Let go and be free...

Ebony Nikita Okeke

The self-proclaimed Dominican princess (I love her). She gives off such a warm and light energy. I love her makeup style and the colour palettes she uses when deciding her outfits (they are a bit revealing for me though, not my style but definitely cute for her). I enjoy her housewife diaries, they are very relaxing and aesthetically pleasing. She also has a lot of good videos on being feminine, through your behaviour and habits.

Best for: femininity, lifestyle

Jamila Musayeva

A beautiful Azerbaijani woman who teaches such great lessons in general etiquette; from how to write emails correctly to having good posture - she does it all. It is a great place to start if you are unable to take in-person etiquette lessons (looking at you c*vid) or can’t afford etiquette lessons right now,

Best for: etiquette

Kelly Stamps

Now this one may be a pretty niche suggestion, but her videos are just so aesthetically pleasing and she has this dry humour that I absolutely adore. She is a huge minimalist, so great for people who want to shift towards a minimalist lifestyle. She recently moved to Boston and it was really interesting watching the process of her looking at different apartments and finally moving in (especially during a pandemic). When levelling-up, you can sometimes feel pressured to only consume “level-up” content, but it is important to watch content that makes you laugh and feel good. Please watch Kelly. She is classy, quirky, cute and so much fun.

Best for: entertainment, minimalism, lifestyle

Lydia Dinga

This is another entertainment suggestion but trust me she is gold. Lydia, to me, is the total package. She is very genuine and open with her subscribers and I just love the energy she gives off in her videos. She is the type of woman who could get along with anyone. If you want to learn how to make yourself seem more approachable and genuine, learn from her (can you tell I’m in love?).

Best for: travel, vlogs

Patricia Bright

If you are on a British woman, particularly woc, you should know Patricia. She was my first introduction to a Black-British woman on YouTube and she just exudes fun feminine energy. She is also bloody hilarious (please trust me - she’s just got this perfect mixture of dry British humour and sharp Nigerian wit). She is very good for clothing reviews (especially for my girls with little bums - hi my fellow rulers, how is the “thick girl” movement treating you? :’) ). She has also tried a few cosmetic treatments now so if you are considering them, why not check out her reviews. She is well-known for being a very honest and open reviewer, even if the brand is sponsoring her.

Best for: try-on hauls, clothing reviews, advice for women, entertainment

Highlight - Politics: Tee Noir & For Harriet

A lot of the time, when I see women start to level-up I notice them stop being so open to speak politically - they feel scared that if they speak out against racism, for example, that they will become an outcast. Not true. That is plainly not true. If your “social circle” outcast you because you offer your political opinion then they are not people you would want in your life, correct? Sometimes the “outcast-ing” we see done to people expressing their political opinions is because of the way they say it. Someone will argue that “we shouldn’t have to censor ourselves when talking about issues that affect our daily lives” and you are correct, but that’s not the way the world works, right? So as you level-up I suggest you start learning how to state your opinions in a way that considers multiple sides and is easy to digest. These two ladies do just that, they are eloquent, well-educated and well-versed in a myriad of political topics. The main difference between them is that Tee Noir speaks more on pop culture (sorry I like a bit of gossip sometimes, I’m human too) and For Harriet’s videos more often are about socio-political issues.

Best for: speech improvement, politics

Live From Layfield

Now this one tugs on my heartstrings (nostalgia is hitting me up). These three beautiful women, are everything I used to aspire to be as I was going through secondary school. They are three pharmacists who all studied pharmacy at the University of Kent and have now gone on to succeed in their individual careers and journeys. If you go back to their earlier videos you can literally see the organic procession of their own level-up journeys. You can even see how some of their opinions on certain matters have changed over time. I think the main aspect of their channel I enjoy is how spiritual they are and their sister-like dynamic. I want to highlight an amazing video I watched of theirs - the vulnerability, honesty and sisterhood was just incredible to witness.

Best for: feel good banter, spirituality, sisterhood

MamaFurFur

We welcome our first non-woc to the list and for a good reason! Regardless of whatever you women do during your level-up journey, the one thing I insist you do (I’m literally begging) is become financially literate. You should have already been financially literate, but I will blame our education system for that. Watch MamaFurFur - she easy to understand and a great place to start in your financial literacy journey. 

Best for: financial literacy (if you guys don’t take my advice I swear-)

MelaChild

Now, Mela has no excuse being this pretty. None whatsoever. She is gorgeous and manages to make herself appear even more flawless every time I see her. She has amazing make-up and wig tutorials. She’s also just a vibe overall (kind of like a cool Aunt, who only drinks wine and says “darling” a lot).

Best for: makeup, skincare, hair, entertainment

Mina Le

If you don’t know by now let me update you. I love history. I love fashion. I love the history of fashion. In conclusion, I love Mina Le. Mina Le is up-and-coming Asian-American YouTuber and she does incredible video essays on both modern and vintage fashion. She is so eccentric, so intelligent and such a vibe.

Best for: fashion history, entertainment

Nella Rose

Nella is not exactly who most of you women are aspiring to become aesthetically. She’s very tomboyish (self-proclaimed) and not the typical “feminine” YouTuber, but you know what she is? Confident. She exudes confidence and I know a lot of you need to work on that. She is also able to make anyone around her shine and feel instantly comfortable. She is hilarious. 

(Note: I don’t condone everything she says or does but read between the lines. We’re learning confidence here. Take what she says and her actions with a pinch of salt.)

Best for: entertainment, serotonin boost, confidence

Highlight - Femininity Channels: School of Affluence, The Modern Lady and Linda Sandrine

Now this is a tricky one. I know a lot of people like these type of channels and I must admit they do have some very useful tips and tricks, here and there. However, you need to have a discerning eye when you are indulging in this content. Think: Is this applicable to me? Does this make sense in my environment? From my own experiences has this ever worked for me or any of my peers? I urge all you “levelling-up” women to take your time and evaluate those who teach you about “levelling-up” and hypergamy. Not everything will work for you and trust me they do not know everything, so just use their content as a guide. Personally out of all of them I enjoy Linda’s content the most.

Best for: hypergamy, levelling-up, femininity, etiquette

Honorable Mentions (Some Personal Favourites)

OpenInkStand Art & Calligraphy

Best for: calligraphy

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Best for: interesting short videos to keep you thinking

Jackie Aina 

Best for: OG of YouTube, stunning makeup and skincare

Handbag Clinic Official

Best for: my niche interest, learn about vintage and modern design bags

Google Zeitgeist

Best for: broadening your knowledge, hearing and learning from the highly-intellectual conversations uploaded, global issues

COLORS and NPR Music

Best for: amazing performances, discovering new artists

The Show Must Go On

Best for: free theatre performances (typically musicals) posted every week

Highlight - Ballet and Opera: Russian State Ballet and Opera House and EuroArtsChannel

Best for: ballet, opera, orchestral performances - just sit back and relax

But first - why?

I have always been a firm believer that keeping yourself busy, through learning something new, is the most productive use of your time. Think about it; you spend your time learning a new skill or hobby that could be used as a talking point, a way to open up more opportunities for you, a way to keep you active and allow you to meet like-minded people. Sounds like a win-win deal to me. Therefore, I highly suggest that you incorporate a new hobby into your level up journey.

Okay, onto the Hobbies:

Work towards a sommelier license/diploma. This is very niche - only 264 people have passed the Master Sommelier exams since its creation over 50 years ago. If you have keen senses and a love for wine then go for it.

Start taking golfing lessons.

Learn how to design and make jewellery.

Earn a beautician’s license: learn how to apply acrylic nails, do lash extensions, thread eyebrows apply spray tan etc - you’ll be surprised how many women would love a friend who can help beautify them and it could be a viable side business.

Learn how to mix cocktails and bartend.

Learn to play the harp (or if you want to be really niche try the Korean gayageum).

Take up horse-riding lessons.

Learn how to ski (or snowboard).

Pick up chess or the many different variations from around the world (I learned how to play Mahjong - great talking point).

Learn how to play poker/black jack.

Learn how to tailor clothing.

Now this one really interests me (I can spend hours watching it on YouTube). Learn how to restore vintage handbags. Now this one really interests me - I can spend hours watching it on YouTube. 

Learn an ancient or niche language i.e Latin, Xhosa, Hebrew.

Learn perfumery: the process of making perfume scents and pairing of scents.

Learn how to garden.

Learn how to cook food from another culture (my mother and I learned how to cook a myriad of Filipino and Pakistani dishes a few years ago).

Learn ballroom dancing or ballet (side note: congratulations to Oti on winning Strictly two years in a row!).

Bird-watch and learn how to handle birds.

(hey black girls) Learn how to do hair and make wigs.

Take yachting/sailing lessons.

I could go on forever but this just shows the range and unlimited amount of hobbies to choose from - some cost nothing others can be quite expensive. I like to push the “invest in yourself” message but make sure you are living within your means.

Anyone with a name that starts with a “Z”, ends with an “i”, and isn’t some kind of Italian pasta, IS SERIOUS

Bonnets & Breakfast 🖤