Like most millennials my age, I spend a lot of time on YouTube. YouTube, has in fact become my virtual university on life-skills and hacks. I have perfected the art of applying eyeliner by watching countless tutorials and tried making dozens of different versions of avocado toast. I have even tried to make homemade ice-cream. According to a Tubics blog, there were 31 million YouTube channels in 2019. Out of these 31 million channels, here are five hosted by women that pack some serious girl power.
Michelle Khare’s Challenge Accepted and Extreme Body Makeover series
If you like fitness challenges, trying new things and pushing your limits, former Buzzfeeder turned YouTube sensation Michelle Khare’s Challenge Accepted series is for you. Each episode is longer than 20 minutes and involves Michelle taking on an extreme challenge, while walking the audience through the grueling mental, emotional and physical aspects of the task. In her series, she has trained like a NASA astronaut, an FBI agent and even a fire-fighter where she participated in a real-life fire simulation. She peppers these with more fun challenges like participating in a runway fashion show, training like a ballerina or a Victoria Secret model. In her Extreme Body Makeover series, Michelle will give a friend, family member, fellow YouTuber or fan a diet and fitness makeover that’s overseen by a team of experts, often giving them a professional photoshoot at the end to reward them for their hard work. Michelle’s videos have a high production value, and some take months to film. Best of all, both series are positive, authentic and uplifting.
The Take
The Take is like a modern spin on your university film class, except so much better. Founders Susanna and Debra are self-professed cinephiles with a love of visual culture. Their YouTube channel, The Take is a series of video essays on movies and television shows — think character studies, actor and director profiles, endings explained, hidden meanings, analogies and metaphors. Their videos range anywhere from 11 to over 20 minutes — their more recent ones have been deep dives and longer. The video essays are well produced, thoughtful and well written. Their recent take on female tropes in cinema is definitely worth watching.
Petite Sue TV
Sue-Ann Gordon is a Jamiacan YouTuber, whose vlogs pack a motivational punch. Her videos start with a motivational moment before diving into beauty and fashion looks to inspire young women in the Caribbean. Her vlogs offer a rare and authentic view into island life, beyond the typical blurbs that we have come to expect from many fashion and beauty YouTubers. she is candid and open, inviting the viewer to spend time with her and her family and experience a Jamaica beyond what is portrayed in the news or typical media.
Bri Hall
To say Bri Hall is an artist is an understatement. This YouTuber uses her sensational creativity to inspire young women and her over 700,000 YouTube subscribers. Starting out as an artist on YouTube, Bri gained popularity posting videos of her drawings and artwork. Her captive audience then started to request makeup and beauty tutorials, which Bri displays an incredible talent for. Her most recent reinvention is under the musical moniker La Hara, where she displays her prowess as a singer. Beyond creativity however, Bri uses her platform and incredible reach, to help others, as she did with this video and initiative to raise medical and school supplies for a humanitarian trip to Ethiopia. Like many content creators of her generation, her videos are well produced, highly artistic and highly addictive.
Cassandra Bankson
Cassandra Bankson might seem like your typical Californian but she is so much more. Her skincare centered YouTube channel is an honest examination of many popular skincare brands with a focus on the chemistry and science behind the ingredients and what they actually do versus what they claim to do. Cassandra is uniquely positioned to comment on this as a long-time sufferer of severe cystic acne. She openly talks about her acne journey in her vlogs and even shares photographs of her acne at its worst. Her videos are often filmed without any makeup, which gives the viewer a rare opportunity to see an influencer’s complexion in its natural state, sans makeup and filters. A trained aesthetician, her frank and honest reviews of makeup and skincare products might just save your wallet.
