Chances are you have been sucked into a YouTube spiral before. It might start with a simple hair tutorial and then suddenly, you’re following along to a “No Makeup Makeup Tutorial”. An hour (or two) later, and you’ve got a full-fledged list of must-buy products at Sephora that you’ll make sure to sample next time you’re in the store… and it’s all thanks to the countless bloggers and vloggers uploading hundreds of videos on YouTube every day.
While YouTube, and the concept of beauty bloggers alike, have been around for quite some time now, it seems that the cachet hasn’t worn off. In fact, popular bloggers are only increasing in popularity and more come on the scene every day.
It’s not hard to imagine why this phenomenon has taken off, and why so many bloggers are here to fill our every beauty-related-video desire. People want to know how to replicate the latest beauty trends, and bloggers seem to have fun while creating them. But amongst all the varnish and hairspray, is being a YouTube beauty guru really worth it?
It depends what your motivations are, and how popular you get, but there’s no denying that there is a lot of money to be made. The biggest bloggers on YouTube make money that seems unimaginable for the simple act of doing what they love — and the numbers will wow you.
If you’re curious to find out just how much these bloggers make, keep scrolling to see how much some of the best earn in a year. It might have you second-guessing your day job.
According to Elle Australia, an AdAge deep dive suggests that some beauty bloggers earn tens of thousands of dollars a month. When you break down just where this money comes from, there’s no denying that these beauty mavens are celebrities in their own right.
Ringing in as the highest-paid beauty influencer, Huda Kattan (pictured) has a net worth of $761 million AUD to her name. For a blog that launched only ten years ago, she’s really risen to the top, now charging $46,000 AUD for an Instagram post and YouTube earnings at $186,000, Elle Australia reports.
Following close behind, Jeffree Star is thought to have a net worth of $69 million AUD, Cosmopolitan estimates. Raking in an income from YouTube, paid campaigns, sponsorships and his eponymous cosmetics line, there’s no sign of slowing down for him.
While these are extreme examples, we can look to the creme de la creme of beauty bloggers to understand just how great the potential is in the YouTube beauty space. While new bloggers surely won’t be making such extreme figures, many are making money in some way or another. Whether through gifted campaigns or paid promotions, beauty bloggers are proving that passion, knowledge and authenticity really can lead to monetary gain, no matter what the field may be.