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Nicole Crippen

Professor Lavina Ahmed

Creative Writing

April 25, 2017

The Evolution of Beauty

For the longest time the Beauty Industry was driven by Hollywood. A celebrity would

make the personal choice or professional endorsement of a certain product/ style, and instantly it

would gain popularity. For instance, the Rachel named after Jennifer Anistons character in the

TV sitcom Friends became an iconic trend in the 90s where women got their hair layered. The

Rachel is probably one of the most famous hairstyles of our time simply known as being

iconic. Another example is Audrey Hepburn, who is the main reason ballet flats became a

wardrobe staple, due to the fact that she often would wear them with slim cropped pants, and this

combination with ballet flats became her signature look.

Beauty standards have always existed, however within the last decade technology has

changed the way in which we generate new trends. Social media allows the constant flow of

information as well as opinion from not only trendsetters or celebrities, but from friends and

strangers all around the world. According to the Pew Research Center, from the year 2005-2015

nearly two-thirds of American adults (65%) use social networking sites. (Perrin) With this

drastic shift, the beauty industry had to change their approach with connecting with the

consumers, and this is where the importance of beauty influencers came into effect.

With platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, as well as Tumblr makeup artists were able

to post their authentic thoughts on products, as well as display their makeup creations virtually
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that could be shared with millions around the world. This online sharing created a community for

makeup enthusiasts, and ultimately this is where individuals known as beauty influencers

developed. Influencers are defined as, individuals who have the power to affect purchase

decisions of others because of their (real or perceived) authority, knowledge, position, or

relationship. (Dictionary)

Some of my favorite beauty influencers include individuals like Jaclyn Hill, Patrick

Starrr, Desi Perkins, Laura Lee, Jackie Aina, and Jeffree Star. All these influencers are diverse in

terms of all having their own unique style in which they present their views on the makeup

industry as well as trends. There are thousands of beauty influencers, and each one has resulted

in the way in which makeup companies approach consumers. The Vice President of branding

marketing at Ulta Beauty Shelley Haus, was quoted, Social media is shaping consumer

behaviorscrolling through Instagram, the pictures and videos bring things to life in a way

thats super absorbable. [Consumers] go to Instagram for beauty inspiration and to learn how to

wear this or do that. They relate in a really visual way, and they are getting a sense of urgency.

(Brown)

YouTube was the first platform in which beauty influencers began to create a community

for makeup lovers. There are currently 14.9 billion beauty-related video views on YouTube,

according to the data software company Pixability. Every month YouTube registers more than

700 million views of beauty-related content...Your future customers are engaged with YouTube

and big beauty brands do not own their space. Their videos represent only 3 percent of total

views. Individual vloggers control a stunning 97 percent of all beauty topic videos. (Kito)

Beauty influencers are important because they understand the imagined audience, In the

absence of certain knowledge about audience, participants take cues from the social media
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environment to imagine the community (boyd, 2007: 131). This, the imagined audience, might

be entirely different from the actual readers of a profile, blog post, or tweet. (Marwick and

Boyd)

Due to the fact that there has been this major shift in the beauty industry and the impact

that beauty influencers have, there has to be a reflection made on the women today and the

standards of what is considered beautiful. Before beauty influencers and social media as society

we used celebrities for these unrealistic ideals of what to aspire to look like.

For this paper I wanted to focus on the shift of the beauty industry and discuss the impact

that beauty influencers have on the average woman, and how it has affected me. Before beauty

influencers we had celebrities in which we idolized, and aspired to be like. However, with beauty

influencers we had an approach where we saw them as individuals like ourselves. For example,

one of the biggest beauty influencers is Jaclyn Hill. She was one of the very first of her kind,

being one of the first girls who used YouTube to teach makeup tips. Her following is very diverse

from young girls, mothers, to even men who not only celebrate her makeup tutorials but her as a

person. Since debuting on YouTube she has created a family-like relationship where her

followers feel as if they know her due to the fact that she has exposed herself by telling her story

authentically as well as her followers watched from where she started to where she is right now

in her career. Overall her followers were able to see the evolution and the success of a girl who

started at Mac Cosmetics, who made videos in her bedroom to becoming a successful household

name who is preparing to launch her own cosmetic company, Jaclyn Hill Cosmetics.

In the YouTube sense you feel more on the same level as beauty influencers because you

watch as they create these looks and you feel as if you are watching your friend get ready. You
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also have the ability to sit at your computer and get ready alongside the influencer, it can be seen

as an escape. The comment section on YouTube can also be seen as a gathering for the makeup

community, due to the fact that you are able to leave feedback and communicate with one

another. The makeup community forms through their passion for the essence of makeup, whether

thats discussing new products, new collaborations, or newest trends. There is this type of

community that is formed that is accepting, and motivates individuals to express their interests

and the ability to be open to one another.

However, the beauty community on Instagram is very different. I myself have a problem

with how photoshoped images are on Instagram due to the fact that I think of younger

generations who look at these images and aspire to these unrealistic goals. If you were too look

up makeup looks on Instagram right now you would see all airbrushed images, skin blurred to

look like perfection having not one blemish noticeable. I believe that is the problem, the

distinction of not knowing whats too much. I am all for displaying artistry and wanting your

work to look like perfection, which is why individuals choose to make it look magazine worthy,

however my problem is that its become the new normal.

There are some influencers who post their photographs unretouched on Instagram and

instantly are shamed for seeing creasing within their foundation, or having a blemish. They

receive backlash for not being like their peers and editing their photographs to perfection. The

message that is being sent to many individuals is its not okay to be normal, you have to go

above and beyond to be seen as beautiful. Thats the main problem I have with the beauty

industry, in different elements it is thriving in terms of making strides, however there are areas

that need to be addressed and discussed because the youth are watching and impressions are

being made. I understand there will always be standards within beauty, however I hope that as a
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society we can come together and begin the conversation that there needs to be a change. We

started standards by idolizing celebrities and now we have begun to idolize unrealistic images of

average everyday individuals.

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Work Cited

n.d. 12 April 2017. <http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/influencers.html >.

Brown, Rachel. Social Media in the Beauty Landscape. 16 February 2016. 13 April 2017. <
http://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/beauty-industry-social-media-
10347599/ >.

Marwick, A. E., & boyd, d. (2010). "I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twitter
users, context collapse, and the imagined audience," New Media &
Society (2011)

Perrin, Andrew. Social Media Usage: 2005-2015. 8 October 2015. 13 April 2017.
<http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/>.