I love when steps are explained well and you don’t feel like it’s glossed over too many of the smaller steps (ones that often someone who is moderately experienced may take as given). I’m not a fan of tutorials that go too far off on a tangent (unless it’s stated to be that way, e.g. a get-ready-with-me style video I’d expect very different language from than a true tutorial!).
— Christine
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Rave: It is a nice way to get ideas for combinations of shadows from a specific palette. Sometimes there are tips on application such as what brush to use or how the shadow applies best. Sometimes the “beauty guru” is just enjoyable to watch and I will watch their video regardless, just for the entertainment value.
Rant: It isn’t anyone’s fault, such as the guru not instructing correctly, etc , but I have mature eyes, sagging skin, hyperpigmentation, non-existent brows and so many of these gurus are very young with perfect skin and lots of hood space. There is no way I am going to be able to make those techniques, placement, etc work for me. I don’t actually know of anyone on YT who has even close to my eyelid issues to deal with. I am sure there is probably someone but I haven’t found them yet. I have very hooded eyes with the distance above my hood to my brow line being very large. I think that Tara (Tarababyz) is about the closest I have come to finding someone who is close to my eye shape and her technique for dealing with it is really smart. She wears a black eye liner that completely covers the mobile lid that is below her hood and that makes it look like she is starting her eye shadow placement above the crease line. I am not good at eye liner so that technique never seems to work for me. I end up looking like I was punched in the eye. I don’t mind long videos because if I am in the mood to watch videos then that means I don’t have anything else to do so watching chatty videos don’t bother me but going off on 10 minute tangents can be frustrating. I know that they are trying to establish a rapport with their viewers but I don’t need to know about the drama in their life. Besides, if a channel has too much drama then I am out of there despite the talent of the guru. Finally, it is hard to watch a tutorial and not be frustrated by the nearly constant hair flipping. This is true whether it is a tutorial or any type of video. Nothing turns me off quicker. No wonder my list of YT gurus has gotten shorter and shorter, LOL.
I like it when they put the time the actual tutorial starts in the drop down box if they’re going to go off on a tangent. I usually still watch the whole thing but I like that it’s an option.
I agree, having a time stamp is great. I am with you in that I probably will end up watching the whole thing because I am afraid I might miss a really good tip but most of the time, I am not missing anything.
Two channels come to mind that you may not be aware of but find useful are ILUVFACES1042 and UPPIESBEADS. They are both mature women with hooded lids. I don’t know how often they post, certainly not as often as Tarababyz, but they might be helpful.
Thank you for the suggestions. I have seen Uppiesbeads in the past and stopped watching because she shoots her videos from so far away and they appear to have filters, though I am not an expert and it could just be the video quality or angle. Anyway, I haven’t watched anything from her in awhile. I will check her out and see if anything has changed. I know I would be super concerned about how my skin and eyes look close up but I have to be able to see the technique to know whether it will work or to at least try to replicate.
I don’t think I have ever heard of ILUVFACES1042 so I will definitely check her channel out. Thank you again for the great recommendations.
Have you tried watching Risa Does Makeup on YT? She does a lot of tutorials for mature skin and has very hooded eyes. Plus she’s drama-free, so it’s a win all the way around!
Thank you for the recommendation, Shawne. I have heard of the channel but I don’t think I have watched any videos. I will check her channel out.
Angie Hot & Flashy is another great one for mature eyes and skin, makeup and skincare.
I just started watching Angie, mainly for the skincare, and I’d agree that Hot & Flashy is a great channel for mature women. Also Pampered Wolf is great for makeup. Gemma is great and she often features her mom.
I love a good make-up tutorial where everything is explained step-by-step; the teaching aspect makes a tutorial, without tips and explanations about color matching, textures, etc. it’s just a `I put on some make-up and filmed`.
I don’t like (hate is a strong word in this context) make-up tutorials that skip steps (applying foundation, doing brows); even if it’s done on a fast pace, I like to see the full application. Also, I dislike how make-up artists or youtubers just assume you know/remember their brow or foundation routine.
Another thing I dislike is that people do it around specific products. And by doing this, they just say `shade X from palette Y`, instead of saying (for example) a `cool crease shade that would tone down the sparkly eyeshadow`, `a peach/purple blush that would match the eyeshadow used`. I want to recreate the look with my own stuff, not buy all the make-up. I can always do that, off course, I care less about what the person uses in the tutorial… but I would like to see more of the `use whatever you already have` vibe, rather than `buy this to get that`.
I totally agree, Ann Maria, it is nice to know what shade they are using but I like to know what it is I am going for. I think that a lot of gurus don’t do that because they don’t know themselves. They know that they used these shades and they look good together but what makes them look good together? I don’t think they really know. Many of them will say is shade is cool toned or warm toned and clearly the shade is not. I can’t blame them for that since makeup brands market their products incorrectly!! There are times when I have purchased every product the guru used because I love the look so much I want to be able to recreate it exactly but I don’t do that so much anymore.
I also agree that I hate when they skip steps and shorten the process. I learn a lot about the shade when I get to see how long it took to blend out or how many times they had to load the brush, etc. I know they think that long videos are a problem for people and that may be true but to have any value, you have to show the steps accurately, in my opinion.
The issue is that these `make-up gurus` are self-taught individuals, with no expertise in color theory or not even an eye for color. Off course, some are better than others at explaining things, but most of them are people just like us… but with a large media following.
The term `tutorial` is used so loosely… when in the end most are not tutorials, but videos of a `random` person slapping on make-up as they like for the day; which is not bad, just not educational.
When they mention a certain shade from a palette, I head over here to see what the dupes for that shade are. But it sure would be nice if they described the shade as you suggest.
Describing the shade is not just for identifying it for the look (for using the same or dupe), but also educational in cosmetic color theory. Personally, I don’t have an eye for color, and I need more guidance on how to pair shades and tones; I like to learn from tutorials when can I mix cool and warm tones, how to pair blush with eyeshadow or lipstick, if a specific look is better with an warmer or a cooler transition shade in the crease, things like that.
But temptalia is certainly a good resource; if I see a nice eye shadow or lipstick shade in a tutorial, I go and search the website for dupes. 😀
I don’t mind if, for the sake of length, they speed it up or do it off camera. But they should at least put whatever products they are using in the description bar. Most people do that, and I’m okay with that so long as I can see the shade in the description bar.
Rave: They can be really helpful for a novice or someone looking to get the most out of a new palette. If the person has the same colouring and eye shape as you, then it can be quite worthwhile
Rant: Those who rant and rave, have loud music and are pusing their sponsored products.
THIS!
I am late to the watching tutorials game, having started only about a couple of months ago. I don’t look on Instagram, but I have been watching on YouTube. It’s been educational, to say the least, and makes me want to branch out in my style. I typically love shimmers and would wear mostly shimmers/satin finishes and didn’t really like mattes, but I have come to appreciate the mattes. I now have more inspiration for creating new looks and am encouraged to see so many color choices.
I don’t like how incredibly product-oriented many of them are, although if they’re reviewing a new palette, there isn’t much to expect other than that. That’s the point of the review. Although I appreciate a good new product review, I really appreciate people like Wayne Goss, remaining focused more on the technique rather than the actual product itself.
I also don’t like how fake some of them are; the issues with transparency around sponsored videos is a concern. I also don’t like the way people ganged up on one popular YouTuber for giving a negative review of another popular YouTuber’s collaboration with a makeup brand. We all saw with our own eyes that the mattes in the palette were extremely sheer and a little patchy, and even the shimmers had issues. But that controversy revealed just how immature much of the beauty community is, it felt like high school. That was sickening.
Overall, I am learning a lot when it comes to makeup and skincare, and I will leave the worst of it behind. Don’t get caught up in Internet fights.
Do you watch Lisa Eldridge? I ask because you mentioned that you’re newer to watching YT. I consider her to be on par with Wayne. She’s great and doesn’t focus on products. She’s in it purely for the love of makeup.
I think I subscribed to Lisa but I need to check my notifications for her channel. I don’t see her pop up in my notifications very often.
Maybe I have a short attention span. I don’t really like watching makeup tutorials. I am closing in on 60. I am far from proficient at applying my eye makeup, but if I need help to do something I will pull up a tutorial. But it must be someone older, that can relate to me and issues of aging skin, otherwise I’m looking for another one. I also have hooded eyes that add to the difficulty of finding a good tutorial. I have already learned so much here on this site but I’ll take suggestions – please, anyone!
There are some good suggestions up above in replies to someone else’s post. I have been watching Angie of Hot & Flashy, and Gemma of Pampered Wolf. Gemma often features her mother, too.
Thank you CK I’m making a list to check them out. I do like Lisa Eldridge. Wayne Goss is straight to the point which is what I like.
I liked this one I just recently watched. Not that I can even imitate half of her skills but u found it clear, easy to follow and pretty straight to the point. No wondering around and at a nice speed. Really nice I think!
https://youtu.be/TVafACUJKa4
What I don’t like is when they talk outside the subject they are explaining, way too long videos who has time for it even if pleasurable thy take too much time. I don’t like also an overly made look with so many different twists. No thanks! I liked Jule here a lot. Nice and simple. I do enjoy tutorials.
I look for two things: content and approach. Content: I feel like so many of the makeup tutorials out there are small variations on the same thing, I want to actually learn something I don’t already know. For example, Nik at Pixiwoo recently did a video all about foundation, which inspired me to start using a different type of brush to blend mine in. Also I was drawn to makeup through Kevyn Aucoin’s books, so my heart will always be a little stuck in that era. I think he used about half as many products per look as most YouTubers.
Approach: No matter how useful your advice, if it’s delivered in a manner I find unpleasing, I can’t watch it. Lisa Eldridge is my favorite- I love how calm and professional she is, her voice in particular. I also follow Pixiwoo, Violette, Dustin Hunter, and Gothamista (mostly skincare). I’ve been trying to find more since I do enjoy them, but it’s slow going.
I seldom watch tutes, but should. Think I’ll make it a NY resolution. Lots better on the wallet than the site cruising I overindulge in. Thanks for the folks you listed, guys. I do like Wayne, and his brushes, as well. He’s my fantasy child…with my fantasy billionaire BF, Dyson, of course! Holy TMI.
Wayne Goss really does a great job of explaining techniques and results, although he does smaller, feature related tutorials. Also, I loved that he did at some point make-up tutorials for older women and other `unconventional` women (and `unconventional` is only relative to what most youtube `gurus` seem to be like today).
There’s a few channels out there that have really changed my technique. I’ve learned so much from David’s tutorials on the Sephora channel (which I stumbled onto by pure accident), he answers your questions and has what I feel is the absolute best on camera personality ever–I could watch him instruct all day. If I had to pick a person I could meet and learn from it would be him. If I see a tutorial posted with his name attached to it I watch it, because even though the product or the look doesn’t interest me, he explains things so thoroughly that I pretty much always learn SOMETHING I can take away.
My rant about the Sephora channel is pretty obvious, it’s very product driven. However I’ve been able for the most part to use what I have with the techniques that David demonstrated. I’ve always said if he got his own channel I would die happy.
My rant about other tutorial channels: loud music, drama, not listing products in the comments, claiming they are “mature” when they’re barely 30, and a few other which are petty personal peeves.
RAVE: I enjoy tutorials that list all the products used, with links to purchase, below the video.
RANT: If I applied the same amount of product that they use in the videos, I would use up a half bottle of foundation in one application! They seem to use so much product. Their finished looks are great in the video, but I’m not sure if it’s pretty in real life.