Paint a Better Mood? Effects of Makeup Use on YouTube Beauty Influencers’ Self-Esteem

Although 90% of women between the ages of 18 and 29 report using makeup, research on the motivation and effects of makeup use on self-esteem is lacking. The purposes of this qualitative study is to (1) understand the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to use makeup on self-esteem, (2) explore whether makeup use may serve as a buffer for low self-esteem, and (3) explore the impact of sociocultural scripts and hegemonic beauty on self-esteem in ethnoracially diverse YouTube beauty influencers. Jacobsen’s Aesthetics of Psychology framework was used to classify narratives of nine female beauty influencers aged between 21 and 40 years from the United States and Great Britain, who self-identified as Black, Hispanic, and White. Makeup use may have a more direct effect on self-esteem if internally motivated and viewed as a mechanism for creativity, mastery, agency, and human connection. Likewise, makeup use may indirectly buffer low mood/self-esteem for those who are externally motivated to use makeup in order to avoid guilt, enhance ego, and promote audience confidence. Results elucidate the importance of motivation to use makeup and its implications for positive mood regulation/enhanced self-esteem through the development of mental health interventions involving makeup application. Findings illuminate the experiences of women in media and public domains and are particularly salient for women of color who may be more extrinsically motivated to use makeup due to hegemonic beauty standards, as Black beauty influencers reported industry disparities in pay/salary, sponsorships, and subscriber count compared with young, White influencers.