In the past few years the term “social media influencer” has become synonymous with being internet famous. There are many categories of influencers like fitness, travel, or fashion, but beauty influencers seem to be at the top of Instagram’s influencer game.
If you are currently trying to master the art of creating a winged liner, or have been SFX makeup for years, these 20 influencers may cause for major inspiration and appreciation for the craft.
Top Instagram Beauty Influencers
We’ve compiled the top beauty and makeup influencers on Instagram. These influencers have huge, dedicated followings, and many have their own beauty lines or brand deals with large companies. Check them out for makeup inspiration, or to take notes on their beauty and makeup hashtags, marketing, and more to become an Influencer yourself!
Here Are the Top Beauty Influencers on Instagram:
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- Huda Kattan
- James Charles
- Nikki de Jager
- Manny Gutierrez
- Eleanor Barnes
- Rihanna
- Jackie Aina
- Jaclyn Hill
- Thomas Halbert
- Kandee Johnson
- Jeffree Star
- Alissa Ashley
- Cole Carrigan
- Michelle Phan
- Nyma Tang
- Rocio Cervantes
- Mykie
- Jkissa
- Jordi
- Shannon Harris
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1. Huda Kattan
Once working in finance, Huda Kattan quit corporate life to pursue her passion for makeup. In 2010, she started a makeup blog and has since been killing the beauty game. She released a makeup line in 2013 named Huda Beauty, which is now being sold in Sephora.
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2. James Charles
This 19-year-old self-taught makeup artist is one of Instagram’s most influential beauty Instagramers with over 15 million followers. He made his debut as CoverGirls first “Cover Boy” spokesmodel. Recently, he collaborated with popular makeup brand Morphe to make his first ever eyeshadow palette.
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3. Nikki de Jager
Nikkie de Jager, or otherwise known as Nikkietutorials from her popular YouTube channel, is another popular beauty influencer. Originally from the Netherlands, Nikkie gained popularity on YouTube with a video titled, “The Power of Makeup” which now has gained 40 million views. She is most known for her amazing makeup skills and bubbly personality.
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4. Manny Gutierrez
Better known as MannyMUA, this influencer gained popularity for being one of the first well-known male makeup influencers. With over 4.5 million followers on Instagram, Manny also has a YouTube channel where he posts makeup tutorials, product reviews, and vlogs.
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5. Eleanor Barnes
Eleanor Barnes, or best known as Snitchery on Instagram, has recently gained tons of attention on Instagram for her insanely accurate cosplay makeup looks. With 625K followers on Instagram, she recently partnered with NYX Cosmetics for a new eyeshadow palette launch. You may see her face plastered on NYX makeup displays in your local drugstore or Ulta.
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6. Rihanna
Ok, maybe Rihanna is the last person you’d expect on this list, but she deserves a spot. The recent launch of her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, caused national buzz and has earned a spot as one of the top makeup brands in Sephora. The Pro Filt’r Foundation became one of her top products due to the extensive shade range that matches nearly every skin tone.
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7. Jackie Aina
Jackie Aina started her online makeup presence in 2009 due to frustrations of the lack of diversity in the beauty community. Now with over 1 million followers on Instagram and almost 3 million subscribers on YouTube, she continues to advocate for women of color in the makeup industry.
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8. Jaclyn Hill
This makeup artist started her online presence in 2011 and has since taken the online makeup community by storm. In 2015, she collaborated with popular makeup brand, Becca, to create her own custom highlighter called Champagne Pop, which became the brands most popular products. She also has a YouTube channel, where you can find videos of her getting ready with Kim Kardashian.
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9. Thomas Halbert
This 22-year-old beauty influencer has around 380k followers on Instagram and 500k subscribers on YouTube. This influencer is known for their makeup reviews, crazy eye looks, and advocacy for mental health.
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10. Kandee Johnson
Kandee started her makeup career straight after beauty school, where she was a makeup artist for VH1’s show called “I Love the 80’s.” At the same time, she started blogging her love for fashion and beauty. Now, she has racked up almost 4 million subscribers on Youtube, where she has done beauty transformations and tons of tutorials.
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11. Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star is currently one of the most popular, well-known influencers in the game. Starting out on MySpace, Jeffree began his career making music and touring all over the country. He is now most famous for his wide range of liquid lipsticks, which are a cult favorite. He’s killing it, to say the least. Other popular products from his makeup line, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, includes massive compact highlighters, pigmented eyeshadow palettes, and yummy lip scrubs.
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12. Alissa Ashley
This 24-year-old influencer started out with her career in makeup in a cosmetic retail store. Deciding it wasn’t for her, she launched a YouTube channel, which now has almost 2 million subscribers. You can see her posting makeup tutorials, demos, and skin care routines.
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13. Cole Carrigan
This 20-year-old self-taught makeup artist has recently started to break into the beauty influencer scene. Best known for a Youtube video where he made over Jeffree Star, this artist has many iconic looks. Some of his most popular looks feature his face covered in the Louis Vuitton logo and recreating album covers using his face as the canvas.
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14. Michelle Phan
This influencer has to be one of the first well-known people in the beauty community. Starting her YouTube channel back in 2007, she has been making well-produced videos up until 2017. In 2011, she founded the company, ipsy, a subscription-based makeup sampling service. In 2013 she teamed up with L’Oreal to launch her own makeup line called Em Cosmetics. She has since left YouTube, but still holds a strong following on her Instagram.
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15. Nyma Tang
Originally from Sudan, this beauty influencer now lives in Dallas, Texas. Nyma is most famous for testing out the darkest shades of foundations to see if they can match her dark complexion. She advocates for brands to expand their foundation and concealer shades to include darker skin tones.
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16. Rocio Cervantes
Known for her colorful and adventurous eye looks, this beauty influencer has also recently become an inspiration for many who suffer from severe acne. On Twitter, Rocio decided to create a makeup look by putting star-shaped stickers on her face before applying foundation, thus allowing her acne to show through the stars in order to embrace her breakouts in a fun and beautiful way.
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17. Mykie (GlamandGore)
Otherwise known as Glam and Gore on YouTube, she has created a following for her insane and slightly scary special effects makeup looks. Her love for horror and makeup has made her avant-garde style one of the best in the influencer game.
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18. Jkissa
This makeup artist is well known for her colorful and fun looks. With over 300k on both her Instagram and YouTube, Jkissa does a ton of makeup tutorials and product reviews. Just this past month, she released a collaboration with popular makeup brand, E.L.F.
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19. Jordi (itslikelymakeup)
Jordi began her internet beauty presence in 2015 and her career has taken off from there. She consistently posts cute and colorful makeup looks and the occasional transformation, once making herself into Betty Boop. She has racked up almost 700k subscribers on YouTube and over 350k followers on Instagram.
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20. Shannon Harris
Better known as Shaaanxo on Youtube and Instagram, this New Zealand makeup influencer has been killing it since 2009. Ten years later, she has accumulated 1.5 million Instagram followers and 3.2 YouTube subscribers. She was named Forbes top beauty influencers of 2017 and also has her own beauty line, xoBeauty, known for fake lashes and makeup brushes.
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