As my senioritis kicks in and I spend more nights without ever opening my backpack, I find all of my time being spent on TikTok. I do watch the occasional dog or two that can do math and ASMR baking videos of recipes I will never make, but the videos that TRULY have my heart are “Get Ready With Me (GRWM)” TikToks. With the amount of hours I’ve logged watching these videos, I think I’m qualified enough to speak on the rise of beauty influencers, so here are a few of my favorite creators:

Alix Earle

We all know TikTok’s resident get-ready-with-me gal, and I’m pretty sure she’s got us all wrapped around her finger. To no one’s surprise, this viral sensation grew to 4.5 million TikTok followers in just a few months. Despite her “it girl” status and handful of designer bags, Earle’s down-to-earth nature and conversational approach is what makes her feel relatable to viewers. Rather than making step-by-step videos of her makeup routine and promoting each of her products, Earle simply tells humorous stories while letting the makeup speak for itself. Her videos are proof of how the products perform, and as a teenage girl and lover of makeup, I often use the excuse of “Alix Earle uses this” to buy more makeup products. She also seems to ALWAYS be getting ready for some kind of event, and I have a theory that she just doesn’t know what being tired feels like.

Monet McMichael

Along with Alix Earle, Monet is one of my favorite girls to watch get ready. With her cool, laid-back attitude and amazing music taste, I feel like she’d be my best friend (the relationship might be a little one-sided, though). Her videos range from makeup looks to self-care to try on hauls–she really does it all. Every time she showcases her new clothes, I feel compelled to go shopping in the name of “spoiling myself” because Monet says so. Clearly, I disregard the fact that she’s a working woman, while I’m an unemployed high school student. Speaking of work, not only is she a social media influencer, but she’s also a nurse?! Real fans remember watching her throughout her nursing school journey to graduation, and though I’m 6 years younger than her, I felt like a proud mom. Monet is truly a girl that does it all.

Kensington

Known as @kensnation on TikTok, Kensington is another girl whose videos I cannot get enough of. Working as a model, she not only posts GRWMs of events and nights out, but also of shoots for her agency. Her makeup looks absolutely flawless every time, and even when she claims to have five minutes to get ready, she still manages to create the BEST looks. Emma Oskorus ’23, a fan of Kensington, stated, “One word to describe her: flawless. Every time she does her makeup, it may look like she’s putting too much on, but the end result is always stunning. She really knows what she’s doing, because her eye looks top everything.”

These girls are the reason the screen time on my phone is currently through the roof, but I can’t even blame them. Watching these kinds of videos reminds me just how much fun it is being a teenage girl. I’m not going to lie, sometimes I even film my own GRWM videos as I’m doing my makeup, and it feels as if I’m seven-years-old again, pretending to be a YouTuber. Thankfully, as a favor to everyone, those videos never see the light of day; nevertheless, I have the most fun when I act like I’m getting ready for the Met Gala.