The Truth About YouTuber Bailey Sarian

The Truth About YouTuber Bailey Sarian

One of the hottest trends on YouTube has become known as “Get Ready With Me,” or GRWM (per Sassy Bella). If you plug those four words into the platform’s search bar, you’ll find more than two million of these videos to view at your leisure. Kylie Jenner even posted her own version of the concept, which consisted of her and sister Kendall getting progressively tipsier on Kendall’s own tequila as they carried on applying a range of Kylie Cosmetics products (via Youtube).

When vlogger Bailey Sarian took a stab at the GRWM trend, she had no idea an avalanche of fame was about to come her way. She’d simply polled her then small army of followers on whether or not they would enjoy watching her break down a current news story while she did her makeup. After receiving an overwhelming “yes,” she proceeded to post her very first “Murder, Mystery, and Makeup” (MM&M) video, which focused on the heavily publicized Chris Watts murder case, which later became the topic of a Netflix docuseries. According to Allure, the video garnered over 100,000 views in just 24 hours. Now, the video has close to eight million views.

Why is watching someone get her glam on while talking about gruesome murders so wildly popular? What gives? Well, aside from the compelling and clever way her videos combine two very disparate things, it’s Bailey’s disarming charm and humor that turn casual viewers of the channel into obsessed fans. Here’s everything you need to know about this stunning true crime and beauty guru.

Unlike most beauty YouTubers, Bailey Sarian didn’t join the platform as a teen

In a day and age where it seems like every popular vlogger is still in braces, Bailey Sarian is an anomaly. According to KQED, she didn’t begin her channel until 2013 when she was around 25. As a guest on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Sarian also revealed that she didn’t even begin experimenting with cosmetics until her 20s because she wasn’t allowed to wear makeup growing up. Her newfound passion soon turned into a profession, as she landed jobs at Sephora and Urban Decay. Her natural skill and artistry also got her gigs working as an assistant makeup artist, most notably for Demi Lovato’s “Cool for the Summer” music video, in which she worked alongside celebrity makeup artist Jill Powell.

In the early days of her now-viral Youtube channel, Sarian simply explained the tips and tricks she picked up on the job. Six years in, she launched the MM&M series, and the web went absolutely wild for it. Now, her YouTube channel boasts close to five million subscribers and her videos regularly rake in millions of views. Her most popular video, called “Jeffrey Dahmer. Inside His Messed Up Mind & How He Almost Got Away,” has more than 13 million views (per YouTube). The makeup guru also has amassed quite a following on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, where she keeps fans updated with glimpses of her personal life.

The surprising reason Bailey Sarian became interested in true crime

Fans are always asking Bailey Sarian one question: How did you get into true crime? Her answer may surprise you. In a Q&A video she recently posted, Sarian explained how her mother used to be a 9-1-1 dispatcher, and she would sometimes bring little Bailey to work with her. “I found it fascinating, even at a young age,” she said (via YouTube). “We laugh about it now because it probably wasn’t the best idea to be taking a 10 or 11 year old to sit in and listen to 9-1-1 calls, because no one’s calling 9-1-1 to report anything good,” Bailey quipped.

The first case that got her hooked was the infamous unsolved murder of six-year-old pageant star JonBenét Ramsey, which took place in 1996 but still circulates the news cycle from time to time (via Crime Museum). Sarian is so consumed by the case that she jokingly claims if she was granted one question to ask God after she dies, it would be who did it (via YouTube).

The content of Bailey Sarian’s channel can bog her down

It’s not a common day job to spend hours on end researching and discussing notorious crime cases (let alone while getting ready for the day), but Bailey Sarian has learned how to cope with the dark content. “[Nowadays,] I pay attention to what mood I’m in. If I’m already feeling down, I’m not going to research a new case because it does mess with you,” she told Allure. She has also asked her fans not to including graphic details or images when they send requests of stories they think she should cover. She’s also sworn off all crime podcasts and cut back on watching crime TV shows. This way, she gets somewhat of a break from all the doom and gloom.

Sarian’s channel also gets a break. Her MM&M videos are only posted on Mondays, while every Saturday she uploads a range of other content. Where one week it will be a “Moon Goddess Makeup Tutorial,” the next it will be a reading from Sarian’s 8th-grade diary. No matter what Bailey Sarian produces, we’re here for it.