If you were on YouTube AT ALL in the 2010s, especially if you were a girl in GenZ, you definitely know the name Rclbeauty101! With 14.3 million subscribers, her clever DIYs, bubbly personality, and fun skits pushed her to stardom during this period. She explained that “it started out with the skits accompanied by the DIYs until [she] realized [she] enjoyed doing the skits more than the DIYs themselves, so for a long time [she] just did the skits, then [she] adjusted.”
Since the climax of YouTube, our favorite creators, like Rachel, have moved on to pursue other projects and passions. I had the pleasure to catch up and interview Rachel – so, let’s see what Rachel is up to today!
Looking back on Youtube
She describes this time in three words “joyful, unserious, girlhood.” This is true Barbie energy!
From a viewer’s perspective, the YouTube community has experienced big changes over the past few years. When asked about this, she explained that “personally [she] just feel[s] like it removed its community aspect and [she hasn’t] felt the interest in continuing on that platform. [She’s] since found creative outlets elsewhere.”
She had some of the most creative video ideas and she explained that “oddly, with those videos, I’d first do research on the title and see if it would be something that is being pushed by YouTube at that time, then I would come up with a thumbnail that I could see people being intrigued by. At that point I would want to have an entertaining skit in the beginning so I’d try to find something interesting for that part – and the DIY would just be me sitting in my kitchen for like 12 hours until I find something that works for the product.”
With hundreds of DIY videos, viewers might wonder if she still does them. However, she “[doesn’t] use them outside of being in a pinch and needing something that I don’t have in that moment- if I really need a specific lip color I might just throw some eyeshadow into chapstick.” I agree that this is one of her best life hacks; I still use this hack, too!
you inspired many young girls and me to become interested in the creativity of makeup. what inspired RCLÓ cosmetics?
“That makes me so happy! And for me, I saw a lack in the market of things that I personally needed for makeup. As someone who has sensory issues when it pertains to sticky things, I could not find a lipgloss that wasn’t sticky, so I just made it! At the time I also could not find an eyeshadow that was water resistant and as someone who cries at the site of a beautiful sunset, that was something that I needed as well.”
How has your journey in the music industry been?
Rachel has been releasing music for the last few years and she discussed its ups and downs: “As someone who made content without needing anyone’s help for 13 years, it was difficult to communicate with a producer to get my ideas out of my head without having the proper vocabulary needed to do said communication. I have since learned the music lingo and it’s much easier, but it was not a natural experience for me at first!”
If you’re looking for new sad songs for winter, you’re in luck! “I will be releasing music this year every month! (My manager said no sad songs in the summer, so I’ve been releasing all my sad songs in the winter).”
future on the big screen?
We shouldn’t be surprised to see Rachel on the big screen in the future, because she’s venturing into acting and screenwriting!
“Recently my friend and I have been screenwriting films and I have been taking acting lessons, so hopefully I will be able to venture into that world soon as well!”
Any advice for aspiring content creators?
“If I could give advice to anyone interested in content creation it would be that you’re never gonna feel ready. With content creation, you can’t “wait until the videos are good enough”. My first YouTube video was not a good video, and neither was my second or third or fourth. The need for perfectionism in the beginning is the enemy of content creation. If you look at The Simpsons‘ first episode, it looks nothing how it is now. So just make that first video and give yourself the grace to get better as you continue to learn your style. You’re allowed to change whenever you want.”