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E! illustration/Courtesy of Le Monde Gourmand
If you've lived through the beauty community's 'Dramageddon', then you're fully versed in the OG Beauty YouTuber history. But there's always been one beauty YouTuber that we relied on for our comfort watches, and that's Kathleen Lights.
You might have seen her YouTube thumbnails over the years or one of her fragrance TikToks go viral. She's an OG beauty YouTuber from the "golden age" of beauty tutorials of the 2010s.
While she's never left our screens, she's recently had a rebrand of sorts. From launching a fragrance with Le Monde Gourmand and making content with Selena Gomez for the Rare Beauty Perfume, to starting a podcast with her influencer and bestie Jessie Smiles and working on creative new releases for her nail brand Lights Lacquer, Kathleen Lights is a force to be reckoned with.
If you've been a fan of Kathleen for years, you've probably wondered: what are the beauty products she can't live without?
From old favorites to recent launches, we spoke to Kathleen Lights about her favorite beauty products, how her recent collab launch happened, and more (including a Latina beauty classic)!
Beauty Products Can’t Kathleen Lights Live Without?
These are the products this OG Youtuber has used for years—and if you regularly watch Kathleen's content (like we have for years), some of these products look very familiar.
Essence Pure Nude Highlighter
"This one has been with me literally since the start of my YouTube channel. It’s that OG product I’ve been talking about for years because it just works. It gives you that perfect natural glow — not glittery, not metallic — just skin that looks healthy, radiant, and alive. It’s one of those products that never leaves my collection because no matter how many new highlighters I try, I always go back to it," Kathleen said.
L'Oréal Infallible Up to 32 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation
"This foundation is such a staple for me," Kathleen shared. "It has that perfect balance of coverage and breathability — it evens out your skin tone without feeling heavy or cakey. It’s one of those formulas that just holds up all day, even in Miami humidity, which is saying a lot! I love that it looks good both in real life and on camera — it’s my go-to for filming days and everyday wear."
MAC M·A·Cximal Silky Matte Lipstick
"I started my channel swatching MAC lipsticks, so they’ll always have a special place in my heart," Kathleen tells E!. "They’re classic for a reason — the colors, the finish, the nostalgia. Even though my makeup style has evolved, I still think MAC makes some of the best bullet lipsticks on the market. They’re timeless, and there’s something about that vanilla scent that just takes me back to my early YouTube days."
What Are Kathleen Light's Favorite Products That Have Recently Launched?
The beauty influencer is obsessed with all the new launches of brow markers with micro tips. "[It's a] total game-changer for me. I love the micro-stroke, hairlike finish from pens like Glossier Brow Flick, Benefit’s Microfilling-style marker, and Anastasia’s marker. Once I switched, I can’t go back to pomades or pencils," Kathleen said.
Glossier Brow Flick
Glossier's Brow Flick is a brush-tip detailing pen that's perfect for adding hair-like strokes to your brows. It comes in three sheer shades: blond, brown, and black.
Benefit Cosmetics Mighty Fine Brow Pen
Benefit always slays the brows. This new brow pen features three flexible super-fine tips that promise to give you the softest, waterproof, and smudge-free brows.
Anastasia Beverly Hills MicroStroke Detailing Brow Pen with 24-Hour Wear
You can never go wrong with any brow product by Anastasia Beverly Hills. This new product is a micro-fine pen for detailed precision with a formula that promises long-wearing staying power for up to 24 hours. Plus, it comes in nine shades!
Kathleen's nail brand Lights Lacquer also has some newness that has her super excited. She describes the brand's quick-dry top coat "Instagloss" as her "new go-to for a quick, super-shiny finish." While that one is currently sold out, Kathleen's other fave is the Cuticle Oil, it's her "everyday essential for healthy, photo-ready nails." Plus, the formula also comes in an adorable on-the-go pen form!
How Did Kathleen Light's Le Monde Gourmand Collaboration Fragrance Happen?
While Kathleen was part of a campaign for the Ave Maria by House of Bo fragrance, the Le Monde Gourmand collaboration is the influencer's first fragrance. "I’ve loved Le Monde Gourmand for years — they were one of the first fragrance brands I talked about on my channel. As my love for perfumes deepened and my fragrance content really took off on TikTok with @KathleenSmells, we started collaborating on smaller projects. When the idea for creating my own scent came up, it just felt like the perfect fit."
"I’ve always dreamed of making a perfume, but I wanted to do it with a brand that felt authentic to me — something that was beautiful and well-crafted, but still accessible," Kathleen said. That's what makes the brand choice so important for her audience. It's affordable and good quality. "Le Monde Gourmand really understood that balance. From the very beginning, they made the process feel collaborative and creative — from building the mood board and choosing the notes, to meeting with the perfumers and finalizing the name and bottle design."
Le Monde Gourmand Bisous de Fleur Eau De Parfum
"What’s funny is that I actually accidentally created Bisous de Fleur with Draco Malfoy in mind. I was testing one of the early fragrance samples, and it immediately reminded me of the kind of scent I’d imagine Draco wearing — soft, clean, elegant, but with a mysterious undertone. It wasn’t planned, but that little moment inspired the final direction of the scent — something romantic and refined, but with a bit of edge," Kathleen told E!.
"In the end, we landed on this luminous, soft floral that feels timeless and comforting — bright bergamot and lemon balanced with creamy orris and warm cashmere wood. It truly feels like a love letter in scent form, and I’m so proud of how it came together," she said.
How Has Being Latina Informed Kathleen's Beauty Content Over The Years?
Every regular viewer and fan knows Kathleen is Cuban-American (and that she lives in Miami, that's very important)! Before any of the big Latina influencers that are popular today, there was Kathleen, her cafecito, and her Spanglish.
"I’ve never consciously set out to make 'Latina-inspired' beauty content — it’s just who I am. My culture shows up naturally in everything I do," she said. "Growing up in Miami as a first-generation Cuban-American, beauty was always a part of our lives. I always knew growing up that I was passionate about beauty, watching my mom, who has always been into beauty and fashion. Her makeup bag was always full of MAC makeup. I truly think that’s where I got my love for all things beauty."
Royal Violets By Agustin Reyes Agua De Colonia
"During my childhood, I also adopted certain rituals and traditions when it comes to beauty—and one of these is this baby cologne before bed," Kathleen said. Might be weird if you're not Latine yourself, but baby perfumes and colognes are embedded into our culture—even as adults!
"I’ve noticed over the years that there’s a growing appreciation for that kind of authenticity online. People want to see creators who reflect real backgrounds and cultures, and that makes me proud to represent where I come from in my own subtle, everyday way," she said.
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