Here’s the bad news: the world of beauty and skincare is inherently inaccessible. The whole psychology of the industry is to promote an unattainable luxury ideal (for proof, look no further than Goop, a beauty and lifestyle brand founded upon the principle that having a luxurious life costs money.)
That’s disheartening. So here’s the good news: millennial and Gen-Z beauty content creators are making waves in the industry. Writers, editors and yes, even memers, are breaking through the fussiness of the industry, presenting an honest and, more importantly, fun look at beauty and skincare. Here are a few of them.
- Dewy Dudes
-
THE KINGS OF BEAUTY INTERNET. This meme account, run by self-described “dirtbag skincare boyfriends” Emilio Quezada and Evan Schinn, has been going strong since 2018. Beginning with a few memes about Glossier, they’ve touched upon almost every topic in the trending beauty universe: CeraVe/Cetaphil discourse, dunking on “for men” marketing and 3-in-1 products and the ever-mystical journey towards himbofication (bimbofication for us ladies, educate yourselves here.) The dudes also have a podcast, where they interview beauty industry heavyweights as well as other funny people.
It would be a mistake to not point out that part of what makes Dewy Dudes so unique is their scumbro, dudes-rock foray into an industry that is so stigmatized as a “girl thing.” But it’s 2021; men taking care of themselves shouldn’t be revolutionary. The real magic here is that Quezada and Schinn are damn funny.
- Glossier Boyfriends
-
Do you know what the boyfriend chair is? Chances are you’ve seen one in action when you’ve gone out shopping: a strategically-placed chair in every boutique or mall changing area for the man in your life to sit, waiting for you to be done. Glossier Boyfriends is an account dedicated to just that — boyfriends waiting in boyfriend chairs at Glossier stores around the globe.
The account, run by Dani Barrett, posts photos sent in by followers of exactly what you’d think: men waiting around at Glossier stores. But the account isn’t limited to Glossier boyfriends; there have been Glossier dads, Glossier brothers, Glossier husbands, Glossier girlfriends, and even some Glossier kids.
Why is it fun? It’s relatable. Plus, Glossier CEO Emily Weiss follows the account, so you know it’s good.
- Hunter Harris
-
Hunter Harris is not exactly in the beauty industry itself per-se, but when she has takes, they’re hot. Former staff writer at Vulture, Harris has her own newsletter, Hung Up, where she explores, as she says, “thoughts I have wanted to put somewhere other than Twitter and my group chats: Elle Fanning barefoot at LAX, the Taylor Swift song “seven,” the specific torture of using too many AHAs on my skin, the nude glossy lip J. Lo has been wearing for longer than I’ve been alive.”
That last thought garnered a lot of internet steam surrounding the inauguration: Harris had posted an Instagram poll debating between shades of nude lip gloss she predicted J. Lo would wear. After Wednesday, people were demanding Harris “break her silence” on the nude lip debate — hilarity ensued. It’s shenanigans like these that make Harris’s writing so fun, and makes the world of beauty seem like a giant group chat between friends.
- Rio Viera-Newton
-
Aforementioned beauty heavyweight here: Viera-Newton is The Strategist’s “resident beauty nerd,” finding the best products for under $25, going on ingredient deep-dives and basically just being the beauty world’s cool big sister. Her claim to fame is her infamous skincare Google Doc, which began as just a list of good products for her friends and now holds a hallowed place in the beauty world hall of fame. Can you imagine Gwenyth Paltrow making a beauty Google Doc? Didn’t think so.
Cleanse your palate with these content creators. Beauty doesn’t have to be so serious.