These beauty influencers and content creators are known for making a splash wherever they go. Let’s check out the ogs and the fresh faces

In the age of social media, it’s easy to watch as people and trends grow larger, go out of fashion or just stay around forever. One community that seems to endlessly grow is the beauty community. What started with a few gurus posting YouTube videos, has grown to influencers on Instagram posting their daily skincare and SFX looks. Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest names in the beauty community, past and present. 

Huda Kattan
Every beauty influencer has reviewed, sworn by or sought out Huda Beauty products. The woman behind the name is Huda Kattan, a fashion and beauty blogger, entrepreneur and influencer. She has more than 4 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, and has become one of the most renowned beauty influencers.

Michelle Phan
We have to pay tribute to the OG beauty guru, Ms Michelle Phan. With well over 8 million subscribers on YouTube, and nearly 2 million Instagram followers, Michelle went from posting a natural make-up tutorial 15 years ago, going on a four-year-long hiatus from 2015 to 2019, to opening up her very own cosmetic brand known as EM Cosmetics.

Tati Westbrook
Tati started out as the CEO of Halo Beauty, but then decided, 11 years ago, to post a tutorial on how to do a simple smokey eye. Her video quickly received lots of attention and she enjoyed making content a lot more than expected – and the rest is history. She’s now one of the world’s most renowned beauty gurus, honing nearly 9 million YouTube subscribers, and over 2 million Insta followers.

Bretman Rock
He’s one of ‘Da Baddest’ in the beauty game, boasting more than 18 million Instagram followers, and accumulating a YouTube following of nearly 10 million subscribers. Bretman is known for his sassy make-up tutorials,
as well as his hilarious vlogs and challenges with his sister Princess Mae. He has also collaborated with mega beauty brands such
as Colourpop and Wet ’n Wild, creating epic collections that sold out within hours of launching. 

Nikkietutorials
One of the most comfortable-to-watch make-up artists out there, NikkieTutorials has been around for more than 13 years now. She rose
to stardom after posting her ‘The Power of Make-up’ videos on her YouTube channel with 14 million subscribers. These videos also feature celebrities like Adele and Kim Kardashian. She’s witty and humorous, and can be a bit of a mess at times, but she brings a little extra tool to her make-up kit: fun! 

Cantara Farouk
One of our fresher faces, but who has definitely been upping the beauty game in SA, is Cantara. She started posting YouTube videos around three years ago, and has quickly amassed more than 46K Insta-followers and over 3K YouTube subscribers. She posts videos of quick and easy make-up looks, hacks, and beauty brands to try out for any occasion. Cantara also has her own online business selling satin scrunchies – so fetch!

Jessica Van heerden
Introducing one of the most successful, well-known, influential members of the SA beauty community. What started as her posting videos on tutorials for soft everyday looks on her YouTube channel of more than 67K subscribers, grew to her becoming a renowned blogger. Jessica has pushed her own boundaries to get where she is today – ain’t no nine-to-five going to hold her back.

Mihlali Ndamase
Another South African self-starter, and member of the Forbes ‘30 Under 30 List’, Mihlali can be seen showing her acting chops
in Generations but also vlogging about her glow-ups and beauty looks on her YouTube channel with almost 400K subscribers. She also has nearly 2 million Insta followers, with whom she shares her looks and lifestyle.

Vicky Vee Jonas
This 20-year-old is trailblazing! She started out on the modelling scene, but struggled to be considered in ‘commercial’ modelling. This is when she turned to her Instagram and YouTube pages to showcase her modelling abilities by posting videos of beauty tutorials and fashion brands. She’s grown to have more than 91K YouTube subscribers and 376K Instagram followers as well.

Jeffree Star
Would this guru list even be complete without Jeffree Star? Sure, he has had his share of drama, tea-spills and other scandals, but he’s also come out with his own range of beauty products – boasting some of the highest quality formulas at that. Jeffree is  eccentric, a little wacky too, but he’s also insanely gifted with more than 16 million YouTube subscribers. 

Words by Saadiqah Schroeder
Photography: Courtesy Images