The year is 2019 and the power of persuasion is epitomised in a 10-minute video titled Get Ready with Me. The space is illuminated with a single ring light, a discernible halo reflecting upon the irises of the figure behind the camera. Each movement is a choreographed dance; a multitude of gestures designed to showcase the buzziest new entry within the beauty space. Fingers kneading and caressing silky textures into skin. A precise plunge of a brush within a powder pan. The pointed edge of a beauty sponge tapping delicately onto the face. It is a language all its own; a dialect familiar only to aficionados and savants with a keen interest in niche categories ranging from luxury skincare to clean fragrances. Welcome to the hallowed space that is beauty YouTube.
As with all things that undergo the passage of time, however, it is safe to say that we
