Rachel OCool is an actress, makeup artist, and content creator who has over 1 million followers on TikTok. She creates makeup videos teaching viewers all of her makeup “lil tips”, creative looks, and how to do your makeup if like her, you’re a “round face queen.” I got to speak with OCool about her TikTok videos, favorite makeup products, and what it’s like to be a content creator today.
Q: How did you get into makeup?
A: So I think my first run in with makeup was with, I had a dance recital and we had to wear red lipstick. I was like, maybe four years old. And I remember my mom like putting on lipstick and then taking the lipstick and like putting it on my cheeks as blush. And I kind of feel like that was like my first ever low tip from my mom. And then from then on, I’ve just been obsessed. I really started getting into it though, when I was like nine years old, at like the very beginning of beauty guru YouTube. And I would just watch videos, like hours of YouTube videos and then I would sit in front of my mirror and like put it on and take it off and put it on and take it off until my eyes were like raw. And then I started a few failed makeup YouTube channels as a kid. And then when I was 19 or 20, I decided that in addition to acting, I wanted to get certified as a makeup artist so I could you know, still be on set, but be doing makeup if I wasn’t working as an actress and then it just blew up from that.
Q: When you started your TikTok account Did you was your goal to kind of blow up and become out of house because now you have like almost a million followers, right? Like, that’s insane. Did you ever predict that? Was that kind of your end goal or was it something that just kind of happened?”
“This is wild, but welcome.”
A: No. I started acting when I was 18. So I was in the entertainment industry. But I truthfully started the channel to get more clients for my in-person makeup jobs. Because my friend from makeup school started doing that and she got weddings booked every weekend and I was like, oh shit, that’s what I got to do, to get in person clients. And then as soon as my first video blew up, I was like, oh, yeah. I like this. I definitely like the video making aspect tied in with makeup. But I had no idea. Especially how quickly it happened to I was like, this is wild, but welcome.
Q: Your videos are so unique, which is part of the reason that so many people love your content so much. You have all of your “Lil tip” videos and the “De-cake your face” series that you did and they’re just very creative and very different than what a lot of other creators are making. So where do you get the inspiration for those videos?
A: Well how I create the ideas for videos is when I sit down to do my makeup, whether it’s like, getting ready to go out out to an event or to a party or whatever. And it’s just as I’m doing my makeup. It’s like that voice in the back of my head is like, “okay, you drew on your contour this way. You could do a video about that.” And then as I keep going, I’m like “oh you blended with your fingers instead of a sponge this time. You could do a video on that.” But then it starts to show up as like headlines in my brain of what the video like opener would be. And I definitely think that comes from my mom because she’s a teacher. She’s a special education teacher. So whenever I had a project in school or whatever, she would just come up with super unique ideas and build on them on how to make them really fun and encompass all the educational aspects but make it like have a point. So I think that definitely comes from her just like creating a lesson and a story along with the tutorial so you can follow a storyline but also learn something from it.
Q: How do you think that TikTok has changed the beauty world?
“It’s brought back a lot of authenticity”
A: I think, as everything TikTok has touched, it’s sped it up. It’s sped up consumption and trends and products, viral moments, and it’s sped that up insanely to the point where it’s a little unsustainable. But that’s just everything that goes on TikTok. It speeds everything up. But for the beauty community, I think it’s brought back a lot of authenticity despite what you know, recent controversies have shown. The beauty community definitely got a little muddy there in 2018, 2019. But I think the format of TikTok has brought back just that connection through makeup and everyone’s talking about trends and commenting on each other’s videos and sharing techniques and are sharing favorite products and it’s kind of revived that community aspect which I am so happy about. I really missed the beauty community for a minute. But yeah, I think it’s done good and bad things. I think it’s made the beauty industry like more beauty videos more entertainment based because you know, back in like the mid 2000s when it started on YouTube, it was very much like tutorials. But now, there’s less talking. Nobody’s really talking in their videos and it’s more just kind of like showing a process or doing a transition or doing it to music. So it’s way more entertainment based over educational based. And I like that that leaves a nice hole for me to fill.
Q: Shifting a little bit to like your personal routine, what are your holy grail products?
A: The Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk lip liner has been my lip liner for years now. It’s like even if I’m doing a red lip, even if I’m doing a no makeup makeup, glam, nude, or bold. I’m using that liner first. I don’t know what makes it different but like it makes an over-line look so natural.
Also, definitely the Honest Beauty Lip Tints. Those are really good too. Those have been my favorite for a really long time.
I love the IT cosmetics CC cream. I’m doing an ad for this but because I always like asked to try out the product first before I do an ad because I’m like, if I don’t like it, I’m gonna say no. And I tried this and I was like, “oh my god, like this is insane.” The way it makes your skin look over time, even after 12 hours, I look at myself in the mirror and I was like oh I look like I have good skin!
Also the Nars Orgasm collection that they just came out with. These blush sticks make your cheeks look so pretty that I catch myself in the mirror throughout the day and I’m like, “Oh, that looks good.”
The Maybelline eye studio gel liner. I think these are perfect for beginners.
I’m also gonna say ColourPop eyeshadows. They’re great for beginners and for experimenting because you can get so many color stories. So you can experiment with colors, shimmer, matte and they’re really inexpensive and they work than my really expensive ones.
Last is the the Maybelline Fit Me Loose Powder. This is crazy. I have all the loose powders that you could think of and like this one is the best.
Q: What is one step of your makeup routine that you could never give up?
A: I would say lips, even if it’s just a lip tint. I’m not a mascara only girly. I look really weird with just mascara. I look really weird with just my eyebrows done. I look really weird with just concealer. I feel like every other makeup product I need something else to make it fit the look but lipstick I can just wear totally on it’s own. And it just kind of like heightens the face and elevates the look.
Q: A big part of your content and your brand as a whole is the “round face queens” community. How has makeup helped you to embrace not just your face shape, but also all of your natural features. How do you use makeup to feel even more confident in your skin?
“Learning to use makeup to accentuate and embrace the features that you have is so important.”
A: This TikTok channel has completely shifted my view on makeup which is why it’s become my mission to kind of shift the general idea around it. Learning to use makeup to accentuate and embrace the features that you have is so important, instead of thinking about it like I’m correcting my face. I’m covering up my face. I’m hiding my face and trying to solve my insecurities.
But the real solution comes from saying this is my face shape. This is my eye shape. This is what my skin looks like. And I’m gonna move with that and that leads to acceptance of your features, which leads to confidence. So it’s really just about getting to know what you look like and getting to know what features you like enhancing or saturating. It becomes this kind of self-love thing where you are telling yourself what you like. You’re telling yourself, I embrace this. I’m not trying to get rid of it. And it just makes a more positive environment. You always look better moving with what you have rather than going against it.
Q: My final question for you is what’s your favorite part about being a content creator?
“This is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.”
A: My gosh, like, my favorite part is that it is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. You know, I think about my entire life and how this is just a complete combination of everything I’ve ever loved because I’ve been filming videos of myself since I was maybe five years old. I’ve been editing videos for so long, I’ve been script writing for so long, I’ve been learning makeup for so long. I’ve been in love with performing for so long and I’ve been in love with educating for so long. This is just the perfect wrap up of absolutely everything I love. And the fact that I can tie that into helping people embrace themselves and have confidence? That’s just insane. So now I also feel like I’m making an impact. And also being able to be a part of a community that’s been a safe space for me for so long. Getting to have some say in which way the platform goes or at least creating a safe space for people to also be is such a good feeling to be a producer and a place that I’ve been a consumer and for so long.
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