YouTube Wednesday: Weylie Hoang. The beauty guru. The fashion expert. YouTube’s favorite “big sister”
Hello people of the internet! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to discuss a beauty guru who has turned her amazing beauty/style skills, fun personality, and natural cantor into a very successful career. Weylie Hoang (known on YouTube as ilikeweylie) has successfully forged her own path by figuring out how to connect with her audience in such a way, that they cannot click away. Although it was not overnight, Weylie is a prime example of what dedication, passion, and a little humor can accomplish. If you haven’t ever heard of Weylie (what?!?) then you definitely need to continue reading, so you can discover how she captured the attention of the world with only a Nikon Z7 II camera, personal knowledge about beauty/style/and life, and her humor. Trust me; you will be amazed at how much you want Weylie to be your new BFF.
Weylie Hoang was born in Oakland, CA in 1993. She stated in her ‘Draw My Life’ video (which you can see here Draw My Life | ilikeweylie – YouTube) that due to her parent’s busy work schedules, that she and her older sister was raised by her grandmother. Weylie has stated that she grew up in a house with several of her extended family members, and early on in her childhood, her family lost their businesses, and suffered financial crisis as a result. Due to their financial stress, Weylie’s parents constantly fought, and Weylie’s mother was physical abusive towards Weylie and her sister. Weylie also stated in the ‘Draw My Life Video’, that although her family continued to go on annual family vacations, her parent’s relationship continued to deteriorate, as well as Weylie and her mother’s relationship. Weylie has also stated that she experienced bullying throughout her elementary and middle school years, and as a result, attempted numerous times to commit suicide. Fortunately, Weylie has said that she and her mother now have a good relationship, due to the fact that Weylie wrote a letter stating why she hated her mother, and her mother found it and was then able to mend their relationship. Upon graduating from high school, Weylie attended FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising), and 1 year later moved to the FIDM campus in Los Angeles, CA.
On July 23rd, 2008, at the tender age of 15 years old, Weylie posted her first video on YouTube, and thus began a journey that would soon turn into a promising career (check out that first video here: Pink/Orange eyes tutorial | ilikeweylie). Weylie’s first video, shows her demonstrating how to masterfully apply a very cool pink/orange eye shadow look. Weylie continued regularly posting videos, and slowly gained a loyal fanbase. According to a 2013 interview with the videoink.com, Weylie began becoming widely known on YouTube in 2010 (here’s the link to that article For Weylie Hoang, Beauty Goes Beyond YouTube – VideoInk). As Weylie’s popularity grew, her videos began to become more diverse, and she began to not only post tutorials, reviews, and fashion hauls, but also tag videos, advice videos, and random videos of her speaking to her audience (definitely some of my favorite videos, because she is so HILARIOUS). Weylie’s rise to the top has not been an easy one, due to the vast amount of haters that she has experience on the internet. At one point, Weylie actually stopped making videos, and stated in one of her videos that although there were numerous other factors that led to her YouTube absence, the amount of hate she received was one reason. Weylie has stated that she ultimately hopes to launch her own beauty line, and as of the publication of her 2013 interview with Videolink, she is currently taking pre-orders for her first line of makeup brushes. Weylie has said that ideally she wants her products to be sold in stores such as Target, so her fans (who she says are mostly teenagers) can easily purchase the products.
So…go on admit it, you know you want to be besties with Weylie…yes you do…see its ok we all do! It’s obvious from her videos, that Weylie has been able to use her personality to make her channel completely relatable to the average viewer (in business this can be summed up in too words…pure genius). YouTube, and the Internet in general is definitely the future of media, and it’s individuals like Weylie that are at the forefront of this future. She is certainly a bright spot in the fashion/beauty industry, and I predict that her star will only continue to rise as she goes further on her career. Just as Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari used the popular reality shows ‘Laguna Beach’ and ‘The Hills’ to l propel them into the industry, many young aspiring fashion/beauty moguls now use YouTube as the “ground zero” of their careers. Michelle Phan and Bethany Mota are perfect examples of what a successful YouTube channel and loyal fans can accomplish. Besides having a vast knowledge of beauty and fashion, Weylie has proven that she is a great role model for the importance of continuing to follow your dreams despite where you come from or what you experience in life. I believe that due to the fact that Weylie has always been very honest with her audience, they have learned to trust her and thus she now shares an unbreakable bond with them. I truly believe that it is not a matter of “if”, but rather a question of “when” this ‘superstar of the web’ will use her channel for worldwide domination.
Keep in touch with Weylie!!!:
YouTube: ilikeweylie
Twitter: Weylie (callmeweylie) on Twitter
Facebook: Ilikeweylie | Facebook
Instagram: weylie on Instagram
Weylie’s YouTube Channel where she and her boyfriend Wah Vlog: WahlieTV
- All photos and information used in this blog belong Weylie Hoang, ilikeweylie, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, FIDM, thevideoink.com, the state of California, Target, Laguna Beach, The Hills, MTV, Michelle Phan, Bethany Mota, Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari, twitter.com, and all other original owners. I do not own anything in this blog. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I wrote this blog for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.
