The beauty community is full of gorgeous human beings, and each person contributes so much in their own right. And it completely goes without saying, it would not be half of what it is today without the contribution of LGBTQ+ influencers.
Many of the most popular beauty influencers across social media platforms are gay men, and no matter how controversial they are or have been, their impact has propelled around the world. MannyMUA, James Charles, and PatrickStarrr are amongst the best known, out-and-proud beauty gurus, regularly drawing in millions of viewers every month on their YouTube channels with product reviews and full-face makeup creations. Charles has even recently collaborated with Morphe for his sell out smash-hit ‘Unleash Your Inner Artist’ palette, and Starrr regularly works alongside MAC to release limited edition collections that sell out instantly. MannyMUA has also had his own moment in creating a palette with his indie brand, Lunar Beauty. The product went viral and sold out almost instantly.
Despite being at the centre of some of the industry’s biggest stirs, all of these influencers have contributed meaningfully to build the online community into what it is now, helping men, both gay and straight, feel more able and confident in experimenting with makeup and beauty.
Of course, we can’t mention LGBTQ+ influencers without talking about Jeffree Star. Star has done it all: built a world-renowned, multi-million-dollar brand from scratch, created hundreds of exceptional makeup tutorials, and built a following of millions of dedicated fans. In Shane Dawson’s documentary series, Star mentions that he is comfortable with any pronouns, and that gender does not matter to him in regards to relationships. His relationship with boyfriend Nathan Schwandt is solid and heart-warming to see across their online profiles. He constantly advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, contributing to the growing notion of identifying outside of the gender binary, not caring for what others think.
The beauty and lifestyle community also gives way to some of the most incredible lesbian and bisexual influencers. Blogger and beauty fanatic, Ingrid Nilsen creates entertaining videos concerning makeup, hair tutorials, and hauls, as well as being very active in terms of vocalising LGBTQ+ issues. Rose and Rosie is another fantastic, joint channel: a married couple whose focus is lifestyle, but who still like to include the occasional, gorgeous makeup tutorial. Their relationship is so wholesome, and in every video they have together you can truly see how much they adore one other.
Gender has also become a major influence within the beauty community, and would not be anywhere near as flawless without the influence of transgender people. Major players include the likes of Gigi Gorgeous and Nikita Dragun, whom not only create rich-in-talent makeup looks, but also speak out about trans rights and their personal experiences with being trans. Their stories are so inspiring and their looks are always killer. It is as crucial as ever that other influencers, and the community as a whole, supports and listens to these figures to provide them with the respect they deserve.
Queens are often not thought of as central to the beauty community, however drag culture has been setting the tone for beauty skills and standards since the dawn of time. Introducing techniques like ‘baking’ and blocking the brows, their input has been huge, with many fans striving to one day reach their own painted drag perfection. Miss Fame is an exemplary beauty icon throughout the community, creating surreal transformations for other queens in her hit YouTube series, ‘Painted by Fame’.
Without the LGBTQ+ influence we are so fortunate to be graced with, the beauty industry would be years behind where we are now. Thank God drag queens decided to share their contouring secrets.
