The top beauty influencers in the world’s net worth are something to behold! Brands across the planet seek out the reach of these internet sensations, paying them huge sums to provide demonstrations and endorsements of their products.
Influencers allow beauty brands to reach customers beyond traditional sales techniques, enhancing brand value with their organic content and messaging. Videos on YouTube have a more authentic feel than a paid advertisements. It is also, realistically, the only way for beauty brands to compete in the over-crowded social media environment.
Here we explore how this word-of-mouth marketing has exploded, with influencers commanding six-figure sum deals with some top brands. Peer to peer recommendations will never be outdated, especially if the influencer has the power of a cult following. We answer those crucial questions: who are the top earners, and how much money can they demand?
Huda Kattan
Getting onto the merry-go-round first is going to give you that first-mover advantage. Huda Kattan boarded the influencer ride in 2013, long before others had even contemplated the power of social media. Now, Huda Beauty is a massive name in cosmetics, and Ms. Kattan has become the highest-paid influencer in the sector. She has more than 47 million followers and can earn more than $18k per post.
In 2018, Huda was named one of the most influential people on the internet by Time magazine and recently started her own reality series called Huda Boss, broadcast on Facebook Watch.
James Charles
James Charles started his influencing in his teens and became the first male to act as an ambassador for CoverGirl. James is a powerhouse in beauty, influencing over 20 million subscribers to his YouTube channel and 25 million followers on Instagram. He developed his social media profile using self-taught skills, making it even more spectacular that he is the most followed make-up influencer on Instagram.
The collaboration between James Charles and Morphe Cosmetics generated almost $46 million from his YouTube channel – with almost 30 million viewers. James is going on to increase his value by creating his own make-up line.
Zoe Sugg
Zoe was once the most famous of the Sugg siblings until Joe took her to the dance floor. This claim of lesser star power isn’t to say that Zoe hasn’t evolved a powerful influence in her almost ten years in the sector. She has one of the biggest YouTube and Instagram follower cohorts – with 12 million subscribers tuning in to hear her views of lifestyle products, including fashion and cosmetics.
Sugg has upped her earning value with the launch of her brand, Zoella, and breaking records for first-time sales in one week.
Her net worth is said to be around $8 million, and most of these earnings are from her influencing work – though she does have a bestselling book, which sold out too!
Shayla Mitchell
@makeupshayla is the brand ambassador for ColorPop cosmetics, thanks to her gathering of almost 3 million followers on Instagram. She specialises in beauty looks that range from casual to full-on glamour. Her YouTube is full of video tutorials that attract a large audience looking to learn how to apply the products she endorses. She is thought to be worth approximately $1.5 million.
Michelle Phan
Having started her vlog on YouTube in 2007, Michelle Phan has established herself with a respectable 2 million followers. She became the spokesperson for Em Cosmetics in 2010, making her the first Vietnamese-American ambassador for the product. Now considered a world-famous make-up artist, she is reputed to have a net worth of $50 million.
Jaclyn Hill
Jaclyn Hill is considered one of the most influential influencers in the beauty industry. She has about 6 million followers on Instagram and the same number of subscribers on her YouTube channel. She began life as a make-up artist for MAC cosmetics when she started videoing her tutorials. She has collaborated with other top influencers, including none other than Kim Kardashian.
With a net worth of about $2 million, this is likely to rise higher and much faster as she launches her own make-up brand. As someone who started on the ground floor of the cosmetic industry, this is an impressive position to be in at the age of 31.
Kandee Johnson
Kandee Johnson makes videos too. She has a wide range of interests, from a high-fashion look through to simple technique videos such as contouring. Her current brand association is with Boxycharm, which is a monthly subscription service. However, she has represented other brands such as SugarBearHair, which is a supplement for hair. She is reported to have a net worth of $3,5 million as of 2021, though her wealth has been amassed by a range of professions, including commercial work. However, her YouTube channel is a substantial source of her wealth – delivering a cool million dollars in earnings.
Em Ford
Em Ford began her influencer career as someone who wanted to redefine beauty. She works to challenge attitudes to birthmarks and acne scars and has gained more than 150k followers. While her net worth is relatively low in comparison to the superstars of the US, being the brand ambassador for Olay in the UK is going to do her bank balance no harm at all. Currently, her net worth is estimated to be between £600k and £1.5 million, earning £1000 a month from her YouTube account.
Manny Gutierrez
Manny is another self-taught influencer who offers beauty reviews and make-up challenges. As a male in a heavily female-dominated arena, he has made a powerful mark with his influencer work for Boxycharm and other brands such as Lunar Beauty. What makes Manny Gutierrez a little different is that he also chooses to use his platform to promote social causes and address issues about body positivity too.
As Manny gets an average of 200,000 views a day, his income is approximately $900 a day and £300,000 annually just from the adverts. His net worth is estimated at $1.5 million.