“There’s definitely a formula for getting views. It’s something extreme, something eye-catching. I used to play into that a lot more, and that started to feel inorganic. The formula for growing at an exponential rate — it’s kind of always remained the same. It’s click-baity.”
YouTube sensation Emma Chamberlain, New York Times (no paywall) (more…)
Oh, how I’ve loved watching Douglas Keeve’s Supreme Models docuseries on YouTube over the last few weeks. Shown on Vogue’s YT channel, it documents the story of models of colour, from Donyale Luna in the 1960s to Jazzelle Zanaughtti today. And revisits some of my favourites from the past, including Veronica Webb, Sesilee Lopez and Pat Cleveland. (more…)
“I just don’t like being famous. You’re lying to people to try to make them seem like you’re their friend for the sole purpose of selling things to them.”
This is a worthwhile read from Vox, on the tenuous career of YouTube influencers, of whom a minority make a profitable career from selling their lifestyle to followers, while the rest are burnt out, broke, cancelled and more. Read more here. (more…)
With a couple of recent beauty brand launches, it’s interesting to speculate who will be the next make-up-artist-turned-make-up-mogul after Pat McGrath and Charlotte Tilbury. I’m currently enjoying watching the rise of Gucci Westman and Westman Atelier, but next in the running we have Violette Serrat and Lisa Eldridge.
Violette rose quickly from freelance MUA to Estee Lauder Global Beauty Director after growing a dedicated following of her beautifully shot (and very ‘French girl style’) YouTube videos. Her aspirational but relatable style now translates to Violette_FR, a capsule beauty line that includes Boum Boum Milk spray serum, liquid eye shadows and – already! – a unisex musk oil perfume (above). (more…)
