A Follow a Day for AAPI Heritage Month: 31 Spectacular Influencers to Follow

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month this May, learn from the best of the best in the world of beauty influencers.

Each May, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrates the wide-ranging contributions people in the AAPI community have made to every sphere of American life. Use this follow-a-day list to recognize a different beauty influencer every single day — by the end of the month, your feed will be filled with lessons, recommendations, and inspiration from some of the most incredible AAPI creators out there.

#1: Michelle Phan

After starting out as a one of the original beauty bloggers and achieving viral success as a YouTuber, Michelle Phan branched out to start her own makeup brand, Em Cosmetics, and subscription beauty company, Ipsy.

#2: Patrick Starrr

Patrick Simondac (aka Patrick Starrr) is a Filipino-American YouTuber and professional makeup artist with a long list of celebrity clients. He started his own beauty brand, One/size, and hosts a podcast about beauty and business called Say Yas to the Guest. 

#3: Plastique Tiara

Since hitting the scene on season 11 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Vietnamese-American drag queen Plastique Tiara has skyrocketed as an influencer. 2 million Instagram users and 9 million TikTok users tune in for Plastique Tiara’s makeup transformations and beauty tutorials. 

#4: Young Yuh

Korean-American skincare influencer Young Yuh walks on the wild side to educate beauty fans about doing their own research into hot new products. Through a combination of real product reviews and ridiculous stunts, Yuh gets people laughing to get his message across.

#5: Promise Tamang

Promise Tamang is so talented at using makeup to transform her look, she calls herself the Human Chameleon. Check out her take on Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent, Lion King villain, Scar, a Bratz doll, the Grinch, and Cindy Lou Who, to name a few.

#6: Bretman Rock

By all accounts, Bretman Rock is one of the biggest beauty influencers in the world. The Filipino-American and Hawaii-based star turned early Vine virality into a powerful platform with over 18 million followers where he talks openly about identity.

#7: Nabela Noor

Beauty influencer Nabela Noor is also an author and entrepreneur many times over. In addition to exploring makeup, the Bangladeshi-American influencer uses her platform to promote body positivity and representation for brown and Muslim girls in the beauty industry.

#8: Jenn Im

Jenn Im is a Korean-American vlogger who got her start in beauty and fashion. Since then she has branched out considerably, with videos about food, relationships, life lessons, motherhood, and more. She also has her own book club called Curl Up Club.

#9: Michelle Lee

Before she was the head of global editorial and publishing at Netflix, Michelle Lee was the editor in chief of Allure. Lee calls herself a “skin care, nail art, and highlighter aficionado,” and her Instagram feed is full of reviews, recommendations, and inspiring photos that prove it.

#10: Charlotte Cho

In addition to being a beauty influencer, Charlotte Cho is the curator and aesthetician behind K-beauty site Soko Glam and skincare lines The Klog and Then I Met You. She has been widely praised for making a home for Korean beauty principles and products in the American market.

#11: Susan Yara

After building a career as a beauty reporter, Susan Yara started her “Mixed Makeup” YouTube channel to focus on the skincare and beauty videos she was most passionate about. Yara also founded her own skincare line, Naturium.

#12: Jessica Vu

Jessica Vu is a Vietnamese-American beauty influencer who started her YouTube channel as a high school hobby. Since then, she has amassed a following of nearly 2 million followers who tune in to learn from her in-depth tutorials on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

#13: Joyce Park

Dr. Joyce Park is a dermatologist and skin, hair, and nail expert. She uses her Instagram and TikTok accounts to share skincare and sun protection tips that help people figure out what products, techniques, and tools are really worth it when it comes to skin health.

#14: Kim Chi

Ever since she made it to the final three on season eight of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Korean-American drag queen Kim Chi has been killing the beauty influencer game. Fans stay hooked on her “crazy over the top pure animé fantasy” looks and KimChi Chic Beauty line.

#15: Deepica Mutyala

Indian-American beauty influencer Deepica Mutyala first went viral when she used red lipstick as a color corrector. Since then, she has set out “on a mission to change beauty standards” by creating multitasking products for people with all skin colors through her brand, Live Tinted.

#16: Asia Jackson

Asia Jackson is the influencer behind #MagandangMorenx, a 2016 movement to challenge colorism in Filipino communities. In addition to posting strict beauty content, she also talks openly about the erasure of Black Asian identities and her indigenous Filipino heritage.

#17: Anthony Youn

Korean-American doctor Anthony Youn has over 7.7 million followers on TikTok, where he calls himself “America’s holistic plastic surgeon.” Dr. Youn provides science-based responses to TikTok beauty trends that promise to cure wrinkles, kill cellulite, and all that jazz.

#18: Zain Shah

Zain Shah is a South Asian beauty influencer dedicated to championing “beauty with a cause.” They regularly post incredible makeup looks that reflect their non-binary identity and take inspiration from the world around them.

#19: Amy Chang

Amy Chang is a Chinese-American “skin and hair obsessed” beauty influencer. In addition to beauty content, she also posts fashion and lifestyle videos for her over 1.3 million followers on TikTok and 322,000 Instagram followers.

#20: Sandra Lee

Dr. Sandra Lee is a Chinese-American dermatologist, surgeon, and the medical professional behind TLC show Dr. Pimple Popper. In addition to building a following of 7.4 million followers on YouTube, Dr. Lee also founded her own skincare brand, SLMD.

#21: Patrick Ta

In addition to being the go-to glam squad for A-list stars, Vietnamese-American makeup artist Patrick Ta founded his own namesake beauty brand in 2019. In talking openly about his life experiences feeling bullied and out of place, Ta positions makeup as a transformative tool.

#22: Weylie Hoang

Chinese-American YouTuber Weylie Hoang has been creating beauty videos and makeup tutorials since she was just 15. Now more than 1.7 million subscribers tune into her channel for vlogs about beauty, hair, skincare, fashion, and even relationship and life advice.

#23: Anthony H. Nguyen

As a celebrity makeup artist, Anthony H. Nguyen has created work for major magazine covers, red carpets, music videos, and so much more. On his YouTube channel, Nguyen posts inspired drag transformations and incredible makeup tutorials.

#24: Ellen V Lora

Korean-American beauty influencer Ellen V Lora treats her social media presence like a visual diary. In addition to beauty and skincare content, Lora also posts about fashion, food, wellness, and self-care.

#25: Edward Zo

Edward Zo is a beauty influencer and entrepreneur. In addition to posting beauty videos, tutorials, and memes on his Instagram and TikTok, he also runs a custom men’s wig brand called MoonFiber and a temporary tattoo company called Fangs and Fables.

#26: Kirin Bhatty

Makeup artist to the stars Kirin Bhatty is passionate about building representation for other South Asian and BIPOC women in beauty and fashion. She frequently posts about her jet-setting life and huge roster of celebrity clients on Instagram.

#27: Ava Lee

Korean-American influencer Ava Lee posts product reviews, tutorials, and all kinds of beauty content to her Instagram and TikTok accounts. Lee uses a popular behind the scenes approach, showing followers how she tests and uses products on herself first and foremost.

#28: Cece Vu

Cece Vu was a busy influencer creating content on a range of platforms before she started her current gig leading beauty and fashion partnerships for the big one: TikTok. Her account takes followers behind the scenes of a day in the life of a TikTok beauty hotshot.

#29: Sarah Cheung

Sarah Cheung is a Chinese-American YouTuber with a channel full of skincare videos and makeup transformations. She also founded SACHEU Beauty, which sells both skincare products and beauty tools like gua sha and facial rollers.

#30: David Yi

David Yi is the founder behind gender-inclusive skincare brand Good Light Cosmetics, and Very Good Light, a website dedicated to men’s beauty and grooming. He’s also the author of Pretty Boys: Legendary Icons Who Redefined Beauty (and How to Glow Up, Too).

#31: Chriselle Lim

Chriselle Lim got her start in fashion, but in 2021 she took the helm at fragrance brand Phlur and launched her own signature scent, Missing Person. Lim talks about the natural bridge between fashion and beauty, and about wanting Missing Person to feel like warm skin.