They are the pioneers of beauty trends and set new standards in the make-up industry: The members of the LGBTQIA+ community are the poster child for artistic self-expression without any limits. What was once considered “male” or “female” now comes without a label. You have to get to know these make-up artists and beauty gurus!
Eye shadow, foundation and co. is only for women? You can get rid of this thought very quickly! Because in addition to the big beauty stars like Jeffrey Star and James Charles, who have long since banished any kind of gender segregation from their vocabulary, there are also lesser-known LGBTQIA+ members who deserve more attention.
Nobody would have expected this coming out
In January 2020, YouTube legend Nikkie de Jager surprised her almost 14 million followers by coming out as trans on her channel “NikkieTutorials”. However, the 27-year-old attaches little importance to this designation, as she reveals in her YouTube video: “I’ve never felt comfortable with labels. I want to be my own person. I’m Nikkie. I’m me. We don’t need any labels.” With her inspiring message, the Dutchwoman even made it onto Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show. But what exactly has changed for Nikkie’s followers? Right, absolutely nothing.
An art that unites
Too often makeup is dismissed as a means to being “pretty”. In fact, it’s much more than that: make-up is a tool for self-development and an opportunity to discover all its facets. These beauty influencers and artists are leading the way!
1.David Lopez
Whether Chrissy Teigen, Ashley Graham or Hailey Bieber: they all love him! David Lopez is a celebrity makeup artist and hair stylist. He shares his pro tips on aesthetics on his blog, Groom and Comb. In addition to his magical hands, we also admire him for his versatility. On Instagram we not only see an attractive, athletic man with a full beard and tattoos, but also a beautiful fictional character with a wig, full-face make-up and playful clothes. Toxic Masculinity? None! David enjoys blurring the gender lines and feeling like he belongs to one gender or no gender.
2. Jolina Mennen
It should be clear to everyone by now that not everyone was born in the right body. Influencer and make-up artist Jolina Mennen was also born as a biological boy. On her difficult path to a female body, she takes her followers with her from the start. Hardly anyone shares their experiences as openly and honestly as the native of Bremen. Her husband Florian Mennen has always been by her side: in 2019 the couple married for the second time – this time as bride and groom.
3. Maxim Giacomo
You can find beauty content at the highest level at Maxim Giacomo. The graduate fashion manager is a true professional when it comes to product tests. He regularly pits expensive products against drugstore dupes on YouTube. The Berliner recently announced the launch of his own make-up brand!
4. Blackbird Khai
Her unusual looks are iconic! Khai prefer the gender-neutral pronouns “they/them/sie/ihre” and regularly surprise their followers with artistic make-ups. The make-up artists love bright colors and unusual patterns – this is true art!
Sources: YouTube/NikkieTutorials, Instagram