little white truths

I found these two Melbourne girls (Kat and Hailey) on their second video back when I was pregnant with my son - so it can't be far off two years ago now - and I haven't looked back. 

Their videos are quite long and they bring us beauty news on Fridays - so details of new releases, sneak peeks of upcoming releases and the occasional beauty drama - and on Mondays they update us on news they've discussed previously.

They also run a series called The Makeup Breakup, where they destroy products and weigh the contents to check that we're getting what we paid for etc, and while I tend not to watch these videos because I prefer their other ones, I know that a lot of people love them.

I love these guys because they're good fun and well-researched, and they also bring a balanced view on new releases and drama etc. I always look forward to sitting down and watching the latest episode on Fridays especially. If you haven't watched these guys yet and you love beauty, then I suggest having a look.

EmilyNoel83

Emily is one of the longer-standing Youtubers and she has to be one of the most well-respected people in the community. I'm sure you've probably seen her or at least heard of her, but if you haven't, then I absolutely recommend checking her out. 

She's lovely and she appears to genuinely care about her subscribers, plus she has this slightly nerdy/goofy demeanor (and I mean that in the best way possible) that makes her really endearing.

Better still, I believe her to be very honest and trustworthy so I know that if she recommends something, it's because she really likes it and not because she's being paid to say that. By the same token, she'll put herself out there and tell you if something is bad even though it has been sent to her for review. Not everyone has the guts to do that.

There's a reason why Emily has inspired so many other Youtubers (and they often say so): she's just good.

Jessica is one of the very first Youtubers I found, and I've been subscribed to her for a long time. I think she had around 200,000 subscribers when I found her, and I'm pleased to see that she's now close to 500,000 because I think she deserves it.

Like Emily Noel, she's honest and not afraid to tell you what she does and doesn't like - so she's another person I trust and always have.

I also like her simple, no nonsense style - she's enjoyable to watch but she's not 'frilly' - and I know she's a teacher so perhaps that has something to do with it.

Jessica is also good for budget/drugstore recommendations so she's one I would recommend if you're mainly interested in more affordable products, but she does talk about high-end stuff too.

I found Stephanie when she only had around 100,000 subscribers and she's another one that I'm pleased to say is now getting close to the 500,000 mark. She certainly deserves it, given the time she puts into her videos and the amount of detail contained in her reviews.

I love her because she's bold, blunt and she doesn't take shit. She gives the appearance of being completely herself in her videos, and if you don't like that, then she probably wouldn't want you as a subscriber anyway.

Her reviews are excellent and I find them helpful because she puts time into them and really gets to know a product before putting her opinion out there. Indeed, if I'm interested in a makeup item, then it's her review that I look out for above anyone else's because I know she'll say it straight, and she'll also have thought of things that other people perhaps mightn't have.

Definitely worth watching.

Jen is newer to the Youtube community and I'm pleased that her numbers are starting to rise (she has over 100,000 subscribers now): we need more people like her on the internet. Like Stephanie Nicole, her review videos are very detailed and well-organised - you can tell that a lot of work has gone into them.

I also like her warm, engaging style and the fact that she's prepared to be completely honest about her feelings on a product. I seem to be saying 'she's honest' about everyone on this list (!) - but obviously that's what I look for in Youtubers so it's something that applies to all the people I'm mentioning.

Jen Luvs Reviews is one of those channels that I feel should be a lot bigger than it is. Still, she hasn't been around as long as most of the channels mentioned on this list, so she may get bigger yet.

Samantha March

Samantha is another newer channel and I have a feeling she's going to get very big, very fast. She has an upbeat style and a lot of people like her for her humorous approach and also for the fact that she's a self-confessed 'book nerd' (she's a writer) who doesn't take makeup too seriously.

What I like about Samantha is that she comes up with fresh ideas for videos and is always searching for new and interesting topics, so you don't get the whole 'I've seen it all before' feeling with her that you can sometimes get when watching other Youtubers.

Also, because she's small (she's the smallest channel so far on this list), she isn't yet used to receiving PR packages so when she does, I've seen her get quite emotional about them and that's very sweet. She doesn't take it for granted. I like that.

I recently watched Jen Luvs Reviews talking about her favourite Youtubers, and when she talked about Livloveshermakeup, it was like she'd reached inside my brain and said my feelings exactly. I had to smile!

As Jen said, 'Liv's grown on me'. It wasn't as though I didn't like her previously, it's just that I found her hard to watch - she always spoke very fast, her voice was quite young and high, and I found listening to her difficult because I watch Youtube in the evenings after a long day of looking after kids, so I don't want to watch anyone that stops me from feeling relaxed.

However. Somewhere along the way, Liv's style changed. I think it was around the 12,000 subscriber mark when I watched her speak of her ADD and lupus (I didn't know she had these things), and she's also a flute teacher so she said that her ADD had a lot to do with her speed and the flute had a lot to do with the fact that she rarely takes a breath.

It was around this time that her videos started to get more gritty - she became bolder, more sassy and more blunt (her voice isn't as high now either) - and these days I love watching her. As Jen also said, 'I have to be in the mood for Liv' and I feel the same way, but I do love Liv's content and she tests a lot of makeup so I trust her opinion.

And last, I have a few honourable mentions that don't quite make the list, but I do watch most of the videos they put out and I trust them so I thought I would mention them all the same.

The first is Puffins Wife. She has that slightly goofy, nerdy and endearing style that reminds me of Emily Noel, and while at first I found her hard to watch because of the strong accent (it's just not something I'm used to hearing), I now don't notice that and she tests a lot of makeup so I know I'm likely to find reviews of new products on her channel.

The second is Mandy Davis MUA. What I like about Mandy is that she's a bit older (so late thirties, like me) and she doesn't wear super heavy makeup, so her preferences tend to be quite similar to mine. Her skintone is also similar to mine and she does a lot of foundation reviews, and since she's a makeup artist who tests a lot of makeup, I really trust her opinion.

Next, Kaily Baute. Kaily is a smaller channel but she does some really excellent eyeshadow palette reviews and she's great at breaking down a palette and telling you whether you need it. She also has kids and she has to budget for her makeup purchases (more so than younger people with more disposable income who don't have kids), so I know that everything she buys has been thoroughly researched. Plus she's a fingers-applier with foundation, and we're few and far between in this makeup-sponge world so we have that in common!

And finally, Mariah Leonard. Mariah doesn't get talked about much but she does have over 300,000 subscribers and I find her self-deprecating style to be very funny (actually Samantha Ravndahl is very funny too). Mariah's good at makeup and knows her stuff, plus she has some great ideas for content and I always find myself wanting to watch her videos because their titles sound interesting but not bait-like. On top of that, she has dry skin and so do I - so I know I can trust her when it comes to skincare and complexion products like primers and foundations.