to dwindle, birthing a demand for short-form content.
TikTok launched in the United States in 2018, swooping in to meet these needs.
TikTok also provided new revenue streams for creators, like commissions from TikTok Shop sales.
Beauty brands are finding high conversions from influencer marketing with creators in the beauty niche."
TikTok’s fast-growing user base speaks to how game-changing the app has been for creators and viewers alike.
In 2024,Statistareported that TikTok reportedly has two billion users globally.
The two platforms are very different, but short-form video content has taken over."
What’s Next for Beauty YouTube?
Amid this short-form movement, YouTube’s internal team established measures to reinvigorate its beauty community.
In 2020, Tyler joined the brand, and for three years, she guided influencers' growth.
“My job was to help them grow their business on YouTube.
In her role, Tyler also launched experiences tailored to the beauty community.
“Our annual beauty event celebrated big and small creators,” she says.
Beauty Fest allowed us to showcase that YouTube isthehome for beauty.”
The tool quickly became a clear hit, amassing153 million usersin America by 2023.
“YouTube is laying the groundwork to be a stronger TikTok competitor with Shorts,” Powell says.
Green doesn’t predict creators will pour heavily into their YouTube channels, even with its advancements.
For Jay, she says her affinity for YouTube is unshakeable.
“I’m a YouTube girl through and through,” she says.
“I haven’t focused much on TikTok or Instagram Reels because everything I do is intertwined with YouTube.
I’m trying to diversify on other platforms, but I’m still figuring it out.
It will just be a little different.”
“Beauty creators don’t necessarily call themselves ‘beauty creators’ anymore,” Tyler says.
“They’re more like lifestyle creators.
They’re merging multiple content categories into one, but they still keep beauty at the core.”
“YouTube will never die,” Tyler says.
“They continue to find ways to evolve and meet the needs of the consumerusers and creators.
