Since I was about 15 I have been really into makeup. I have spent countless hours on YouTube as well as other social media sites, like Instagram, watching tutorial after tutorial, trying to mimic the looks my favorite beauty gurus were displaying. I have watched many different people and different channels and accounts in my time.

That being said, I have finally hammered that list down to my top five favorites.

#1 Thomas Halbert

Though I have only recently discovered him, Thomas Halbert soon became my favorite guru in the beauty community. He is witty and talented, watching his videos is always a delight. He does not take himself too seriously and it is easy to tell that he loves what he does.

His reviews are always honest but respectful. Without a doubt, I can count on his videos to give me an honest review before I purchase something.

#2 Manny MUA

Manny MUA was actually the very first beauty guru I ever watched. I can credit him with my decision to venture into makeup.

He is unapologetically himself and he is not afraid to say anything. I love how candid he is and I never feel like I am watching someone with millions of viewers, I feel like I am getting makeup advice from a friend.

His content is also always very interesting and he keeps things fresh and new.

#3 Jackie Aina

Jackie Aina is incredibly talented and candid as well. She is up to date on current issues and is not afraid to let her viewers know.

She frequently stands up for people of color in the beauty community. If a shade range is not inclusive enough, she will call the brand out. If the undertones for darker shades are too gray or too red (which they often are) she makes a point to demand that brands be more inclusive with their shade ranges and products.

Since I work in a makeup store, I know first hand that it is hard to find shades for customers with darker skin tones. It is not uncommon that I have to let them leave without any makeup at all because brands typically do not cater to darker skin tones. Having experienced this, it makes me happy that there are people out there like Jackie who use their large platform to speak up about inclusivity in the beauty community.

#4 Loey Lane

Loey Lane is not necessarily just a beauty guru. She makes other videos as well. A lot of her videos involve scary stories and body positivity as well.

That is what I love about her. She is versatile and all of the content she creates is quality despite how different they may be.

She is genuine and talented and she really tries to cater to her audience and make top notch content. I have been watching her since I was 16 and I do not plan on hitting that unsubscribe button anytime soon.

I actually got the chance to meet Loey in September of 2016. I can say without a doubt that she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.

#5 Nikkie Tutorials

Last but not least, Nikkie Tutorials.

Nikkie is one of my favorites for a lot of reasons, the first being that our makeup style is very similar.

She loves bold looks and bright, shimmering highlight. Both of those are staples in my makeup technique.

She also has the same kind of eye shape as me. I have hooded lids and it is always hard to find someone with a tutorial that I can actually follow because a lot of beauty gurus do not have hooded lids.

With our style and eye shape matching, I have adored her and her content from the first time I watched one of her videos.

She is also genuine and I can count on her to give me an honest opinion on the products she uses.

There are so many options when it comes to who to watch and follow in the beauty community, but if I had to choose, these five would be the ones I stuck with for the rest of my makeup-applying days.