In the world of online beauty bloggers, Jamie Genevieve is a name which many faces will recognise. With over 1.2m Instagram followers and over 750K subscribers on YouTube, Jamie G has caught the eye of many for her outrageously stunning makeup looks and unique touch of grunge she brings to the makeup world. Tattooed, pierced and always sporting a heavy, super glam makeup look, I can probably relate to a lot of makeup enthusiasts out there when I say she is my favourite social media “influencer”. Although Jamie hates the term “influencer”, ultimately, this is what Jamie has become after years of success online, earning her a vast fan base on many networking channels. This online popularity has now won Jamie her most recent career milestone which every other online personality can only dream of; her own BBC documentary.
Aired first on Monday 25th February, the BBC Scotland team revealed just what it’s like to follow Jamie Genevieve for 6 months, showing her daily routine of PT sessions, occasional fan meet-and-greets and behind the scenes of what being a “YouTuber” is all about. Alongside an insider look into Jamie’s life, the BBC also illustrated just why people love her online content. As an MUA, you’d probably expect people to first favour her artistry with cosmetics, or her online tutorials, but it’s actually her goofy personality, humble Scottish lifestyle and even her German Shephard, Drogba, which people love more. Yes, she has an insane talent for makeup but it’s her relatable-ness which people, including myself, are drawn to.
Currently, Jamie uploads weekly; both vlogs and tutorials. Occasionally however, her content is filled with exclusive branded trips with some of the world’s most acclaimed beauty brands; places like Dubai, Marbella, Kenya, the Maldives and Ibiza are just some of her most recent trips. However, whilst we know and love her lavish jet-setter lifestyle online, the BBC really emphasise her as an individual. The programme also highlights her fiancé Jack’s influence into her career. Jack, recently a bricklayer, has now put his own career on hold to support Jamie full-time in hers as her editor, photographer and videographer; all made possible through the extensive earnings she makes from posting online. Kindly, the BBC also painted Jack as a talent all in himself. Yes, Jamie is the face of it all, but her fiancé really is the brick and mortar behind her success creating exciting videography wherever she is around the globe; even using drones and sophisticated technology to differentiate her content against the rising number of YouTuber’s.
Throughout the programme we also get an insight into Jamie’s success so far. We see footage from the creation of her own MAC lipstick released in August 2018 and we’re invited to the Young Scot awards 2018 to see Jamie take home the entertainment title. Yet, it is undeniable that Jamie is a success in herself without her makeup career. Although many anticipate how the “influencer bubble will eventually burst”, Jamie’s breakthrough onto traditional media has opened up even more doors and displayed to many more generations of people just how fantastic she is.
Since the documentary aired, it’s fair to say that, despite her already large following online, the only way is up for Jamie Genevieve. BBC Scotland have done a really good job at portraying just who Jamie is and have captured her much-loved personality perfectly. Overall however, it is clear that whilst the documentary shows how much Jamie loves makeup, it really reveals how we (as viewers) don’t need to love makeup to love Jamie.
You can find BBC Scotland’s “Jamie Genevieve #Unfiltered” documentary on BBC iPlayer.