Everything you wanted to know about your favourite Canadian beauty guru.
Samantha Jane is one of the top beauty influencers in Canada and is most notable for walking us through the latest beauty tutorials and product reviews on her ever-growing social platforms. We’re so excited to be chatting with her today about everything from her start in the beauty industry to what she’s loving right now- and everything in between.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into the beauty industry?
I’m originally from Newfoundland and currently reside in Toronto. I always knew I loved the beauty industry but I was more of a passive beauty product user. We all remember old YouTube- so nostalgic!- anyways it was 2011 and I was going to be Rihanna for Halloween and found an awesome tutorial about how to recreate her look on YouTube. This, along with getting my first glam bag (remember these) in 2012 inspired me to make my first YouTube video- which was an unboxing of said glam bag. Beauty was originally a hobby for me but then it became a vessel, where I could connect with people, and I soon discovered this amazing online community. The best part about this story is that I still use and love the blending brush I received in that first ever glam bag!
2. Your makeup and beauty product reviews are extremely popular – do you have any ride or die products that have stood the test of time from over the years?
A staple product I find myself buying over and over again is the ColourPop BFF 3 lip liner which I use all the time. I also love Maybelline mascara (any kind!) and can’t go a day without the Benefit 24 Hour Brow Setter. For setting powder, I love the Covergirl Outlast Finishing Powder- this is a product I have been using for years that I still love.
3. What are some small/local beauty brands you recommend that you’ve tried and loved?
I’ve been loving Cheekbone Beauty, which is an Indigenous-owned and founded, digitally-native, Canadian cosmetics company. Jenn, the founder, is amazing- Cheekbone Beauty has some of the best products and is cruelty free. The brand is also environmentally conscious, with a goal to be zero waste. It’s a really good brand overall and I would highly recommend trying it out.
4. Has being in quarantine changed your daily makeup/beauty routine at all? If so, in what way?
Definitely! Actually, since quarantine I haven’t had a really strict routine – I used to be super regimented and now I find myself instead wearing less makeup (aren’t we all!) overall. This could be due to the fact that brands are releasing fewer products for the time being, and it just feels like everything is moving at a slower pace – at least for now. I have actually loved investing in skincare and am doing a lot more at-home self-care routines lately. I recently purchased a facial steamer that I am loving – it definitely helps to pamper yourself once in a while. Quarantine life calls for a much more natural look but I still love wearing makeup to film and find myself having a ton of fun playing with exciting new make up looks.
5. In addition to your successful YouTube and Instagram channels, we’ve seen you all over the news lately- what’s next for you in terms of goals or upcoming projects for 2021?
I love my YouTube channel so much but a goal I have set for myself is to try to expand outside of YouTube in the future- because it can’t always be safe to put all of your eggs in one basket. I hope to do more TV opportunities, and have some amazing hosting gigs coming up with brands that I love. I’m also trying to establish more authority in the beauty industry and branch out into media, which should be fun.
Follow Samantha on Instagram (@samanthajaneyt) and YouTube (@SamanthaJane) for everything beauty, fashion and lifestyle related.