A quick search on Instagram for the hashtag makeup tutorial will fetch over 42 million results for your perusal—a mammoth figure that towers over the cumulative population of Canada by four million. However, despite the sheer volume of makeup tutorials vying for your attention, they remain united by certain identifiable markers. The recipe is simple and bulletproof: a dramatic before-and-after transformation summed up in an adequately flashy, clickbait thumbnail IN! ALL! CAPS! The expanse of time in between both ends of the makeup look is occupied by copious amounts of gesticulation set to knee-jerk video transitions and the kind of techno EDM that seems out of place anywhere other than a dance club at 2AM. And yet, each video commands an audience of its own, whether it is preaching the importance of flicking a lighter over a spoonful of foundation for a smoother finish or extolling the values of kitchen utensils for achieving the perfect contour. And yet, we continue to watch them religiously from start to finish, not unlike Icarus drawn hypnotically to the flame.
For everyday viewers, these tutorials are a vehicle for uncovering new truths about yourself. A technicolor eyeshadow is no longer just an on-trend choice; it symbolises that you are comfortable enough in your own skin to experiment with an outré look. Investing in that new spring makeup palette is a marker that you are ready to welcome the new season, physically and emotionally. With new short-format video platforms and savvy algorithms throwing tailored options your way, hitting play on a tutorial has become akin to opening a packet of chips—there’s no way you’re going to stop at one. Will you lose hours once you go down the rabbithole of online makeup tutorials? Yes. Will you walk away feeling strangely satisfied and zen? Also yes.
Why you can’t stop watching makeup tutorials—even if you wanted to
Tanvi Sardesai, clinical psychologist at Masina Hospital, believes that watching makeup tutorials isn’t unlike other forms of behavioural addictions. “Tutorials can be addictive because they activate our reward pathways. Engaging in pleasurable activities releases dopamine and this system responds to rewards that reinforce this behaviour. Apart from living vicariously through these online videos, it can also serve as a coping mechanism for those looking to escape from unpleasant emotions and monotony,” she observes.
Sardesai also believes that the step-by-step routine of applying makeup is a deliberate, controlled act that can prove therapeutic. “Watching the process of something coming together from start to finish can impart a sense of structure. You see how the makeup look starts and ends and there is nothing to guess, which offers peace of mind. Being able to see the outcome can bring about a sense of certainty—it is within your control and predictable. Watching these calm, controlled tutorials where people mindfully apply makeup can thus serve as a stable presence during times of uncertainty,” she explains.
The notion is seconded by beauty blogger Aanam Chashmawala, who believes that watching makeup tutorials can feel therapeutic. “On days when I need a pick-me-up, I know sitting in that chair and watching music-based makeup tutorials without much direct commentary will uplift my mood—I’ve noticed that paying attention to the minutiae of a makeup look can really help distract me on a low day,” she notes. Content creator Malvika Sitlani agrees, and adds that the before-and-after transformation can prove really addictive. “I originally started filming makeup tutorials because I used to watch them as I woke up and before going to bed. It is educational and aspirational at the same time and, during the past year, it has been my escape. I found that applying a full face of makeup for a tutorial even when I had nowhere to go is what kept my spirits up through last year,” she recounts.
How the pandemic has accelerated our tutorial viewing habits
While the market for makeup tutorials has always been growing at a supersonic pace, the events of the past year have made it explode on our social media feeds. Further proof can be found in YouTube’s Watching The Pandemic report that attempts to discern what our viewing habits say about human needs during an unprecedented pandemic. Upon crunching the numbers, it was discovered that the viewership for #WithMe videos—such as ‘get ready with me’ routines—grew by 600% after self-isolation began, allowing viewers to vicariously indulge in a shared activity. At a time when physical barriers kept us separated from one another, participating in the same trend became the next frontier for feeling connected to other people.
With the pandemic disrupting life as we know it, many also sought to rediscover their self-identity—the simple act of learning a new makeup skill became a way to express who you were or rather, who you would become once everyday life resumed normalcy. “That we, acting as isolated individuals, watched the same kinds of videos as others halfway around the globe to meet those needs supports an argument the pandemic continues to make repeatedly: no matter how different we are, we’re all human. Put another way: we watch the same because we are the same,” the report concludes.
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