Blind YouTube Vlogger Lucy Edwards Lends New Perspective to Tutorials
Teen blogger Lucy Edwards on her Youtube channel. (Photo: Youtube)
One of YouTube’s newest stars is British teenager Lucy Edwards, who creates tutorials on everything from how to apply makeup to discussing the realities of being blind. According to The Daily Mail, the 19-year-old lost her sight two years ago, due to the degenerative eye disease incontinentia pigmenti, which caused her to lose vision in her right eye at age 11 and the left at 17.
Edwards’ YouTube Channel, YesterdaysWishes, has more than 11,000 subscribers and covers everything from makeup to aid dogs, but it’s her beauty tutorials that have gone viral. She told BuzzFeed that she worked with her sister to create a makeup routine that didn’t require a mirror, and the teen can skillfully apply eyeliner, concealer, mascara, and contour her face. In her videos, she recommends feeling your face to determine what products you need. For example, she taps her face with her fingers to find any blemishes that might need concealer.
Edwards told Buzzfeed that since becoming blind, makeup has given her a sense of empowerment. “Because I’m making myself pretty, it makes me feel better about myself on the inside,” she said. “I know the media has a lot of rubbish about whether you need makeup and so on – I don’t think I need it especially, but it’s just a thing that makes me feel good about myself. It makes me feel like I’m in control.”
Lucy Edwards giving beauty tutorials on her channel. (Photo: Youtube)
And gaining control is key for someone who’s typically dependent on other people for help. “And make-up for me, personally, means that I don’t have to ask anyone about how my face looks any more. Because I know I’ve put my foundation on a certain way, and I’ve built up my routine so I know my cleansing routine and all that,” Edwards told BuzzFeed.
She doesn’t shy away from tackling hard-hitting subjects as well. Edwards created a video called “The Worst Things About Being Blind” where she frankly addressed some of her biggest fears and frustrations, from having to plan every route she takes to getting scared from unknown noises when alone to feeling patronized.
But Edwards’ videos are decidedly upbeat, and her goal is to create awareness about blindness, remove the stigma around it, and lead open discussions about the daily challenges she faces. She also has a series called “Blind Life Hacks,” where she reviews apps and technology aimed at the vision impaired, such as “Voiceye,” which reads out printed material. In her “Best Things About Being Blind” video she mentions her heightened hearing and half priced travel as being perks. She also joked that “no matter how ugly her friends get, they will always be 17 in my heart.”
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