What’s better than one beautiful beauty guru?? Umm, two beautiful beauty gurus! Duh.
We all know this, which is likely why identical twins Jenna and Jess (beautytwins124) are so popular in the YouTube beauty community. They’re gorgeous, fun, outgoing college students who love beauty, makeup and YouTube!
Sound like any certain blogger you may know of?? ;)
And while increasing their subscriber count wasn’t Jenna and Jess’s primary goal, Jenna said seeing their audience grow “certainly does make you want to make videos much more. ”
When I first began email correspondence with the beauty twins about a month ago, they had just under 34,000 subscribers. Today, as I write this, they have 35, 763. Like, whoa. These girls clearly know how to grab viewer’s attention and keep it. They totally get them hooked on the content they produce. I can attest to this. I’ve been subscribed to Jenna and Jess since they first began making videos in 2012. Now, nearly two years later, their fan base has grown substantially and, as you can see from those numbers, hasn’t slowed.
“We still can’t believe the number of people who have taken the time to subscribe to our channel,” Jenna said. “It’s absolutely crazy.” She pointed out that the number of viewers they have seems even more incredible when they put it in perspective. “It’s even scarier when we think about the fact that [our subscriber count] is almost 10 times the number of students at our college,” Jenna said. Yeah, I can see how that may blow their mind.
How did they reach this seemingly astronomical number, you may be wondering? Well, it wasn’t the typical approach. “I think what a lot of girls get wrong about gaining subscribers is that they need to spam people’s comment sections with messages begging for people to watch their videos,” Jenna said. “While this might have worked in the past, we personally find it quite impolite.” I think it’s safe to say most gurus would agree with the girls – that would probably annoy anyone. So Jenna and Jess did things differently. “The main approach that we took, which I think helped a lot, was just to make friends,” Jenna said. “Becoming friends with other YouTubers not only allows you to promote each other’s videos and collaborate, but the friendships themselves have proven to be some of the most rewarding aspects of being on YouTube.” Are these girls brilliant or what? They chose to take a different approach to building their channel’s viewership and it paid off (their channel has over a million and half views). Plus, they gained a bunch of friends along the way. Sounds like a recipe for success if you ask me.
And good advice to budding YouTubers, too!
“We still can’t believe the number of people who have taken the time to subscribe to our channel,” Jenna said. “It’s absolutely crazy.” She pointed out that the number of viewers they have seems even more incredible when they put it in perspective. “It’s even scarier when we think about the fact that [our subscriber count] is almost 10 times the number of students at our college,” Jenna said. Yeah, I can see how that may blow their mind.
How did they reach this seemingly astronomical number, you may be wondering? Well, it wasn’t the typical approach. “I think what a lot of girls get wrong about gaining subscribers is that they need to spam people’s comment sections with messages begging for people to watch their videos,” Jenna said. “While this might have worked in the past, we personally find it quite impolite.” I think it’s safe to say most gurus would agree with the girls – that would probably annoy anyone. So Jenna and Jess did things differently. “The main approach that we took, which I think helped a lot, was just to make friends,” Jenna said. “Becoming friends with other YouTubers not only allows you to promote each other’s videos and collaborate, but the friendships themselves have proven to be some of the most rewarding aspects of being on YouTube.” Are these girls brilliant or what? They chose to take a different approach to building their channel’s viewership and it paid off (their channel has over a million and half views). Plus, they gained a bunch of friends along the way. Sounds like a recipe for success if you ask me.
And good advice to budding YouTubers, too!
Here's their most recent collab! I love that at they were able to partner up with another pair of guru-twins for this video :]
As a result, the beauty twins, like Leslee from my previous post, have partnered with StyleHaul and securely established themselves within the online beauty community, a place they love to be! (Don’t we all??) They love it especially because of the possibility it presents to reach others with the same (healthy?) obsession. “The beauty community is such an awesome thing because it allows you to connect with so many people you wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet otherwise, who have something so specific in common with you,” Jenna said. But it’s not all about forging friendships with other YouTubers for Jenna and Jess. They adore their subscribers just as much as their fellow gurus. “We love interacting with people who watch our videos in the comments, as well as on social media such as Twitter and Instagram,” Jenna said. “That’s why it really bothers us when YouTubers refer to their viewers as ‘fans’ – to us, they’re our friends!”
Awe :) The girls are so endearing. It’s no wonder they have such a substantial and super loyal fan base – I mean, friend base. And who wouldn’t want to be friends with these lovely ladies?? Anyone?? That’s what I thought.
Awe :) The girls are so endearing. It’s no wonder they have such a substantial and super loyal fan base – I mean, friend base. And who wouldn’t want to be friends with these lovely ladies?? Anyone?? That’s what I thought.
They’re such big fans of their viewers that meeting them in person is always a thrill. “It has been amazing the few times we have been out in public and have run into viewers – it’s crazy when two parts of your life intersect like that,” Jenna said. “That’s probably the most incredible part about YouTube – how it can really extend into your real life and lead you to meet some of the most amazing people you would never have met otherwise!”
The most epic meeting of subscribers for the twins occurred at IMATS (International Makeup Artist’s Trade Show) last year; it’s one of their most fond and favorite memories. Jenna told me running into subscribers at the show was “absolutely the most mind-boggling experience” she’s had as a beauty guru. She couldn’t believe how many people approached them to take pictures together and rave about their videos, especially considering they weren’t nearly as well known then as they are now. “We never expected that at the time, when we had only a little more than 8,000 subscribers,” Jenna said. IMATS gave the beauty twins a chance to fan girl a bit themselves, too. “Also, being able to meet our own YouTube inspirations was nothing short of a dream come true,” Jenna said.
I would imagine making beauty videos for a living would be something of a dream, too. And since Jenna and Jess are full-time college students and working an ordinary job is nearly impossible, that’s just what they’re lucky enough to be doing. Though it doesn’t provide them an income that grants them Sephora shopping sprees every week, it’s just right for the girls at this point in their lives. “We love how flexible it is,” Jenna said. But don’t misinterpret. “When we say ‘flexible’ that certainly doesn’t mean ‘easy,’” she continued. “A common misconception we are confronted with a lot is that YouTube is not a ‘real job.’ What many don’t realize is that amount of time spent on the video-making process and the amount of effort and dedication it really does take.” It’s clear Jenna and Jess do put ample work into the videos they produce. It’s fun, they admit, but it’s not a stroll down an Ulta aisle all the time. (That was an attempt to make the cliché phrase “a walk in the park” more appropriate and relevant? Did it work? :P)
“We absolutely love making videos but, that being said, there is so much work behind that scenes that not many people grasp until they actually try it themselves,” Jenna said.
I can attest to this, too. I began making videos recently to accompany this blog (link is in my “About” tab) and Jenna isn’t kidding – it’s hard work! The way Jenna breaks down the process couldn’t be more on point: “If you figure in approximately half an hour for preparation, anywhere from one to five hours of filming, two to eight hours of editing, and one to three hours of uploading, that’s anywhere from four and a half to 17 and a half hours of work per video.”
The most epic meeting of subscribers for the twins occurred at IMATS (International Makeup Artist’s Trade Show) last year; it’s one of their most fond and favorite memories. Jenna told me running into subscribers at the show was “absolutely the most mind-boggling experience” she’s had as a beauty guru. She couldn’t believe how many people approached them to take pictures together and rave about their videos, especially considering they weren’t nearly as well known then as they are now. “We never expected that at the time, when we had only a little more than 8,000 subscribers,” Jenna said. IMATS gave the beauty twins a chance to fan girl a bit themselves, too. “Also, being able to meet our own YouTube inspirations was nothing short of a dream come true,” Jenna said.
I would imagine making beauty videos for a living would be something of a dream, too. And since Jenna and Jess are full-time college students and working an ordinary job is nearly impossible, that’s just what they’re lucky enough to be doing. Though it doesn’t provide them an income that grants them Sephora shopping sprees every week, it’s just right for the girls at this point in their lives. “We love how flexible it is,” Jenna said. But don’t misinterpret. “When we say ‘flexible’ that certainly doesn’t mean ‘easy,’” she continued. “A common misconception we are confronted with a lot is that YouTube is not a ‘real job.’ What many don’t realize is that amount of time spent on the video-making process and the amount of effort and dedication it really does take.” It’s clear Jenna and Jess do put ample work into the videos they produce. It’s fun, they admit, but it’s not a stroll down an Ulta aisle all the time. (That was an attempt to make the cliché phrase “a walk in the park” more appropriate and relevant? Did it work? :P)
“We absolutely love making videos but, that being said, there is so much work behind that scenes that not many people grasp until they actually try it themselves,” Jenna said.
I can attest to this, too. I began making videos recently to accompany this blog (link is in my “About” tab) and Jenna isn’t kidding – it’s hard work! The way Jenna breaks down the process couldn’t be more on point: “If you figure in approximately half an hour for preparation, anywhere from one to five hours of filming, two to eight hours of editing, and one to three hours of uploading, that’s anywhere from four and a half to 17 and a half hours of work per video.”
Clearly, YouTube isn’t your average college job, but it can seem just as demanding. “White it certainly is something we enjoy doing, some days it can feel like any other ‘normal’ job!” Jenna said. Despite its time-consuming nature, the gurus adore their work. “We are so lucky to be able to earn money doing something we truly love,” Jenna said. “That’s something a lot of people our age can’t really say.” That’s for sure. Can I attest to that, too?? My job definitely isn’t anything to brag about.
The twins love doing YouTube as a job so much, they don’t want to stop! “We definitely think we will continue making videos for as long as we can,” Jenna said. While they’re determined to keep at it, the girls don’t intend to make creating beauty video their primary job forever. Jenna is majoring in Spanish and secondary education, which she hopes will lead her to become a high school teacher or, better yet, a college professor. Jess, on the other hand, is an English major hoping to get into “something concerning journalism and the beauty industry.” Umm, hello! Same! Hence this blog :P
Thankfully, Jenna is reassuring us that despite their goals, the girls won’t be halting uploads any time soon. “We’ll just keep doing it out of love for making videos and sharing them with our viewers!” Sweet ♡
The twins love doing YouTube as a job so much, they don’t want to stop! “We definitely think we will continue making videos for as long as we can,” Jenna said. While they’re determined to keep at it, the girls don’t intend to make creating beauty video their primary job forever. Jenna is majoring in Spanish and secondary education, which she hopes will lead her to become a high school teacher or, better yet, a college professor. Jess, on the other hand, is an English major hoping to get into “something concerning journalism and the beauty industry.” Umm, hello! Same! Hence this blog :P
Thankfully, Jenna is reassuring us that despite their goals, the girls won’t be halting uploads any time soon. “We’ll just keep doing it out of love for making videos and sharing them with our viewers!” Sweet ♡
Obviously, you're all about to head over to their channel (if you haven't already), so I'll make it super easy and leave the link right here. Plus, you can click the other links to check out their various social media accounts, too!
And, of course, a big big thank youuuuuuu to Jenna for participating in this interview! She is absolutely the sweetest and was so eager and excited to take part.
I'm super thankful to have been able to get to know the beauty twins a bit better ♡ I hope you lovely readers are, too!
I'm super thankful to have been able to get to know the beauty twins a bit better ♡ I hope you lovely readers are, too!