Vanillamace Says What She Does to Her Hair Is None of Your Business
“l’ve always been someone who can’t keep the same look for too long.”
Vanillamace, or Em as her friends call her, might be known for a few viral video clips — but the community she’s built of over five million followers proves she’s anything but a fleeting moment. Swiping through her Instagram, it’s clear to see the distinct visual world she’s established through neon pink wigs, dolly eyelash extensions, sparkly tooth gems and editorial glam. However, the Twitch streamer says she’s not exactly worried about looking perfect on the internet.
“Dont get me wrong, I do like to take a cunty Instagram picture every now and then, but on a day to day basis I just really can’t be bothered,” she tells Hypebae. “I’m comfortable in my skin and that’s all that matters.” As an avid consumer of content herself, Em says she’s always resonated with creators that are simply themselves — and for many of Em’s followers, that’s the exact reason why they continue to watch her.
With such a massive audience, the influencer has grown used to the universal experience of reaching “the wrong side of the internet” — a common rite of passage for women online. However, Vanilla finds that her content speaks the most to a tight-knit group of women and queer people that she’s unintentionally curated through streaming, “I just remind myself, I don’t do it for these people, I do it for the girls who get it.”
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At the same time, Em finds that building a dedicated community often means receiving unsolicited advice about her physical appearance, a common side effect of fostering a close relationship with her viewers. After becoming synonymous with her short, curly pixie cut, the streamer decided to retreat back to a buzzcut — a hairstyle she had fell in love with almost nine years ago, after taking inspiration from Uglyworldwide. “I feel like a lot of people relate long hair with femininity, and when they see a woman or femme-presenting person cut their hair off, it’s a bit of a shock to them,” she says.
But, unlike other online creators who ignore the comments altogether or go as far as taking the critiques into consideration, Em made it evidently clear that she wasn’t seeking validation from her followers. “Having short hair and having people question it isn’t new to me, but I feel its important to set boundaries — because its my head,” she tells Hypebae. Beyond that, Vanilla says that she’s always experimented with different looks and doesn’t ever see herself settling on a singular hairstyle, no matter how badly her followers might favor one.
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Growing up, the creator was never especially attached to her long hair — and with a hairstylist as a mom, she’s always enjoyed tapping into new alter egos with different hairstyles. Now, Vanilla’s buzzcut serves as a black canvas for any look she’s in the mood for, “I just find it really fun to be able to almost transform into different versions of yourself, even if it’s just for the night.” Although she has an extremely developed sense of self now, Em acknowledges that the start of her online career was a major influencing factor.
Before she entered the streaming world, Em worked in a strip club, where she says she often grappled with her own appearance. “I was heavily into beauty and self image, and I was always searching for more and more — I never seemed to be happy with my appearance,” she says. After transitioning into full-time content creating, Em says that she’s finally been able to let go of all the strict standards she set up for herself, “I still absolutely love feeling glamorous and [getting] dolled up, but I don’t feel the need to put that kind of pressure on myself anymore, and it’s been very freeing.”
From Fenty Beauty‘s cult-favorite body cream to the beloved Makeup By Mario eyeshadow palettes — ahead, Vanillamace reveals all of her beauty essentials.
Red Light LED Face Mask
“Honestly, I dont know if it works that well but I just feel so luxurious using it in bed after a shower — so a win is a win. My friend Aili recommended it to me and I’ve loved using it ever since!”
Lottie London Bleach Brow Gel
“I loove this brow gel for when I’m trying to make my brows look even more bleached than they already are. I have very thin hair on my brows, so this helps them look more visible with the bleached look.”
Fenty Beauty Butta Drop Refill Whipped Oil Body Cream
“OMG, this stuff smells so good and it is so rich and hydrating. It’s my favorite body butter ever. Riri, you outdo yourself every time.”
Aquaphor
“I literally couldn’t live without Aquaphor. I know it seems silly but I use it on my lips 24/7. I’ve also seen people do the slugging thing with Aquaphor as well, which I havent tried yet, so maybe I’ll give that a go and report back!”
Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
“I have the warm and cool toned versions of this palette, and they are my staples. Whenever I do a simple glam I always bust these out. I like them because they’re also compact and don’t have too many shades. Sometimes big palettes aren’t necessary in my opinion, but these are perfect.”
