I've been watching YouTube for pretty much as long as I can remember. However, the dynamics of the channels on YouTube have drastically changed since I was 8-years-old, watching song lyric videos on my family's desktop Dell computer. Gaming, beauty, fashion, cooking, DIY'ing, and everything else under the sun has an audience on YouTube, and those who gain a hefty audience on their channel can make millions of dollars every single year. What I have noticed, is that there are certain channels that get way too much recognition, while others are completely overshadowed, and are producing far superior content. So, here are my favorite, underrated YouTube channels, that I believe deserve far more viewers.
1. “GlamLifeGuru” aka, Tati Westbrook
Now I watch a ton of "beauty gurus", and I have since I first started enjoying the beauty of binge-watching YouTube all day long. Beauty influencers are notorious for being paid to say this and that about a product, and it's not always honest. They could be endorsing a $50 foundation, that might just be absolutely horrible, but they'll take the paycheck anyway. That really pisses me off because, and I can imagine other people feel this way as well, makeup is insanely expensive, and I want to get my money's worth. Tati is the queen of honest, thorough reviews. That's how I found her channel. She reviews the most expensive beauty products out there, but also products you can find at the Dollar Tree. She doesn't hold back either and has been taken off of several companies' PR lists for her reviews, but that doesn't stop her from stating the truth. Tati is one of the most genuine beauty influencers out there, and even though she has a substantial following, I just don't understand how someone would choose to watch someone like Laura Lee (whose had quite a few scandals this year), over Tati.
2. “ThreadsObsessed” aka, Melissa Tatti
This girl is the epitome of a "girl boss". I discovered her channel, on one of my many YouTube binges, when she had around 50,000 subscribers. Melissa's channel is geared towards the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle sector of YouTube. Her videos mainly consist of her thrifting, and she finds some hidden gems, that's for sure. I love watching her go through a thrift store and find clothing items from designers like Louis Vuitton, Moschino, and Gucci, it makes me want to go out and do the same (but I for sure do not have as much patience as her). Melissa then takes a lot of the items she finds, revamps them, and then sells them on her Depop page. The items she finds are always on trend, and she manages to style them in ways that I would never, ever think of. She truly makes me want to step out of my fashion comfort zone, but most, of all, she inspires me to feel comfortable and confident in whatever I'm wearing. Melissa also does beauty videos, like makeup tutorials, and also vlogs her day-to-day life. Did I mention she has the cutest French bulldog I've ever seen? That should be reason enough for you to go check her out.
3. "Exploring with Josh"
Who doesn't love old, creepy, abandoned places? Josh travels the world looking for places that have been left behind by civilization and takes you through a virtual tour of even the oldest, most run-down structures. My favorite series on his channel has to be his documentation of his visit to Chernobyl, site of the nuclear disaster in Ukraine in the year 1986. As a history nerd, Chernobyl is one of my most favorite topics to research, as the effects will last forever. In his series, Josh takes his viewers on a tour of the ghost town, which is one of the eeriest videos I've ever watched. Due to the nature of the disaster, people had to leave everything behind, and it's almost like the town is frozen in time. Josh goes as far as to go to some of the nuclear reactors, into the houses of the families that once lived there, and travel through buildings like schools and hospitals. It was very cool to see since not a lot of people will ever get a chance to go back to that area, as the radiation there still remains. Exploring with Josh is one of the most unique channels on YouTube, and he truly has a passion for whatever he's doing.
4. "Ways to Study"
If you're ever looking for motivation to organize your life or even to do your homework, I recommend the "study" YouTube channels. I'm a big stickler for organized notes and effective study techniques, and this channel gives me that, and more. Although you never really get to see the creator's face, the person that makes these videos provides help studying, note-taking, and organization techniques, that would be useful for every single student. Besides that, the creator also makes "study with me" videos, that you can play while you're studying. Although this isn't everyone's cup of tea, for me, I can't get enough of it, and it has truly changed the way I study and take notes.
I would HIGHLY recommend you take a look at any of these channels, even if one semi-sparks your interest. We should spend more time celebrating the underappreciated creators in the world, instead of supporting someone who will do anything for a paycheck or fame.
