My top 5 beauty YouTube channels

I just got back from my honeymoon this week and dipped my toes into a longtime guilty pleasure while I unpacked - YouTube beauty channels. I spend quite a bit of time watching vloggers on YouTube and am always on the hunt for my next favorite channel.

So which channels (big & small) do I love and recommend? 

#5 - Kirsten / ItsKeerstin

Kirsten is a candid pottymouth with hauls, reviews, swatches, and more hauls. She's high energy and plainspoken - she has no trouble in videos admitting to going to multiple Sephoras to track down an item or saying she bought something and didn't use it. Best of all, if she feels strongly about a product, her honest feedback is compelling and thoughtful. I also appreciate her for her clarity on disclosures if a product was sent to her as a gift or if she bought it herself. 

Check her out for: Her "what I thought on stuff I bought" series where she goes back through old hauls and tells you how it worked for her. 

Must watch video: What I Thought On Stuff I Bought #17 (Thoughts on Hauls)

#4 - Karima McKimmie / Shameless Fripperies

Karima is a stylish Aussie with high end taste. She offers interesting tutorials interspersed with mini product reviews and has extensive knowledge of makeup brushes. Everything she produces, whether it be video or blog posts, is professional, artistic, and informative.

Check her out for: Interesting tutorials and high end brush info
Must watch video: Sweatproof Long-Wearing makeup Tutorial 

Keep reading to find out my favorite 3 channels at the moment

#3 - Lauren / redheadphd

Lauren is one of the (if not THE) smartest beauty girl on YouTube. She has poise and intelligence for days, with the precise vocabulary you would expect from a makeup crazed academic. Lauren is candid, funny, honest, ("and there it is on my lips - applied like a drunk 3 year old, but it was applied by a moderately buzzed 27 year old...") and has a collection I would be thrilled to own. 

Check her out for: A new internet buddy, hauls, and brush comparisons

Must watch video: Underhyped Brushes: Face | High End

#2 - Emily Eddington / Beauty Broadcast Express

 Emily is a former journalist who brings her professionalism to YouTube, which stands out in a crowd of inexperienced wannabe "gurus". Emily is better known for her original channel, EmilyNoel83, but I prefer her more recent endeavor. You can expect detailed comparisons, price analysis, demonstrations, and accurate descriptions of products, all in under 5 minute videos. I have bought lots of products on Emily's recommendation, and I think you will too. (Note: Emily's husband Tyler does Ty-Day Friday reviews of manly products, which are a little iffy)

Check her out for: Deciding if you want to buy a product

Must Watch video: It Cosmetics CC Cream Review

#1 - Lisa Eldridge / Lisa Eldridge 

Lisa is the consummate professional - a highly respected professional makeup artist with the best beauty channel on YouTube (in my opinion). Lisa is immensely knowledgeable about products, brand history, and ingredients. I appreciate her artistry and precision, both of which show through in her tutorials. Go spend some time on her channel and you will see why she is the standard bearer for high quality content creation in the beauty space. Lisa is my bar to which I judge other YouTube beauty vloggers, and I haven't yet found anyone to top her. 

Check her out for: Learning a new technique and artistic inspiration 

Must watch video: 'No MakeUp' Look MakeUp Tutorial 

I hope this helps you find a new channel to love! Read more about what I look for in a YouTube beauty channel in my companion post here.