On March 2, 2024, junior Rylee Wathen started a makeup Instagram account as a fun hobby. Little did she know, the account would grow to almost 6,000 followers in two years.

Wathen’s account consists mostly of makeup transitions, “get ready with me” vlogs, skincare routines and story time videos. In the videos, she expresses her personality and creativity through dramatic makeup looks or just talking about her day.

Junior Rylee Wathen uses various tools to help her create videos. Her Octobuddy and ring light are just a few. Art made with Canva by Darby Morel.

But, creating content for social media had never been Wathen’s initial plan. Instead, she was intensely focused on becoming a collegiate gymnast. She even had college scouts looking forward to her next competition.

However, her plans went askew when she attempted a new vault skill at practice, leaving her with two broken feet and one shattered dream. Wathen had to quit gymnastics all together even after physical therapy and extra recovery measures, which turned her world upside down. 

“I had to watch my body change and lose muscle mass. I had to watch my friends move on with their lives and do things that I couldn’t do anymore,” Wathen said.

During her tiring and strenuous recovery process, her parents urged her to use her time for other hobbies. One of them being makeup and skincare. After seeing other creators on various platforms succeed with creating makeup content, Wathen created her own account.

To her parent’s surprise, the Instagram account quickly gained copious amounts of followers, views and likes.

“She is very goal-oriented and once she sets her mind to something, it takes on a life of its own,” Wathen’s mom, Michaelanne, said.

Filling her with a newfound sense of purpose, Rylee explored the boundaries of her creativity with makeup.

“It was amazing watching her take on the mess life handed her and make something beautiful out of it,” Michaelanne said.

Even though Rylee’s gymnastics accident caused her to lose some of her oldest friends, but it allowed for new, genuine friends to enter her life. Some of her closest friends, like junior Sam Berger, are featured in her videos. 

“[Creating videos is] something she is passionate about and I’m more than happy to contribute to that in any way I can,” Berger said.

Now, Rylee has amassed upwards of 115 thousand views on several of her videos.

But, being a social media influencer and creating content is a double-edged sword. Having a presence on social media has led to people secretly following her around in public and a myriad of hate comments. One particular scary experience was when a stranger followed her around a mall and secretly took photos of her and her friends.

“I know everybody talks about toxicity and social media, but I don’t think they actually understand how toxic it is until you have [people] coming at you through your comments, through DMs or following you places,” Rylee said.

Having experienced the extreme highs and lows of being an influencer, Rylee has recognized the importance of prioritizing her mental health. 

“If you need a break, take a break. Taking a break is not a bad thing,” Rylee said.

Prioritizing her mental health reduces the chance of burnout due to the demanding aspects of catering to the algorithm. Occasionally stepping away from her account has empowered Rylee to manage stress better and keep track of her responsibilities as a student, daughter and content creator.

Even though Rylee has reaped the benefits of her passion for makeup, she doesn’t plan to be a content creator for the rest of her life. Rylee plans to pursue a career in pediatric oncology after she graduates. 

“[Content creation is] not something I want to have to depend on because it’s not going to be forever. This degree and this job is forever,” Rylee said.

Although creating videos and makeup looks won’t always be her first priority, Rylee is still making the most of the hand she has been dealt.