Croy and Harlan build up viewers while building up their friendship

Kaylee Woest, Staff Reporter

A white or sometimes black sequined backdrop appears behind the entertaining, outgoing teenagers in every video. There never fails to be music or voice-overs to make the videos more appealing. With some bloopers inserted into the videos at random times, and the spontaneous jokes thrown into the tutorials, you’ve reached the Reelyn Beauty YouTube channel.

The new YouTube channel, with about 44 subscribers, six videos, 1,711 views total, and 64 likes total, is unlike anything Reese Harlan and Dylan Croy have ever done before.

“I’ve been watching YouTube videos since I was like in sixth grade so it’s always something I’ve wanted to do,” Harlan said. “It seemed fun.”

The YouTube channel, otherwise known as Reelyn Beauty, is a new addition to YouTube’s beauty channels.

“We post different looks so we can help young girls achieve the perfect look,”  Harlan said.

Not only does their channel provide makeup and hair tips, it also provides laughs for viewers and subscribers.

“I would say our channel is unexpected, a little bit funny, and even disorganized but in a fun way,” said Croy, who attends the Performing Arts High School.

Harlan and Croy share a very unique relationship that adds more flare into their videos.

“We’ve danced together for a few years now and he is honestly my best friend,” Harlan said. “We have a lot of common, and he’s always someone I know I can count on.”

Croy treasures their relationship and takes it to heart.

“Our relationship is like those days when you have so much fun and those days when you want to yell at each other but still love each other,” Croy said. “It’s a sister and brother relationship. I think of her as more than a best friend.”

Through their YouTube channel, they have had doors open for them that have impacted their future careers.

“I’ve gotten multiple makeup opportunities because of our channel,” Harlan said. “I’ve done makeup for homecomings, proms, family pictures, and wedding looks for many people. It has provided experiences that I can carry with me into my future makeup career I want to pursue.”

Harlan performed her makeup skills on Jadi Meyer, a teacher and coach. For this particular event, Harlan styled Meyer’s makeup just right for Meyer’s brother’s wedding.

“I absolutely loved my makeup,” Meyer said. “She knows exactly what looks good on you and how to make it happen.”

Not only does their channel attract young girls but also adults.

“I started watching their YouTube videos because I saw posts about it, and I loved both their personalities,” Meyer said. “I figured it would be fun to watch them in their element.”

Although their YouTube channel is becoming successful, they have a challenge since this is their senior year in high school and they have plans to go to separate colleges.

“I hope we can continue it into college,” Croy said. “It will definitely be different since we will be separate, but I think we can make it work. It will be more fun because we won’t see the other one filming since we will be miles apart and it’s a way for us to stay in contact.”

Although they love creating and sharing new YouTube videos, they struggled at first with wanting to make a channel or not.

“If you’re thinking about making a YouTube channel, first, I would say just do it because a lot of the time people get scared to put themselves out there,” Harlan said. “It is very intimidating, but if you’re really passionate about what your channel is about then push through it.”

The new YouTubers want to keep their subscribers and viewers updated on what’s to come.

“Keep your eyes out for some more seasonal looks, like Christmas and holiday looks,” Harlan said. “Hopefully, we will film more often not only with makeup videos but also fun, tag videos; so be on the lookout.”