This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with Dove, you can view the full Beauty List Here.
Livin' that glam guru life.
From hobby to full time job, Tati Westbrook, AKA the GlamLifeGuru, joined YouTube in November 2010 to teach women about makeup. But, while the channel started as a side hustle, Tati's intention was always to use the platform to build a career.
Since her first videos, the makeup obsessed YouTube star has built a following of over 2.5 million subscribers, amassing over 400 million views. With those kind of numbers it’s not shocking that brand dollars came calling. However, after some initial bad experiences with sponsors, Tati has since chosen to turn down a lot of opportunities. It’s not only about the money. It's about her community, and she says she would rather promote products that she can truly get behind. This approach allows her to upload unbiased products reviews, sharing that her business strategy has always been to “work hard and keep my promises.” In fact, the digital beauty darling says she’s turned down a lot of money that could have made a big difference for her and her family. That's not to say she's not making beauty bank, but most of it is made from pre-roll ads. Proving that you can stay totally authentic and make money.
In the beginning, her videos were met with some hate— those who claimed the 34-year-old was “too old,” to be making beauty videos. But she persevered and plans to keep uploading beauty videos for years to come. It takes beauty and brains to ignore the haters. The guru also recently branched out of the YouTube. She shares: "For the last year I've been a weekly beauty corespondent for Amazon's hit show Style Code Live and recently my own show was green-lit to go into production this spring."
We can't wait to see more from the beauty expert who says, "Women have the power to change the world."
Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.