NYX MASTERCLASS: ONLINE CLASSES FOR MAKE-UP MAVENS
In 2018, NYX Cosmetics launched Masterclass, an online video content library that aims to teach everyone – from make-up beginner to contouring pro – how to improve their make-up game. “Our goal is to create the world's most comprehensive library of educational content,” says Mishel Garcia, director of artistry at NYX Professional Makeup. “Whether someone is just starting out in make-up artistry or is already a professional looking to fine-tune his or her skill set, this educational programme is here to reinforce NYX Professional Makeup's mantra of artistry for all.”
The focus is on sharing expert knowledge and teaching make-up techniques, rather than forcefully trying to flog products. But by combining its 149,000 YouTube subscribers with the millions held by the well-regarded ‘masters’, NYX has harnessed an open and captive audience. The tutorials have allowed the brand to combine the effectiveness of the cosmetics, build brand awareness and instil industry-standard make-up knowledge to the 92% of make-up users who already turn to YouTube videos to find out information on beauty products. So far, the videos appear to have gone down well, too – each of the 25 five- to 10-minute videos has received more than 3,000 views each. “You made this like learning from a friend,” one happy viewer says about the Daytime Smokey Eye Tutorial. “I love a smokey eye [but] my attempts look more like I was punched in the eye... I look forward to the next video.”
NYX has long been known for being a digitally focused, omnichannel brand that makes heavy use of influencer marketing to bring affordable products to consumers. A part of the L’Oreal group, it dubs itself “a modern, digitally native make-up brand on the forefront of today’s emerging beauty trends”. This innovation stretches to its in-store experience as well as online – customers can scan product barcodes on their phones to find out more details, search a product by hashtag, and now, watch tutorials online from their favourite make-up gurus.
Social media-based collaboration with influencers has become a popular strategy among beauty brands. “Influencers talk to their followers in a direct and engaging way, it’s utterly different from the grand and somewhat aloof tone of classic, old-style beauty brand communication,” says Alice Hart-Davis, a beauty and cosmetics journalist, on how the involvement of influencers brings a familiar voice to the videos. “For their followers, influencers are a crucial bridge between a brand and its consumers – and they are constantly starting conversations that consumers can engage with directly.”
The arrival of the NYX Masterclass marks a culture where choosing to wear make-up – for whatever reason – is no longer seen as a self-absorbed, vain pursuit, but a form of self-expression and a serious hobby for some. Tembe Denton-Hurst, beauty editor at Makeup.com explains that “the understanding of make-up is finally shifting to match the way make-up actually functions in people's lives: as a tool to help them feel more comfortable, playful, daring and also as a way of expression.”
With a 2018 Pew Research Center survey finding that 45% of American teens are online “almost constantly” and a further 44% checking in “several times a day”, Masterclass harnesses the very ecosystem where young people already are. In fact, YouTube is the most popular social media platform, with 85% of teens using it. And they’re not just using it for entertainment purposes; for 59% of Gen Zers in a 2018 The Harris Poll survey, YouTube is indeed the number one preferred learning method, with 55% saying the platform has contributed to their learning. With young people increasingly turning to social media to better themselves and learn new skills, Masterclass gives young beauty buffs a dose of ‘edutainment’ – something they can watch and be entertained by, as well as upskill.