The internet has come to a general consensus that a lot of 2017… sucked. Aside from the memes, one part of 2017 that undeniably continued to grow and improve was the beauty community. 2017 was the year of becoming more makeup accepting––showing no matter who you are, your gender, or what you want to wear, makeup is for you. We saw the release of Fenty Beauty, and the rise of male makeup gurus. We became more accepting of weird lip colors, “caking” our face, and not giving AF what other people thought. In my opinion, the beauty community became better in 2017.
To celebrate, here are my top picks for the best, and most inspiring beauty related Youtube videos of the year!
1. KIM KARDASHIAN WEST MAKEUP TUTORIAL | PatrickStarrr by PatrickStarrr
The Rundown: Kim Kardashian West followed in her younger sister’s footsteps this year with the release of her own beauty line, KKW Beauty. Kim explained that she wanted to immerse herself more into the world of beauty gurus and YouTube. “It’s so fun getting to know this whole world. I’m so fascinated with how you made this whole career for yourself just off of YouTube, and everyone connecting with you — and they’re connecting with you for a reason,” she said. Not only did we get to see some of our favorite beauty YouTubers, like Patrick Starrr, test out her new products, but we got to see Kim step out of her comfort zone.
Air Date: August 2, 2017
Best Moment: 10:40, when Kim explains her fascination with beauty and YouTube. Coming from someone who oftentimes seems larger than life, this humble moment put Kim into a new (positive!) light.
2. TOP REQUESTED! My Signature Look! | مكياجي اليومي المفضل! by Huda Beauty
The Rundown: Huda Kattan is a makeup artist, beauty blogger and founder of Huda Beauty, based out of Dubai. She was even named one of the “The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet” by Time. In this video, she sits viewers down and goes in-depth about how she creates her iconic, signature, look. A rundown of how to do makeup the same way as one of the most influential people in the beauty industry? Yes please!
Air Date: March 30, 2017
Best Moment: 4:40, when Kattan shows us how to apply her signature lashes in the style Farah. False lashes were the first product released by Huda’s brand in 2013, and while the brand has now expanded into eyeshadows, foundation and lip products, they are still most famous for their bold lashes.
3. ABH SUBCULTURE PALETTE…WTF? by Alissa Ashley
The Rundown: The Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette was one of the biggest beauty scandals of 2017. Many beauty lovers assumed that the highly anticipated palette would be similar in quality and formula to the best-selling Modern Renaissance palette. However, the brand received backlash as YouTubers started to receive the palette and review it. Common complaints were that the shadows were too powdery, had too much kickback and were difficult to blend.
Air Date: August 3, 2017
Best Moment: 12:30, when Ashley shows how easily the shadow crumbled, with just the lightest touch of her brush.
4. FENTY BEAUTY by RIHANNA… HIT OR MISS?! | Jeffree Star by jeffreestar
The Rundown: Fenty Beauty has taken the beauty world by storm since its release this past fall. The brand debuted with a massive line, consisting of primer, foundation, concealer, contour, highlighter, lip products and essentially everything that you need for a full face of makeup. While fans believe in Rihanna, many wanted to hear a review on the product before they spent all of their money. Jeffree Star uploaded an extensive review on the entire collection as soon as he could get his hands on it, making this one of the most viewed Fenty-related videos on Youtube.
Air Date: September 8, 2017
Best Moment: 15:35, when Star tries out the highly coveted (and, spoiler: highly pigmented) highlighter Trophy Wife.
5. FREE STUFF BEAUTY GURUS GET | Unboxing PR Packages … Episode 1 by Tati
The Rundown: The ultimate beauty guru gave viewers a peak into the life of a beauty YouTuber, and spilled the tea on what an influencer with millions of followers (3.5 million to be exact) actually gets for free. Through reviews, tutorials and hidden sponsors, it can sometimes seem as though everyone who’s interested and passionate about makeup is spending their entire paycheck (plus some!) on beauty products. Tati goes into depth about how a lot of the products she reviews are free and a necessary part of her job––and likely not necessary for the average makeup lover.
Air Date: March 2, 2017
Best Moment: 11:00, listen to Tati explain how her fame didn’t come overnight. It came from handwork and a love of makeup. You don’t get to the point of getting thousands of dollars worth of free makeup from brands on pure luck.
6. HOW TO GET LONG-LASTING & FLAWLESS MAKEUP ALL DAY LONG! by NikkieTutorials
The Rundown: Lets be honest, if you’re following a YouTube tutorial––especially one from NikkieTutorials, who constantly talks about how she prefers a look that is anything but natural––there’s a good chance that you’re wearing a lot of makeup. While many videos will show you how to perfectly blend your eyeshadow, contour or apply falsies, few talk about the behind-the-scenes magic that goes into a look to make sure that it stays on past the time that it takes you to take a selfie. Nikkie dives into the lengthy measures that she takes to ensure that her makeup stays on all day.
Air Date: April 16, 2017
Best Moment: 13:50, when she describes a must-use technique that she learned by Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist, Mario, and recounts a story about her high school makeup days, that I’m sure we can all relate to.
7. DRUGSTORE One Brand Tutorial – MAYBELLINE! | Manny MUA by Manny Mua
The Rundown: Manny Gutierrez made headlines this year for being named the first male face of the brand Maybelline. In this video, he celebrates his historic title, and demonstrates to viewers that beauty doesn’t always need to come at a luxury cost. It can be tempting to assume that in order to look like some of the top beauty influencers, you need to use the high end products that they regularly show in their videos. However, Gutierrez shows that you can look just as good as the gurus on a budget!
Air Date: February 23, 2017
Best Moment: 0:30, when Manny describes how much this title, and more importantly, the support and love from his fans, means to him in a heartwarming moment.
8. LITTLE BROTHER DOES MY MAKEUP! by James Charles
The Rundown: James Charles brings his younger brother, Ian, in front of the camera. I’m sure that the hilarious dynamic between the two of them is one that anyone with a brother can relate to. Aside from the funny moments, of seeing Ian struggle to do his beauty guru brother’s makeup, viewers get to witness as he becomes progressively more accepting of James, and men wearing makeup.
Air Date: July 28, 2017
Best Moment: 10:10, when viewers not only get to see Ian’s final look on James, but hear his thoughts on wearing and applying makeup.