Looking for the best way to improve your makeup skills and learn makeup tutorials to become a true artist? Makeup influencers have made it easier than ever, no need for expensive classes! With just a follow, you can access endless free tutorials and beauty hacks.
These influencers aren’t just transforming faces; they’re setting trends, building confidence, and creating a community that’s just as passionate about beauty as you are.
In this article, we’ll list top makeup influencers some of whom are among the highest-paid Instagram influencers in the industry. Let’s get started!
Who Are Makeup Influencer?
Among all types of influencers, makeup influencers are the most popular ones who have gained a massive following by sharing their passion for beauty products and makeup application techniques. Using platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, these influencers create video tutorials, product reviews, and behind-the-scenes vlogs to engage with their audiences.
Some of the most popular makeup influencers have millions of followers and work with major beauty brands to promote new product launches. Since they sound credible and trustworthy among their followers, they can easily popularize particular looks, brands, and products by sharing their recommendations.
Best Makeup Influencers for Collaboration
Whether you are a top makeup brand or a small business in this field, collaborating with makeup influencers can help you increase brand awareness and boost your sales.
Here is the list of best makeup influencers on different social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and of course YouTube.
Top 5 Makeup Influencers on Instagram
Undoubtedly, Instagram is one of the best platforms for makeup artists; they can offer new products and teach new makeup techniques. If you want to hire social media influencers on Instagram, the following list can be helpful.
1- Nikkie de Jager – (@nikkietutorials)
- Followers: 19.2M
- Engagement Rate: 0.64%
- Nationality: American
While many people think of makeup influencers as trendsetters, that’s not always the case, especially with Nikkie de Jager. Nikkie, a well-known American influencer, shares some of the best makeup tutorials on her Instagram account, charming her 19.4 million followers with her creativity and expertise.
She has a different style for creating content on her social media account. Nikkie gathers trends on Instagram and performs them uniquely. She also loves to showcase the original trend at the beginning of her videos, and then she performs the makeup trend in her signature style. Believe it or not, she often does it better than the original trendsetter!
2- Christen Dominique – (@christendominique)
- Followers: 2.3M
- Engagement Rate: 1.45%
- Nationality: Mixed Nationality
Let’s talk about Dominique Cosmetic’s founder and most important Instagram model, Christen Dominique. She is a hardworking makeup influencer on Instagram with 2.3 million fans following her every move.
Christen loves to share her unique lifestyle along with her makeup tutorials. Her style for creating content is more like casual and everyday makeup. She teaches you how to lift your face with concealer and contour, showing you the right way to apply makeup. Additionally, she recreates celebrities’ makeup looks, like the queen Monica Bellucci.
Christen covers everything from beauty hacks to the secrets of recreating a Victoria’s Secret blush in her videos. With each upload, she continues to make progress, and more people are discovering her brand.
3- Pat McGrath – (@patmcgrathreal)
- Followers: 6M
- Engagement Rate: 0.05%
- Nationality: British
The iconic Pat McGrath is a role model for all makeup and lifestyle influencers on Instagram and all the makeup artists working in the fashion industry. Pat has created some of the most exquisite makeup looks during fashion runways, including the Lush Luminosity for Fall 2009.
McGrath has done makeup for influencers like Meredith Duxbury and supermodels like Irina Shayk. Surprisingly, this makeup and fashion influencer has even done makeup for celebrities at important events, such as Cardi B.
Pat McGrath is known for sharing her stunning makeup creations. One standout makeup look was when she crafted an entire makeup look using silver glitter, showing her fearless creativity.
4- Ariel Tejada – (@makeupbyariel)
- Followers: 2.5M
- Engagement Rate: 1.82%
- Nationality: American
Have you ever thought about who creates the Kardashian makeup looks that make them the most beautiful women on the planet? Ariel is a mega makeup influencer who usually does makeup for the Kardashians, the Jenners, and of course, K-pop queen Lisa for their most important ceremonies.
Whether it’s the Oscars or the VMAs, they call him to arrange their makeup looks, which shows just how special his work is. Recently, Ariel has been working with Lisa, the Blackpink vocalist, and her makeup looks are so stunning that you can’t take your eyes off her face. Right now, Ariel has 2.6 million followers, and he is setting the makeup industry on fire.
5- Mary Phillips – (@maryphillips)
- Followers: 2.2M
- Engagement Rate: 0.33%
- Nationality: American
Meet Kendall Jenner and Sabrina Carpenter’s makeup artist, Mary Phillips. Mary has created some phenomenal makeup looks for brands like L’Oréal.
She shares her lifestyle and makeup looks on her Instagram. Every once in a while, she sits in front of a camera and talks about her journey while teaching her makeup tutorials. While Mary is becoming a celebrity by doing other celebrities’ makeup, she has created a brand called “Highlight Artists”. Highlight Artists is a complete service hub representing top hairstylists and makeup artists in LA and NYC.
Top 5 Makeup Influencers on TikTok
Another popular platform for makeup artists is TikTok, where they can share short videos about their tutorials or tips. Here is the list of top 5 makeup influencers on TikTok.
1- Ashley Quiroz – (@ashleynicolequiroz)
- Followers: 444K
- Engagement Rate: 9.11%
- Nationality: American
@ashleynicolequiroz Love this black gloss to deepen my natural lip color 😍 #blacklipgloss#mac#lipcombomacglossstick@@maccosmetics#trendingmakeup#greenscreen
♬ Super Shy – NewJeans
444K followers is pretty impressive for a TikToker with only 1,300 videos, and you know what’s even more impressive? Ashley Quiroz has an insane number of 20 million likes for that.
Ashley Quiroz has an obsession with red, dark brown lipsticks, and bold makeup looks. She often creates casual, everyday makeup tutorials, but her love for bold makeup is hard to miss. Ashley is on her way to becoming one of the hottest mom influencers who sometimes features her two kids in her videos.
2- Danielle Marcan – (@daniellemarcan)
- Followers: 3.4M
- Engagement Rate: 2.77%
- Nationality: Romanian
@daniellemarcan no makeup makeup. should I post part 2? Ib @xolizahbeauty #makeup #beauty #makeuproutine
♬ XOLIZAHBEAUTY – IG: xolizah.beauty
A platform like TikTok is known for highlighting talents, and Danielle Marchan is one of them. Danielle is a female makeup influencer who has become an important trendsetter in the makeup industry. She creates all sorts of makeup looks using different products, including those from sponsors like Fenty Beauty.
Danielle Marcan has a special talent for creating dark scary makeup looks that are perfect for Halloween. On the other hand, she also loves to create makeup looks with colorful or dark eyeshadow in a medium smoky style.
Marcan likes it bold, but not in a way that feels like too much makeup. She’s the queen of creating “no-makeup” makeup looks, so don’t miss the chance to check her out!
3- Abby Roberts – (@abbyroberts)
- Followers: 16M
- Engagement Rate: 3.51%
- Nationality: British
@abbyroberts sitting on the best stuff i’ve ever written hehe 💋 combo: @Anastasia Beverly Hills rosewood liner @Clinique UK black honey #newmusic #altmusic #lipcombo ♬ original sound – Abby Roberts
Ready to meet the real-life Jessica Rabbit? Abby Roberts is a redheaded makeup influencer who creates smoky red looks with a Halloween-inspired twist. Her makeup may be spooky or weird, but it’s so unique that her work has become a trend on TikTok.
Abby recently recreated Lady Gaga’s makeup look from the Joker movie, which gained nearly 200K views, a huge number on a platform like TikTok. She also has been creating stunning Halloween makeup looks, offering last-minute inspiration to make things easier for her fans. Moreover, our Jessica Rabbit here is not only a female makeup influencer but also an up-and-coming singer.
4- Holly Murray Makeup – (@hollymurraymakeup)
- Followers: 13.6M
- Engagement Rate: 2.76%
- Nationality: British
@hollymurraymakeup You’ll float too 🎈 Pennywise makeup! Who should I create next?
♬ original sound – Kathryn Denny
Get ready to have your mind blown when you hear about this TikTok makeup influencer. Holly Murray creates some of the most exceptional spooky makeup looks, not the typical princess style, but truly terrifying and unique.
Murray loves to create famous and bold characters in movies, focusing on those with a positive twist rather than dark ones. She transforms them into darker versions, bringing characters like Pennywise, Sméagol, Mickey Mouse, and many others to life.
5- Char Barker – (@charbarker)
- Followers: 331K
- Engagement Rate: 3.67%
- Nationality: British
@charbarker @Rare Beauty’s new lip oils 🎀💗✨🫶🏼🩰#rarebeauty
♬ –
Do you know what they say about how brunette women have a unique charm? Meet Char Barker, a confident woman who captivates everyone with her long brown hair and glowy green eyes. She is a popular makeup influencer on TikTok, where she shares her everyday makeup routine and matches it with her style.
Char Barker loves to create green makeup looks that compliment her eye color, often wearing something green to match. She has partnered with popular cosmetics brands like Rare Beauty for her TikTok videos, earning millions of views.
5 Best Makeup Influencers on YouTube
With over 2.7 billion active users, YouTube is the second most prominent social media platform. Although most makeup influencers started creating videos on YouTube, with the rise of other social media platforms, most decided to be active on Instagram or TikTok. But, YouTube is still a popular platform for people who want to see longer videos or vlogs. Let’s meet some makeup YouTubers.
1- Ahliyah Michelle – (@Ahliyahmichelle)
- Followers: 67.6K
- Engagement Rate: 0.46%
- Nationality: American
Ahliyah shares quick but descriptive tips about makeup products and trends on her YouTube channel. Apart from being a makeup influencer, Ahliyah is a lifestyle influencer, too. She knows that most women don’t have much time to do all the time-consuming makeup celebrities do, so she shares beauty tips they can follow with the least effort.
2- Maria Maria – (@MariMaria)
- Followers: 11.5M
- Engagement Rate: 3.07%
- Nationality: Brazilian
This Spanish-speaking YouTuber with her followers is a popular makeup influencer known for actively engaging with her audience on social media. Furthermore, she doesn’t stick to one platform; she is an active user on Instagram and TikTok. Therefore, beauty brands can benefit from collaborating with her.
3- Giorgina Juanita – (@GiorginaJuanita)
- Followers: 581K
- Engagement Rate: 2.78%
- Nationality: Dutch
Giorgina is a well-known Dutch model, TikToker, and Instagram makeup influencer who creates wonderful makeup videos for her social media accounts.
It’s worth noting that, Giorgina is a founder of GigiBee Beauty, which is a vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics brand, focusing on sustainability and ethical beauty practices. Her commitment to high-quality, eco-conscious products has positioned her as a leading voice in the sustainable beauty movement.
She has partnered with well-known brands such as Shein and Anastasia Beverly Hills, showcasing her ability to connect with industry leaders while promoting sustainable beauty practices
4- Michelle Wong – (@LabMuffinBeautyScience)
- Followers: 657K
- Engagement Rate: 8.65%
- Nationality: Australian
Being beautiful is not all about what makeup you put on your face. It’s important to care about your skin besides using makeup products. Michelle is a makeup influencer with a Ph.D. in cosmetic products. This means she knows what’s inside each product and how you should use them and care for your skin from the damage that they may bring.
Michelle has 613K subscribers on her YouTube channel, showing how much people care about their skin and health. Although this channel doesn’t feature makeup tutorials, you can learn more about each product here. Therefore, her account can be great for promoting non-toxic, sustainable, and organic cosmetic products.
5- Edward Avila – (@Edward_Avila)
- Followers: 1.55M
- Engagement Rate: 3.17%
- Nationality: Korean
Korean makeup products are so famous because they can change people’s faces. To learn more about these products, people follow Edward Avila, a Korean beauty YouTuber with 1.6M subscribers. Although you may think that Edward is a local influencer, he collaborates with different cosmetic brands around the world.
Beyond YouTube, Edward is active on Instagram with over 353K followers, where he shares his makeup artistry and engages with fans. Edward is recognized for his ability to bridge Western and Eastern beauty trends, particularly through his tutorials that cater to both male and female audiences.
He launched his beauty brand, The Cielo, which reflects his expertise in cosmetics and commitment to quality products
conclusion
While many people believe that cosmetics founders have transformed the beauty industry, it was makeup influencers who changed everything. Founders can’t promote their products without the help of these influencers. Makeup influencers inspire millions to try different makeup products and express their feelings through their looks.
Whether they’re sharing bold styles or everyday beauty tips, these influencers help you improve your makeup skills to become a beauty enthusiast. From luxury brands like Dior to affordable ones like NYX, influencers create exciting content with all of these brands.
FAQs
Deepak Sawant is one of India’s top makeup artists with more than 50 years of experience. He’s best known for working closely with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan as his makeup artist.
Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are a brand’s go-to platforms for finding makeup influencers. Each offers distinct ways to connect with audiences through visuals, tutorials, and short videos. It’s important to examine an influencer’s audience demographics, such as age, gender, location, and interests, to understand their reach and impact.
Considering all these factors, it’s important to say that Huda Kattan is one of the biggest makeup influencers in the world! With over 54 million followers on her Huda Beauty Instagram and another 4.5 million on her account, she has created an exciting community of beauty enthusiasts. Plus, her cosmetics brand, Huda Beauty, has taken the industry by storm and continues to thrive.
