From YouTube tutorials to her own make-up line

YouTube regularly spawns flash-in-the-pan celebrities, but few have managed to build a profitable business out of their exposure. Lauren Luke is a rare exception—the British self-taught make-up guru built such a loyal following with her chatty tips on how to imitate celebrity looks, that she just launched her own line of cosmetics: By Lauren Luke. In contrast to high-profile make-up artists like Bobbi Brown, Luke has true girl-next-door appeal. The former taxi dispatcher started experimenting with brightly coloured make-up in high school. While selling cosmetics on eBay as a 26-year-old single mom, Luke started making simple, unedited YouTube tutorials for her customers, which have been viewed over 40 million times since she started posting them 18 months ago. The By Lauren Luke line, sold exclusively through Luke’s website to customers in the US, Canada and Europe, features kits of hand-picked shades. Naturally, each kit comes with a video tutorial on how best to apply ‘Fierce Violets’, ‘Vintage Glams’, ‘Sultry Blues’ and ‘Luscious Greens’. Luke hopes her customers will do what she does whenever she receives new cosmetics in the mail: “chew the postman’s hand off with excitement”. From her deft use of social media, to how she generously shares her skills to attract a loyal following, most seasoned entrepreneurs could learn a thing or two from Lauren Luke.