Who's Who on Social Media
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Who is Kathleen Lights?

Kathleen Lights has been a prominent force in the digital beauty space for over a decade. As a Miami-based content creator and founder of Lights Lacquer, she’s built a career around accessible makeup tutorials, relatable storytelling, and a genuine connection to her followers.

July 17, 2025
Josie Renna
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Josie Renna

Josie Renna is a content strategy expert with a passion for helping creators navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. Specializing in effective content creation techniques and platform-specific strategies, Josie provides insights to empower creators and brands to thrive online. With a deep understanding of algorithm dynamics and audience engagement, Josie shares actionable tips for optimizing content performance across various platforms.

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Kathleen Lights: Elevating Everyday Beauty Through Expertise and Authenticity

Kathleen Fuentes, better known as Kathleen Lights, began her YouTube journey in 2013 while living in Miami. What set her apart early on was her love for drugstore makeup and her candid, often humorous storytelling style. Instead of chasing luxury trends, she built trust by reviewing products her audience could afford and access. Her early GRWM videos became popular not just for tips, but for the way she spoke like a friend, not a beauty guru.

Over time, she expanded her influence beyond tutorials, opening up about her personal life — including her struggles with anxiety and her love for Harry Potter, crystals, and her dogs. These quirks helped shape a unique creator identity that her audience still connects with. Fans didn’t just subscribe for makeup; they tuned in for Kathleen’s unfiltered thoughts on life, love, and the little things. That blend of beauty and vulnerability became her signature.

Kathleen Lights at Castello di Amorosa: A Fairytale Moment in Napa Valley (Source: @kathleenlights, Instagram, June 2024)

In 2019, she launched Lights Lacquer, a vegan, cruelty-free nail polish line inspired by her obsession with nail art and color theory. Kathleen plays a hands-on role in the creative direction — naming polishes after books, moods, and nostalgic moments. This brand isn’t a vanity project; it’s a natural extension of her voice, aesthetics, and values. Her launches often feel like inside jokes or personal memories shared with fans.

Unlike many creators who migrated fully to TikTok, Kathleen remains active across multiple platforms but preserves her long-form storytelling roots. Whether she’s swatching lipsticks on IG or cracking jokes in a TikTok about “Love Island,” she doesn’t try to be someone else to chase virality. Her consistency and self-awareness have made her not just a beauty vlogger, but a trusted voice in the community she helped build.

An Influencer Active on Social Media

Kathleen Lights thrives on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, offering distinct content for each platform. Her long-form tutorials perform best on YouTube, Instagram hosts her polished brand visuals, and TikTok reveals her unfiltered personality.

Kathleen Lights' Social Media Strategy Analysis

YouTube: Her Long-Form Comfort Zone

Kathleen’s YouTube content blends makeup tutorials, GRWMs, monthly favorites, and personal chats, always with an unpolished, real-life feel. Her “OG Makeup Tutorial” series revives nostalgia for early beauty YouTube, attracting longtime fans. Even when sponsored, she disclaims clearly and sticks to formats that feel natural to her — no overly produced sets or scripted intros. She averages about 2.3 videos per month, but each upload garners strong loyalty-driven engagement.

She often frames content around her actual day-to-day life — sharing what she’s reading, watching, or struggling with mentally — rather than just what’s trending. This gives her channel a “diary-like” tone and attracts viewers who value consistency and intimacy over spectacle. Her low-growth here is offset by high viewer retention and comment quality. For example, her “CURRENT FAVORITES” videos include anecdotes and off-topic digressions fans expect and appreciate.

Kathleen doesn’t post clickbait thumbnails or loud titles. Instead, she uses clean titles and cover images that reflect the video’s real tone — another reason her audience trusts her recommendations. On YouTube, authenticity comes first; the metrics follow. She never strays from her aesthetic or oversaturates her content with brand mentions.

Though her upload frequency is lower now, her videos still feel like a “catch-up call” with a friend. That consistency builds community and makes the space feel warm, even as the YouTube landscape leans more commercial. In an era of fast content, Kathleen’s slow, steady approach keeps her channel sustainable and true to its roots.

  • Username: KathleenLights
  • Influence Score: 78.8
  • Followers: 4.1M
  • Activity: 2.3 videos/month
  • Engagement Rate: 0.11%
  • Growth: 0%
  • Average Engagement: 4.6K
  • Posting Habits: Once a year at 8 PM EST

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Instagram: Calm Aesthetics with Consistent Brand Presence

On Instagram, Kathleen mixes studio-lit beauty content with spontaneous at-home selfies and playful product demos. Her feed is dominated by warm tones, close-up textures, and minimal filters — a visual language that’s both nostalgic and modern. Reels often feature subtle humor or product love, like her “Best Pinky Nude Lip” combo or sherbet-toned nail looks using her own brand. Her most popular videos often include voiceovers or quick tutorials.

With 2.1M followers, she posts roughly 7 times a month, favoring mid-length reels with a relaxed, casual feel. Her captions usually blend product tagging with short commentary — nothing overly curated, just enough to be informative. Kathleen’s visual consistency and self-branding (like always showing her hands/nails) serve as passive promotion for Lights Lacquer. You won’t find aspirational travel content or fashion hauls — she sticks to beauty.

Instead of giveaways or viral hacks, she cultivates value by being dependable and selective. If she posts about a tool like the GHD wand, it’s usually because she personally uses it, not just for a sponsorship. This has helped her audience accept ads without disengagement — as long as it feels "Kathleen-approved." Brand partnerships show up naturally, folded into her existing content formats without fanfare.

Kathleen also uses Instagram as a conversational hub, often asking her audience for product recs or letting them weigh in via stories or comments. It makes the platform feel more like a dialogue than a stage. This two-way interaction supports long-term loyalty and makes her followers feel involved in her brand journey.

  • Username: @kathleenlights
  • Influence Score: 81.5
  • Followers: 2.1M
  • Activity: 7 posts/month
  • Engagement Rate: 0.69%
  • Growth: -0.16%
  • Average Engagement: 14.5K
  • Posting Habits: Twice a week at 12 PM EST

TikTok: Humor-Driven, Low-Stakes Beauty and Books

Kathleen’s TikTok is where she experiments with offbeat humor, self-deprecating jokes, and less “produced” content. Here, she merges beauty with lifestyle in short clips — like reacting to “Love Island” with a yawn or explaining how she uses cortisol sleep powder. It’s a platform where she doesn’t try to be overly aesthetic, instead leaning into relatability and chaotic energy. This shows a different side from her polished YouTube tone.

She mixes sponsored content (like @DrinkNello) with reading updates and subtle product plugs. Even in ads, her facial expressions and commentary stay uniquely hers — like her exaggerated “WTF BRO” delivery while promoting a supplement. Her posting rhythm (2.1 videos/week) suggests she’s comfortable with volume but not chasing virality. Content tends to hit the 70–150K view range, occasionally spiking much higher.

TikTok allows Kathleen to open up about her life beyond beauty: books she’s obsessed with, funny internet trends, or moments of nostalgia. These clips keep her connected to younger audiences who may not know her YouTube legacy. Still, she maintains boundaries — no drama, no oversharing. It’s still Kathleen, just in sweats instead of ring lights.

The platform’s fast-paced nature fits her dry wit and casual storytelling. It’s not the core of her strategy, but it reinforces her authenticity and keeps her in the loop without compromising her vibe. She doesn’t mimic trends — she filters them through her unique voice.

  • Username: @kathleenlights
  • Influence Score: 85.6
  • Followers: 653K
  • Activity: 2.1 videos/week
  • Engagement Rate: 1.02%
  • Growth: +0.03%
  • Average Engagement: 6.7K
  • Posting Habits: Twice a week at 9 PM EST

Kathleen Lights' Social Media Influence Summary

Kathleen Lights ranks in the top 1% of beauty creators in the U.S. and top 4% of TikTok creators worldwide, solidifying her status as a trusted and high-performing voice in the beauty space.

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Content Strategy: Realness Over Hype

Kathleen Lights’ strategy is rooted in casual, honest content. She doesn’t overproduce; her makeup tutorials feel like you're sitting across from her, not watching a performance. Her success lies in her ability to teach while sharing – product hauls are punctuated with life stories, reactions, and even her dogs.

Reachability and Brand Partnerships

Kathleen Lights is highly partnership-ready, especially for brands aligned with beauty, skincare, and wellness. She's open about gifted items and transparently tags brands like GHD, Caudalie, Nello, and Essence Cosmetics. However, her sponsored content never feels forced — she integrates promotions naturally into her routines.

An overview of Kathleen Lights’ top influential connections across key industries. (Source: Favikon)

With a $10K/post estimate, she’s a strong choice for mid-to-high-tier brand deals, particularly when targeting U.S.-based English-speaking beauty fans. Brands can expect clean, safe, and bright messaging — her content is safe, apolitical, and emotionally neutral, making her broadly appealing and advertiser-friendly.

Conclusion: Kathleen Lights is the People’s Beauty Guru

Kathleen Lights represents the best of long-term digital creators — consistent, real, and evolving at her own pace. She doesn’t chase algorithms; she creates for her community. With a successful personal brand (Lights Lacquer), multiple high-ranking platforms, and a loyal fanbase, she’s as relevant today as she was a decade ago.

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