MMMMITCHELL
Shutting Instagram down with his endless talent and ‘ahead-of-the-game’ ethic, makeup artist MMMMitchell has had a triumphant, and extremely busy, 2018. Touring global makeup masterclasses, as well as starring on the likes of NikkieTutorials’, James Charles’ and Jeffree Star’s Youtube Channels, there is no doubt that the Bolton born-and-bred highlighter king is just at the start of a very blinding career (no pun intended). Not only has the social media phenomena cracked the attention of Kim Kardashian and fellow makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, but the beauty extraordinaire has been dipping his toes into the cosmetics industry itself. Earlier this year, Halliday released his ultimate lip trio with Jordana Ticia Cosmetics, and now, just in time for the holidays, an eponymous highlighter kit has hit the shelves in co-operation with bPerfect. With a hand full of skill and an eye for colourful aesthetics, we can only expect to see this 20-year-old oracle of maquillage to continue in his path to take over the world.
– Sian Howells
JAMEELA JAMIL
Jameela Jamil has recently shot to fame in light of her role in NBC’s hit comedy, ‘The Good Place’. However, Jamil has much more to offer than simply filling her boots as a fantastic actress. Being an avid body positivity advocate, the star leads in her self-made project: I Weigh. The movement encourages anyone to weigh themselves in terms of their achievements, careers, and personalities, in order to see how amazing and valuable we are beyond our physical weight. With every photo shoot Jamil takes part in, she refuses to be photoshopped. The body-posi administrator also refuted the use of makeup to conceal her stretch marks on set of ‘The Good Place’; her determination lies in not hiding natural features of female bodies that the media so often counts as flawed. Instead, Jamil chooses to be relentless in bodily affirmation no matter what. Whilst exuding beauty from the outside, Jamil is also filled with gorgeousness from within, looking incredible no matter what she does or says. Plus, the girl can make a full fringe work, and you have to be truly iconic for that.
– Lauren Banks
TATI WESTBROOK
Tati Westbrook, AKA glamlifeguru, has been best known as mother of the beauty community – and this year has been no different. 2018 has seen the makeup addict finally launch her own cosmetics brand, ‘Halo’. The skincare-focused label has already released two, intensively nourishing products, including: ‘Halo Beauty Hair, Skin and Nails Booster’ and ‘Halo Beauty Kiwi Seed Skin Booster’ (both vegan and cruelty-free). Westbrook has been inspirational to many, as despite the negative criticism of her brand launch, she has never given in to online abuse – remaining true to her ethos that ‘beauty starts from within’. From working as a beauty counter assistant, to now being the face of an extremely successful YouTube channel and brand – both that she made her own – I can only dream that one day I will follow in her footsteps!
– Amy Webster
KELSEY SIMONE
From her neutral-toned, aesthetically pleasing Instagram, to her creatively informed, fashion-centred YouTube channel, Kelsey Simone has excelled in 2018. At just 19, Simone has earned over 1.5 million subscribers – a product of her elegantly produced videos concerning her love for fashion and beauty, alongside vlogging her everyday life. Catering to all budgets, the star discloses ideas varying from how to DIY luxury items, to tips and tricks for perfect thrifting. Down-to-earth, kind, and not afraid to express her strong religious faith, Simone’s positivity radiates throughout, inspiring her viewer’s to be bolder in not only the way they dress, but also in exhibiting self-confidence.
– Elvira Gothlin
JESSIE FRIZZELL
Everybody’s favourite Instagram fashionista, Jessie Frizzell, has been strutting the most stylish prowess in 2018. Having been a year since her interview with SCAN, Frizzell’s following has caught fire, finally giving the fashion-forward model the recognition she deserves. Forever being snatched to the Gods, and serving the most on-fleek LEWKS, Jessica works effortlessly to produce consistently up-to-date content. Flashing her love for colour, textured combinations, and on-trend garments within every single style composition, leaves the budding blogger as someone synonymous to high-class glamour. In close affinity with labels as big as Missguided, Fashion Nova, and Pretty Little Thing, I doubt Frizzell’s Insta-fame will be dying out anytime soon.
– Sian Howells
NIKKIETUTORIALS
NikkieTutorials is a popular YouTube makeup artist who films a variety of tutorials, covering looks for all occasions. This year, Nikkie created a ‘Halloweek’ series, whereby she posted a number of videos showcasing a diverse range of ghostly, yet glamorous Halloween looks. Considering how difficult it can be to think of original and imaginative makeup ideas for anticipated dates in the calendar, I found these videos to be the perfect solution. As well as being influential in her status as YouTube Royalty, Nikkie’s character also makes her easy to watch. For that reason, NikkieTutorials has to be one of the very top beauty influencers – not just of 2018, but of the modern age.
– Megan Jones
ASHLEY GRAHAM
2018 has been a fabulous year for model and body positivity advocate, Ashley Graham. Graham kicked off the year by becoming the first plus-sized model to feature on the Forbes 2017 Highest-Paid Models list, earning a staggering $5.5 million dollars. This year, Graham showed no signs of slowing down: walking for Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors, gracing several high-profile magazine covers, and continuing to strengthen her ground-breaking collection ‘Swimsuits For All’. Despite her hectic schedule, Graham continues to use her platform to promote positivity. Her podcast ‘Pretty Big Deal’, sees Ashley in the driver’s seat, interviewing high-profile celebrities like Kim Kardashian, about important topics concerning culture, beauty, business, and body-positivity. Graham’s antics leave us all excited to see how she continues to transform the fashion industry in 2019.
– Tom Scott
AQUARIA
Aquaria has made her impact clear this year – not only within the drag community, but the fashion industry too. The season 10 RuPaul’s Drag Race winner is a self-built success story, having earned her influence firstly through social media activity. Her large Instagram following made her a hotly anticipated contender on the 2018 edition of the cult television show, eventually snatching the crown that she so greatly deserved #10sAcrossTheBoard. After earning her title, Aquaria was catapulted to international fame, yet this has not stopped the glamazon from retaining her her passion for high fashion-fusions of ‘campness’, glamour, androgyny, and overt expressions of femininity. Aquaria’s influencer and alumni status has not only gained her recognition from drag fans across the globe, but also the likes of designer Jeremy Scott, who recently hired Aquaria to work within the high-profile Moschino and H&M collaborative collection. Going from strength to strength, I greatly anticipate the lewks to be served in the upcoming year as Aquaria hands her Drag Race crown to the next successor of the throne.
– Marc Konnari
DEEPIKA PADUKONE
In terms of both profession and serving iconic looks, Deepika Padukone has wreaked greatness this year. Kicking it off in the early months, Padukone took a career-defining role in the Bollywood film, Padmavaat. The movie featured an outstanding wardrobe showcasing traditional Rajasthani dress, with stunning makeup complete with a daring unibrow to accurately reflect the appearance of the character played. Cannes Film Festival also saw another major fashion moment for Deepika, rocking a structured, violet pant suit, matched with flawless, natural-looking makeup and striking liberal kajal around the eyes. Deepika has continually worked to push boundaries in fashion, whilst upholding class with nods to traditional Indian dress and refined silhouettes.
– Adam Saraswati Rawlings
