I can't quite explain why, but I'm addicted to Instagram beauty videos: tight, static shots of an eyelid, lip, brow, or nails being layered with product in some intricate, ultra-glam design. I'll get lost, sometimes for more than an hour in one sitting, scrolling through the methodical swiping, stippling, and blending of high-coverage cream foundation, rich shadow pigments, lash strips carefully applied with tweezers, and glitter—all the glitter. Allow me take you on one of these journeys:
A video posted by m a e s. (@missmaes) on
A video posted by An (@makeupbyan) on
A video posted by I L U V S A R A H I I (@iluvsarahii) on
A video posted by I L U V S A R A H I I (@iluvsarahii) on
A video posted by Dana Packett (@danapackett) on
Now this sort of makeup isn't even slightly aligned with my personal style, which normally involves a quick smushing of Glossier products on my face, maybe some mascara. Yet I'm hooked on these videos—they're hypnotic. And I'm not the only one. Danapackett, a personal favorite for her lip tutorials and overall video quality, has 65k followers, and iluvsarahii has more than 820k.
In any other arena, this type of makeup would cause me undue stress. These women have products for their products and a six-step routine for their brows alone. At a certain point during the customary full-face contour process, the look could pass for Simba in a Broadway performance of The Lion King, before blending, blending, blending into the internet angels that they are. Yet there's a beauty to it, beyond the subject matter and regardless of personal style. The fast cuts paired with the pretty colors and delicate brushstrokes have an almost therapeutic effect—maybe similar to the one people experience through ASMR videos on YouTube? Whatever it is, I can't quit you, makeup artists of Instagram. Even if only for the colorful eye candy and single usable tip I've gleaned from thousands of views (keep a clean liner brush handy, not for applying makeup, but to remove mistakes), I will continue watch.
—Annie Kreighbaum
