Beauty Vlogger Ingrid Nilsen Comes Out On YouTube

Yesterday afternoon, an amazing thing happened: Ingrid Nilsen (a.k.a. MissGlamorazzi) became the first widely known beauty vlogger to come out as gay on YouTube. I've been subscribing to Nilsen’s videos for the past four years. Her channel usually features fun snippets of her life, ranging from cool DIYs to beauty hauls and healthy-eating tips — that is, until yesterday. I was sitting at my desk when my coworker turned to me. “Ingrid Nilsen just came out on YouTube,” she said. I immediately logged on to the 'tube and prepared myself to watch the nearly 20-minute-long video — which had already amassed over 2 million views. The brave 26-year-old doesn’t beat around the bush — within the first 40 seconds, she comes out to the Internet world, which in her case means over 3 million subscribers. “There’s something I want you to know, and that something is I’m gay,” she says. The second the words leave her mouth, she immediately becomes overwhelmed with emotion — as did I. Yes, friends, it’s a tearjerker. For the remainder of the video, Nilsen shares the ins and outs of her story — everything from how she first knew she was attracted to women, to the years of suppression, to finally revealing her secret to her loved ones. Every remarkable minute of it is honest, genuine, and wholeheartedly human. We’re in a generation in which people constantly build connections and relationships through the web. I began watching Nilsen’s vlogs when I was 17 as a way to pass the time when I was sick. Immediately, I was captured by her quirky personality, relatable voice, and creative beauty vids. She preached self-love, confidence, and acceptance, and as a teen struggling with myriad insecurities, this was everything that I needed to hear. And, considering her legions of loyal fans, it’s safe to say that I’m not the only one whom Nilsen has impacted. Over the last four years, we’ve watched Ingrid take the world by storm. She’s currently partnering with top brands, showing up in magazines, judging Project Runway: Threads, all while continuing to stay true to, and produce high-quality videos for, her own channel. We’ve watched her rise to the top of her field in nearly every aspect, but we can honestly say that we’ve never been more inspired by her. “I want to live my life unapologetically, because I’m proud of who I am,” she says. Nilsen wraps up by saying: “This is the life that I’ve always lived in my head, and now it’s real,” followed by, “I’m giving myself my best chance, and so should you.” Needless to say, you should all go watch it and show her some lovin’.