Top 10 YouTube Beauty Tutorials
Updated: Oct. 04, 2018
Learning how to apply professional-looking makeup has never been easier thanks to the extensive library of beauty tutorials on YouTube. We asked beauty expert Andrea Karr to share her top 10 online makeup lessons worth learning at any age.
Highlighting and Contouring for Beginners
This tutorial is great for contour newbies, or anyone who thinks contouring—the art of using light and dark shades to make the face appear more sculpted—has to look harsh and fake. In the vid, the uber-charming Katerina creates a natural look that’s soft and blended but still results in a more chiseled appearance.
If you’re interesting in seeing a complex contour look, complete with baking (a process in which you set your concealer so that it won’t budge even in a downpour), check out Jaclyn Hill’s video here.
How to Get Flawless Skin, The Natural Way
British makeup artist Lisa Eldridge is a leader in the YouTube beauty game for good reason: she’s smart, personable and she offers the best tips and product recommendations. In this video, she shows how to create a beautiful, flawless face without masking the skin underneath. The best part of the vid is when she demonstrates her technique for spot-concealing blemishes so that they’re well covered but still blend seamlessly with foundation. Brilliant.
How to Fake Big Lips
If you can ignore Desi Perkins’ wild eye makeup, her tutorial for over-lining the lips to create the illusion of a plump pucker is spot-on. Try her tips if you have naturally small lips and want them to appear fuller à la Kylie Jenner—without taking the route of costly injections. This video is also a helpful guide to drawing a precise lip line while minimizing feathering.
12 Common Eyeliner Mistakes You Could Be Making
Applying eyeliner is a tricky business. Smudging aside, it’s hard to be precise—especially when you’re trying to apply an even-looking winged liner. The good news? Beauty YouTuber Tina Yong feels our pain. In this easy-to-follow video below, she walks through 12 eyeliner mistakes that many of us make (such as using liquid liner on the lower lash line, drawing liner that’s too thick and using a white pencil to brighten the eyes) and how to correct them, no matter how inexperienced you are at makeup application.
How to Fill Your Brows
A full, structured brow is every makeup artist’s secret weapon. Good brows frame the face, make even the simplest makeup application appear more polished and can even take years off your look—especially if you over-plucked your brows during your misguided youth. In this video below, Brit makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, who works on everyone from Kate Moss to Penelope Cruz, shows how to create a full yet natural shape for your face that mimics the modern look of model Cara Delevingne.
How to Get the Mila Kunis–Style Smoky Eye
There’s a tendency among smoky-eye tutorials to go totally overboard, but this video by YouTuber Tanya Burr is very wearable—and very sexy. It’s inspired by actress Mila Kunis’ go-to red carpet beauty look (Burr does a lot of celeb-inspired tutorials), which, instead of being over-the-top, looks fresh and glowy. Though Burr walks through Kunis’ entire look including foundation, blush and lips, the heart of the vid is her breakdown of every single eye-shadow shade she uses and how to blend them together for a smoky eye that’s tasteful, not tacky.
How to Get an Ultra-Glam Look for the Holidays
YouTuber Lauren Curtis isn’t known for subtlety, but she paints the most beautiful special-event looks. This one in particular includes a full face of makeup (highlight, contour—the whole shebang), a super flattering rose gold smoky eye, false lashes and lip gloss. Curtis is sweet and engaging and she’s great at showcasing little details, like showing exactly how she applies her falsies.
Strobing 101
Love her or hate her, Kim Kardashian West’s glowing complexion as created by her genius makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, has influenced and inspired a whole generation of young women. In this video, Dedivanovic demonstrates strobing—a method of illuminating the skin without contour—on Kardashian West herself. All of his product recos are excellent and his method of highlighting with creams and powders is surprisingly effortless.
Hot to Get Full-Coverage Makeup for Oily, Acne-Scarred Skin
While this vid doesn’t have the best production values, it’s invaluable if you’ve got oily, scarred skin. YouTuber Rose Kimberly has a ton of helpful tips for flawless, shine-free makeup application, with a budget-friendly slant, to boot. (Many of the products she uses are available at the drugstore.)
How to do a Glitter Lip
This beauty video may seem a little “out there” for everyday, but glitter lips are having a moment in the spotlight, and they’re perfect for a special occasion (so long as you’re okay with sipping through a straw for the evening). Sarah Steller created this video and uses it to showcase the precision required for the sultry glitter lip in a way that’s so artsy and alluring, it’ll make you want to break out your lip brushes and craft glitter. Give it a try if you don’t take your makeup—or yourself—too seriously.
