There's so much drama in the beauty community these days that the very concept of an unproblematic YouTuber seems, frankly, unrealistic. Everywhere we turn, influencers are beefing, making racist or homophobic remarks, scamming followers, or getting caught up in their less-than-desirable pasts. The mess is so prevalent that in many cases, other talented and deserving YouTubers get overlooked.
But in an age of standing up for what we believe in and speaking out against what we don't, more and more people are on the hunt for beauty content from people who don't interfere with their moral beliefs or just outright annoy them. So ahead, we've compiled 15 drama-free beauty YouTubers whose content is just as good, if not better, than their problematic counterparts.
Monica Style Muse, 372,000 Subscribers
This New York native isn’t your typical beauty vlogger. The Latinx beauty makes videos about her experiences as an Afro-Latina, how to properly maintain protective hair styles, and how to do makeup looks for dark complexions.
Take a visit to her channel and you'll quickly discover that she is proudly bilingual and frequently begins her videos with “vamos a comenzar,” which means “let's get started.”
Carli Bybel, 6.1 Million Subscribers
Bybel is one of beauty Youtube's OGs. Since launching her YouTube channel and publishing her first-ever beauty tutorial in 2011, the New Jersey native has risen to online superstardom. Despite the fact that she lives in the public eye, she has managed to stay away from the industry's plague of drama. Bybel has been vocal about her goal to stay out of the beauty world's messier corners and keep her relationships private.
Ellarie Noel, 548,000 Subscribers
According to an interview with Cosmopolitan, in 2014 Ellarie Noel was building a following on Instagram as a beauty influencer when the Atlanta, Georgia-based mother of one was laid off from her business development job. Although the experience was painful, a trip invitation from Motive Cosmetics helped soften the blow and gave her hope that she could build a new beauty career. She never had to apply for another job after that.
Now the successful vlogger has not only one but two bestselling collaborations with ColourPop.
Nicole Guerriero, 2.8 Million Subscribers
Though Guerriero isn't even close to being as active as she was when she first launched her channel, the YouTuber is still consistent in giving her subscribers quality content without the pomp and circumstance. It's a wonder that a vlogger so successful has managed to stay out of the mess so easily.
Jade Kendle, 267,000 Subscribers
"My YouTube channel started from a tough situation. I've dealt with cyberbullying for almost 10 years," the YouTuber told PopSugar in 2018. "I became tired of it and wanted to show people who I really was. Around this same time, natural-hair videos began to pop up on YouTube. When I saw these women online, I was inspired by how they embraced their natural hair and curls, and I wanted to do that, too. I knew that there had to be girls out there with hair like mine who were searching for the same things I was, so that was really the beginning of me starting LipsticknCurls."
Farah Dhukai, 2.2 Million Subscribers
If Dhukai looks familiar, it's probably because you've come across her genius beauty hacks on your Instagram feed. The unproblematic beauty babe is so anti-drama, in fact, that's she's been known to take a hiatus or two to focus on her mental health and steer clear of drama when it happens online. Additionally, Dhukai's husband is the founder of popular skin-care brand Farsali.
Alba Ramos, 1 Million Subscribers
Ramos is a clean beauty advocate with a strong personal tie to the issue, according to an interview with Modern Brown Girl.
"My son being diagnosed with autism at the age of three opened up my mind to a whole new way of seeing the food and product industry and what's considered healthy and not. I became aware that the many things slowing down my son's progress is also what affects us neurological humans at a long term level," she said.
"My son's autism symptoms decreased the moment we switched his diet, his water, and his living environment. The fact we gained what we lost by simply switching our habits, implementing detox and nutrition in his life made me a believer and a researcher. My child went from no eye contact, not speaking, and not communicating to improving in all of those areas. This experience is what caused me to clean up my beauty and promote only what I truly believe is safe and effective."
Em Ford, 1.1 Million Followers
Since her channel's inception, Ford has made it her mission to normalize acne among women. She gained notoriety almost four years ago with her YouTube video You Look Disgusting, in which she tackled thousands of cruel comments about her skin on her Instagram photos.
Unfortunately, Ford has been the subject of trolling, even at the hands of other popular vloggers such as Huda Kattan, who posted a makeup-free photo of Ford’s acne on the Huda Beauty Facebook page to promote an article about acne scars. But the post wasn’t celebrating Em’s empowering stance on skin positivity; instead Kattan had captioned the image with the problematic title, "The only thing worse than a breakout is the little scars they leave behind."
Ford stayed positive, and instead of beginning a social media war, she addressed Kattan in a non-confrontational and educational way.
Eman, 920,000 Subscribers
If you're looking for radiant makeup looks from someone who isn't known for problematic behavior, Eman is the one. She provides honest reviews, stunning tutorials, and is a joy to tune into.
Patricia Bright, 2.7 Million Subscribers
This UK-based beauty vlogger comes from humble beginnings. “I started vlogging in the bathroom of my shared house, whispering to the camera on top of a shoebox,” she revealed to Glamour UK. Things have surely changed. Now she's a wife, a mother, and of one of the UK's most bankable vloggers.
Marianna Hewitt, 296,000 Subscribers
Hewitt is one of the few influencers whose content seems genuine, and you'll rarely catch her advertising for random brands. "When I meet fans, they hug me and talk to me as if I've known them forever. So when they see an influencer they recognize in a commercial, they're excited. Every time I do a sponsored post, my fans are like okay, Marianna consistently uses these products, it's not random," she said in a 2016 interview with Fashionista.
Shalom Blac, 1.3 Million Subscribers
Blac has become YouTube's shining example of perseverance and not letting society dictate what's beautiful. "Growing up and going through what I've gone through opened doors for me to be accepting of and open to others. I'm in a position where I want people to accept me for who I am. I shouldn't have to convert myself or pretend to be someone else. I’m able to share my flaws and just say: It is what it is. I'm just going to live my life. I'm not going to let anything stop me," she told Glamour in 2018.
Heart Defensor, 2.2 Million Subscribers
Visit Defensor's channel and you'll be in for more than just a simple makeup tutorial. The hilarious vlogger, who often brings her husband along for the ride, has a page that boats mukbangs, hilarious challenges, fashion hauls, and so much more. Even better, she's basically mastered the messy bun and will show you her ways.
Bri Hall, 700,000 Subscribers
According to Glitter Mag, influencer Bri Hall, also known as La Hara, is best known for her natural hair and makeup videos, DIY fashion tips, and art videos. La Hara is also a soulful songstress known for her soft looks that are influenced by her Jamaican heritage and urban roots. The multifaceted YouTuber gained rapid popularity for teaching her subscribers how to keep their curls in the best shape ever.
Safiya Nygaard, 8.8 Million Subscribers
Remember that hilarious vlogger who made a cake out of literal lipstick? Well, this is her. Nygaard has managed to make the science of beauty so much fun with her hilarious and out-of-the-box videos.
So next time you hop on YouTube and don't want to be bothered with controversial vloggers who are always causing drama, try one of these talented beauty babes instead.
