GRWM videos have had a glow-up. They’re now ASMR GRWMs. In the online world of ASMR, beauty becomes a calming, ritualistic experience centred around technique, creativity and self-care. Youtubers like MakemeoverASMR, Goodnight Moon and ASMR August are all examples of the crossover between ASMR and Beauty. With hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of subscribers, these channels have clearly filled a gap in the beauty content market. How is this?

The beginnings of ASMR aren’t entirely clear, but it’s well recorded that the account Gentle Whispering ASMR, or Maria as she’s usually known, was one of the first to start producing ASMR content on YouTube. Beauty content wasn’t habitual on her channel until around 9 years ago, when she began to incorporate ASMR makeup tutorials, spa treatments and hairdresser roleplays. Maria is now at 2.42 million subscribers, and there are now more ASMR channels than are physically possible to watch; a large portion of these are beauty-themed.

One channel in particular has connected to the beauty industry more than most. Make Me Over ASMR is a channel that follows its creator as she gets beauty treatments done. She pays out of pocket for treatments such as posture correction, facials, ear seeds and facial bone adjustments, and films them as unintentional ASMR. It gives people the relaxation of the treatment, as well as an idea of what the treatment is, without them having to pay a penny. The more serious treatments she films, such as the facial bone adjustment, are actually an excellent way to demystify treatments that might be looked at as unnecessary and harmful to health. 

But why does ASMR have such a strong link to beauty? Well, for those of you who don’t know, ASMR is a tingly sensation in the back of your head, neck or face that comes from certain visual or audio stimuli. Not a lot is known about it, which makes the topic taboo at times and incredibly misunderstood. However, because the stimuli come from visual or audio cues, beauty treatments tend to elicit a response in people. This is why roleplay has such a significant role in the world of Beauty ASMR: plastic surgery roleplays, makeup artist roleplays, and perfume designer roleplays are all incredibly popular. Beauty routines in general involve using products that make soothing or distinctive noises. Treatments also involve a lot of communication from the instructor to the client and have historically been seen as relaxing and falling under ‘self-care’. Soft talking and personal attention are both common themes in ASMR, so it makes sense that it goes hand-in-hand with the beauty world.