She’s amassed millions of video views and become a font of beauty knowledge, now Fleur de Force has launched her own make-up range. Katie Wright chats to the vlogging star about beauty tips, bargains and making it big in the digital age
She may not be a household name (yet), but on the internet, the girl known as Fleur de Force is nothing short of a megastar.
Having amassed 1.3 million YouTube subscribers and more than 180 million views across her two channels, the pretty blonde is one of a handful of British video bloggers – alongside Zoella and Tanya Burr – who have truly risen to the top of the ’vlogging’ game.
The 27-year-old started posting chatty make-up tutorials online while at university and by the time she graduated, had turned her hobby it into a full-time job (thanks to online ad revenue).
“When I started, there were only a few people doing it professionally, and now it’s turned into an industry, which is really incredible,” she says.
There are downsides, however, to the busy blogger lifestyle.
“When things become more professional, you have less time to hang out and see your friends, people are suddenly saying, ’I’m busy for the next month’, but it’s far outweighed by everything else. Being able to do something I love is the best.”
Six years after her first video, Northamptonshire-based Fleur is about to embark on a US tour to promote her book The Glam Guide and has just launched a capsule collection of lipglosses and eyeshadow quads with FeelUnique.
“I mainly talk about make-up, so having my own range has always been a dream,” she says excitedly. “Going to the factory was amazing, I’d never gone behind the scenes like that before.”
But surely, with all the vlogger events and brand collaborations she does, Fleur has picked up lots of pro make-up artist tips behind the scenes?
“Not many, to be honest,” she laughs. “Usually when I get my make-up done, I’m not happy with it! I end up going back and tweaking it.”
Well, at least she’ll never have to go shopping, being inundated with cosmetics from brands hoping they’ll end up on YouTube, right? Nope.
“I am 100% a shopper!” Fleur insists. “I never tend to ask for anything, I think it’s really important to keep that love for products. If you love something enough to buy it, that says a lot.”
So what’s always on this vlogger’s shopping list then?
Apart from her own collection (she says the Written In The Stars lipgloss, £6.99, FeelUnique.com, is her everyday essential at the moment – “it’s like your lips but better“), Fleur has a whole raft of can’t-live-without favourites she’s more than happy to share.
Here, she talks us through her luxury favourites and hottest high street buys…
BEAUTY BLOWOUTS
:: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation in Beige 20, £32, Boots
“Chanel foundation is my all-time favourite, I first got the Vitalumiere Aqua in shade B20 four or five years ago and I still go back to it now, it’s still in nearly every video I do. I’m a bit of a broken record about that one!”
:: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Intense Black, £13 (www.stila.co.uk)
“Stila liquid eyeliner is the best, it’s called Stay All Day and it really does.”
:: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, £49
(www.charlottetilbury.com)
“Charlotte Tilbury’s range is really lovely. Her lipsticks are great, as is the Film Star Bronze and Glow.”
:: Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Luxurious Mascara, £20, Debenhams
“I love YSL mascara, especially the Faux Cils effect.”
:: Ellis Faas Concealer, £22, BeautyBay.com
“There’s a new brand I’ve found called Ellis Faas. It’s quite a niche brand, their concealer is amazing.”