Ryley Isaac: Shattering Standards of Beauty
Eighteen-year-old Instagram/TikTok star Ryley Isaac is redefining conventions of beauty. The UK native rose to fame through her glamorous selfies and makeup tutorials, which highlight a birthmark across the left side of her face. Isaac began her Instagram journey back in April 2018, and since then, she has gained 721K followers, as well as over 738K fans on TikTok. Instead of allowing others to condemn her individuality, Isaac uses it as a means to spread positivity, empowering others through her fearless content. Below, she discusses all things beauty.
How did you first become inspired to start beauty blogging/doing makeup tutorials?
I‘ve always had a passion for makeup and loved experimenting with it in regards to my birthmark. I never really set out to make a big thing of it—things just started to flow very naturally. Once I started uploading to Instagram and saw people were watching my videos, my platform started to grow. Sometimes, the creative side (coming up with unique, new ideas) can be hard, but knowing that when I upload a video, thousands of people watch and learn definitely keeps me motivated. Getting to help thousands of people on the internet is great, and the messages I receive every day are so nice. The thought of someone using a tutorial of mine online and translating it to their day-to-day life—maybe for prom or a date—is crazy. I love it.
What is your favorite makeup brand, and why?
My favorite brand right now is Anastasia Beverly Hills, mainly because it's the brand I use the most, and their products work really well with my skin. Also, their eyeshadows are so pigmented!
What advice do you have for makeup novices?
No matter how big or small you are in the beauty community, never give up! We’re all talented in our own way, and if we stay motivated and push ourselves daily, we will achieve our goals. For social platforms like Instagram or TikTok, don't be embarrassed if your content isn’t getting many views or high engagement at the very start. I promise that if you keep posting, your platform will grow. Creating unique and engaging content is also key in uploading beauty and makeup content. Always evolve, and notice what the new trends are.
How do you use your beauty mark as a means of inspiring girls worldwide to embrace their individuality?
I love embracing my birthmark to show not just girls worldwide, but everyone to love and embrace themselves for who they are naturally.
How has TikTok allowed you to grow your following and continue to empower others?
TikTok has allowed me to show my personality more, which has really helped me grow, as people got to see my funny and weird side as opposed to just the serious and professional content on Instagram. It helps me build more of a personal and solid bond with my audience.
What is your favorite TikTok you've made to date?
My favorite TikTok to date would be this one of me and my little brother in our element.
What, in your opinion, is the future of beauty?
In my opinion, the future of beauty is full of diversity, talent, and self-expression. We’re all growing together by accepting one another in the beauty community and industry as a whole.
What are your future plans?
I'm going to continue growing my social media platforms, and when the time is right, hopefully I’ll launch some products. I‘m also going to focus on building my YouTube channel and creating videos for my audience, not just beauty videos but ones that show my life, too. I think my viewers like to see that side. I love entertaining people, so I would eventually like to do some acting work as well, but who knows? The future is always changing.
This or That:
Skin care or makeup? Makeup.
Bronzer or blush? Bronzer.
Eyeliner or mascara? Eyeliner.
Neutral or smokey eye? Neutral.
Lipstick or lip gloss? Lip gloss.
Follow Ryley on Social Media:
Instagram: @ryleyisaac
TikTok: @ryley
YouTube: Ryley Isaac
Facebook: @ryley