Black Beauty Influencers Are So Much More

As an initiative dedicated to the exploration of Black influence, it felt obligatory to close out Women's History Month by spotlighting the significant contributions of the Black beauty influencers. In reflecting upon the impact of women, I wanted us to recognize the trailblazing force these ladies have had, extending far beyond the beauty industry into a much larger role that has helped shape the modern influencer landscape for more than a decade.

Therefore, I dedicate this post to them: the girlies who guided some of us through our formative years in school; inspired us to amplify our own voices; and exemplify the rewards that years of unwavering dedication and passion can yield.

History of YouTube

As a Millennial, it is easy to forget that it was only in 2005 that YouTube was created. Just shortly after LinkedIn, Myspace (2003) & Facebook (2004); a beat before Reddit (2005), Twitter (2006) & Tumblr (2007); and a significant head start of Instagram, Pinterest (2010), Twitch (2011), Vine (2013), Musical.ly (2014), Discord, Triller (2015), TikTok (2016), Clubhouse, BeReal & Lemon8 (2020). A launching pad for visual storytelling, it makes sense that YouTube has played such a significant role in propelling the early archetype of what we now know to be a social media influencer.

Research finds that 95% of viewers retain messaging from a video in comparison to 10% with text (Insivia); not coincidental with why parasocial relationships have been more strongly felt when fostered through video content. As a platform birthed from the idea of democratized video sharing, it is with YouTube content that some of the strongest online relationships and mass followings have been launched.

What started off as random vlogging with unexpected virality, slowly became an emergence of creators finding lanes in which to commit. And as we all know, the beauty community was one that quickly took heed. With endless products to show off, countless techniques to share and an undeniable demand for visual tutorials, the beauty industry was naturally setup for success on YouTube.

But let’s be honest…like all areas in life, aspirations of democratization usually don’t result in idealistic forms of equality — online is no exception. In fact, online behaviors house reflections of real life social commentary. And with that, many issues of equality in beauty were just spotlighted once transferred online. The push for the industry to do better has been an ongoing battle in the space, and pre-YouTube it was something consumers of color (particularly Black consumers of darker complexions) were simply forced to deal with in silence.

But YouTube let the girls hit unmute.

As early creators started to push out beauty content, there were pioneers for Black girls who, consciously or subconsciously, filled the void so often left regarding us. While YouTube hasn’t overhauled challenges of representation, it has better called out these issues & lead to a collective market demand resulting in slow progression. With reach extending beyond personal circles, a powerful sub-community cultivated where Black voices not only advocated for our particular needs but also put in the time to help us navigate the current shelves.

And despite the unfortunate and frequent brand failure to always properly recognize the strength of such influence, these ladies pushed through. They continued to not only share themselves, but to also be the proof that a career as a successful content creator is indeed possible for Black girls too.

Creation as a Career

In 2024, the step out towards content creation is far less rare. With lower barriers to entry and proven records of success, we are amongst a booming creator economy that only continues to grow. But keep in mind, the potential of this path was unbeknown to those who started off in the early years. It was their own work ethic, paralleled with the public’s increased content consumption, that brought about fruitful opportunities for many of our favorites.

Take Tiarra Monet — an example of online & offline pursuit:

A follower count could never accurately reflect the depths to which Tiarra has influenced me and so many others. For starters, she’s played a role in one of the most sacred beauty outlets for a Black woman: hair. I remember watching Tiarra’s videos since I was in school and always getting the sudden urge to try something new.

This girl had me debating a pixie cut, that I knew I could never properly maintain; I later wanted her ash blonde knotless box braids, because it was a perfected color blend that no one else seemed to have; and my latest signature ginger look is thanks to a mood board sent to my stylist that of course included screenshots from her page noting “not too red or orange, I want it like this.”

But what I adore most about Tiarra beyond her videos, is her ability to take the strong platform that she’s built and use it to venture into complementary offline endeavors as well. Those outside of New York may not have realized, but Tiarra had a luxury hair salon at one point called The Crowned Collection (let’s recognize the genius of getting your hair done by your favorite YouTuber).

Tiarra has never stopped the hustle. And even as she’s relocated to Atlanta, she has maintained an undeniable presence in beauty while also pursuing more event & on-air hosting. A woman of many talents, she didn’t allowed herself to become limited by social media; instead she used it as an outlet to express her interests and made sure to pursue them no matter the medium.

Then there’s the beloved Jackie Aina — queen of an online empire:

Now this isn’t at all to suggest that Jackie’s not making major moves offline too; but the online presence that she’s crafted over the years is truly top tier. What’s even more admirable is that it was all built in embracing her honest self & opinions, inclusive of those explicitly from her experience as a Black woman.

Jackie has been forthcoming with her advocacy while creating content and exploring interests that have appealed to a supportive multicultural audience. She’s won everything from an NAACP Image Award to WWD Influencer of The Year. In growing with her over time, we’ve not only seen her content evolve, but we’ve also gotten to see her luxury taste get channeled into its own luxury brand — Forvr Mood.

Forvr Mood was started in 2020 by Jackie & her partner, Denis Asamoah. Launching with a signature product of candles, and an online waitlist of over 45,000, the community was excited to get this extension of Jackie. While the line is available in Sephora and Beauty Hut Africa, healthy sales come DTC as a result of Jackie’s solid social media presence. In November of 2022, the couple celebrated recognition from Shopify for 100K online orders. That said, we can only imagine where they are at almost 2 years later, with an upcoming fragrance drop added to the mix.

But even as her own accomplishments continue to sky rocket, Jackie’s ability to nurture community goes without compromise. Just recently, TikTok creator @nimilolu made a video about quitting content creation and returning back to her job due to unforeseen challenges of what the full-time experience would be like. However, when this video came across Jackie’s FYP, she was compelled to stitch it and advise the up & coming creator on new ways of thinking.

Check it out below:

This is why women like Jackie & the other beauty OGs are so special. Ultimately seeing all of their growth and success has been an inspiration for new waves that are now influencing across several platforms.

But Nimilolu wasn’t completely wrong — this type of work is difficult. Especially when Black creators are seeing a 35% gap in pay compared to their White counterparts. The motivation to stay consistent should be hard to find, and yet so many women continue the journey by leaning on their genuine talents & passion along the way.

That’s why I appreciate the work of LaToya Shambo. The founder of The Black Girl Digital Awards, she has put great effort into pulling together annual celebrations of Black girls in the space. I had the pleasure of being a judge at last year’s awards and was truly inspired by the overflowing support and connection felt in the room.

When we talk about influence, you’ll find myself and so many others emphasize the mistake in restricting it to follower size. For those who have made this their primary qualifier, it is my hope that this post plants the seed to expand your thinking.

Yes, followership is an easy metric to get a gauge on popularity; but for many Black communities, the influence that online creators have is much deeper than that number will show. The niches of Black influence may not always cross a million; but the emotional connections of followers is often unmatched.

Food For Thought

In January a Nielsen study was published recognizing the Black consumer’s buying power within the beauty industry. And to no surprise, the numbers continue to grow.

With the influence on the dollar, combined with the influence on culture, it baffles (and admittedly frustrates) me that throughout all of these years there’s still this need of active advocacy for creators of color.

And so I tell myself — just like the ladies mentioned above, I may not be certain of the impact of my work…but I’ll continue putting it out there.