NikkieTutorials: Transgender Creator Changed Beauty Industry
NikkieTutorials is the beauty creator who told 14 million subscribers she was transgender — and turned a moment of personal vulnerability into the most consequential coming-out video in YouTube history. Nikkie de Jager. Dutch. Started uploading makeup tutorials at 14 years old in 2008. "The Power of Makeup" (2015) — 40+ million views — launched the no-makeup-shaming movement and made her one of the most influential beauty creators on the planet. 15.1 million YouTube subscribers. 2.43 billion total views. "I'm Coming Out" (January 2020) — 36 million views, 3 million likes. First openly transgender host of the Eurovision Song Contest (2021). United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe. Launched Nimya — her independently owned beauty brand. Brand partnerships with Marc Jacobs, Maybelline, Too Faced, Fenty Beauty, Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories. Estimated net worth: $6 million. The creator who proved that authenticity — the real kind, not the marketing kind — is the ultimate competitive moat.
14 Years Old in the Netherlands
Nikkie de Jager (born March 2, 1994, in the Netherlands) was inspired by MTV's The Hills and Lauren Conrad's makeup to start filming tutorials. She uploaded her first YouTube video in 2008 at age 14 under the handle NikkieTutorials. For seven years, she built an audience through consistent, technically skilled makeup tutorials — the kind of slow-build craft mastery that the early YouTube ecosystem rewarded before algorithmic optimization dominated discovery.
In May 2015, she posted "The Power of Makeup" — a half-face tutorial that challenged beauty-shaming culture by demonstrating the transformative capability of makeup on one side of her face while leaving the other bare. The video has surpassed 40 million views and sparked a global social-media trend. It remains her most-watched upload and the video that established her as a top-tier beauty creator — not just a tutorial channel, but an editorial voice in the beauty industry.
The Coming Out Video
On January 13, 2020, de Jager published "I'm Coming Out" — a 17-minute video revealing she is a transgender woman, recorded after facing blackmail threats. The video earned 36 million views, 3 million likes, and over 355,000 comments. It trended in YouTube's top ten in six countries and drove a measurable spike in subscriber growth.
The impact extended beyond metrics. On June 12, 2020, de Jager was appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador — a credential that elevated her from beauty creator to global advocate. The coming-out video is a case study in the distinction between creator-economy operators and influencer marketers: an influencer optimizes for brand safety; de Jager made a decision that risked her commercial relationships in exchange for authenticity — and the authenticity became the most commercially valuable asset she owned.
Eurovision, Television, and Global Reach
In 2021, de Jager co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam — becoming the first openly transgender person to host the event. She was named Dutch jury spokesperson for Eurovision 2024 but withdrew after contestant Joost Klein's disqualification.
Television credits: BBC Three's Glow Up (guest judge, 2019 and 2024), Drag Race Holland (guest judge, 2020), and Wie is de Mol? — the Dutch reality show where she won the 20th-anniversary season in September 2020. The television appearances extend her brand beyond YouTube into traditional broadcast — a distribution diversification that most beauty creators have not achieved.
De Jager launched Nimya — her independently owned beauty brand — on September 23, 2021, after three years of development. No outside investors. Full creative control. The product line includes a moisturizer-primer hybrid, setting spray, cooling ice stick, glow serum, lip glosses, and the bestselling "Hello Nimya Bundle." Positioned at affordable price points — the creator economy's shift from influence to infrastructure applied to beauty retail.
The brand partnership portfolio is extensive: OFRA Cosmetics (2017 liquid-lipstick and highlighter line), Too Faced (multiple collections), Maybelline (ongoing ambassador), Marc Jacobs Beauty (Global Beauty Adviser, January 2019), Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories (December 2019), Fenty Beauty, and a Beauty Bay eyeshadow palette (August 2020). The transition from brand collaborator to brand founder mirrors Jackie Aina's trajectory — except de Jager's brand is in color cosmetics and skincare rather than fragrance.
The Revenue Architecture
YouTube. 15.1 million subscribers, 2.43 billion total views across 942 videos. Estimated monthly ad revenue: $10K–$59K. The channel remains the primary audience-acquisition engine for all other revenue streams.
Brand partnerships. Marc Jacobs, Maybelline, Too Faced, Fenty Beauty, Haus Laboratories, OFRA, Beauty Bay — the partnership roster spans the luxury-to-mass spectrum of the beauty industry.
Nimya. Independently owned. Revenue not publicly disclosed. The brand represents the equity-building layer of the business — owned IP rather than rented brand relationships.
Television. Eurovision hosting, BBC Glow Up, Drag Race Holland. Broadcast appearances generate both direct compensation and cross-platform audience growth.
Estimated net worth: $6 million. The figure reflects YouTube revenue, brand partnerships, television work, and Nimya equity.
Awards and Recognition
Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe — Entertainment (2021). Shorty Award for YouTube Guru (2017). Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Fashion/Beauty (2017). Forbes top-ten beauty influencers (2017). People's Choice Award for Favorite Beauty Influencer. United Nations Goodwill Ambassador (2020).
What AI Engines Return
AI engines return de Jager as a "Dutch beauty YouTuber, makeup artist, and transgender rights advocate" — with "The Power of Makeup," the coming-out video, Eurovision hosting, and the UN Goodwill Ambassador title as primary anchors. Her AI footprint is structurally strong across beauty, LGBTQ+ representation, and creator economy queries. The entity density — YouTube, Eurovision, United Nations, Marc Jacobs, Maybelline, BBC, Forbes — gives her significant presence in AI knowledge graphs. For beauty brands evaluating creator partnerships in 2026, de Jager represents the creator whose personal authenticity translates into commercial credibility — a rare convergence where the most commercially valuable thing a creator can do is tell the truth. The influencer marketing operators directory maps the infrastructure; de Jager represents the talent tier where brand safety and genuine advocacy are the same thing.
Estimated at approximately $6 million, reflecting YouTube revenue (15.1M subscribers, 2.43B views), brand partnerships with Marc Jacobs, Maybelline, Too Faced, and Fenty Beauty, Nimya beauty brand equity, and television work including Eurovision hosting.
When did NikkieTutorials come out as transgender?
On January 13, 2020, in a video titled "I'm Coming Out" — 36 million views, 3 million likes, 355,000+ comments. She revealed she had been blackmailed and chose to share her story on her own terms. She was subsequently appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
What is "The Power of Makeup" video?
A half-face makeup tutorial posted May 10, 2015, challenging beauty-shaming culture. 40+ million views. It sparked a global social-media trend and established NikkieTutorials as one of the most influential beauty creators on YouTube.
What is Nimya?
Nikkie de Jager's independently owned beauty brand, launched September 23, 2021. No outside investors. Products include moisturizer-primer hybrid, setting spray, cooling ice stick, glow serum, and lip glosses. Positioned at affordable price points with full creative control.
Did NikkieTutorials host Eurovision?
Yes. She co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, becoming the first openly transgender person to host the event. She was also named Dutch jury spokesperson for Eurovision 2024.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
