From fashion-forward style to heartfelt chit chats, check out these Black “It Girls” influencing others in more ways than one.
created by VIBE
Imagine scrolling through your feed and landing on a mesmerizing video that draws you in—a Black “It Girl” sharing her latest fashion haul or a beauty tip you’ve been dying to try yourself. You follow, and come to the pleasant surprise that her entire feed is a celebration of individuality, welcoming you to witness their journey and pick up a few tips, tricks, and inspiration along the way.
Whether it’s “Get Ready With Me’s,” fashion guides, or “muckbangs,” I believe a true “It Girl” isn’t afraid to not only be beautiful and bold, but vulnerable with their audiences about love, friendship, business, mental health, social issues and more. A true “It Girl” ignites conversations and inspires others to embrace their own journeys.
In the digital realm, where individuality and influence meet creativity, a vibrant landscape sculpted by the voices of Black “It Girls” continues to be the blueprint for fashion, beauty and lifestyle content lovers. Since 2005, when the first ever Youtube video was uploaded, dynamic Black women have taken the platform by storm, finding engaging ways to redefine “influence” and captivate audiences with their relatable perspectives, unique aesthetics, and authentic storytelling. These women are more than just trendsetters; they are cultural curators and “door breakers” in industries that are not often welcoming to them.
Speaking with a few “It Girls” I have personally met, one theme seemed to be consistent when asked what exactly is an “It Girl?”—authenticity. For NJ model and influencer Ash Forde, in 2025, its all about “curating your life in a way that feels authentic to you, but also finding balance in the digital world.” Admitting to the constant pressures of social media to be perfect, Forde believes “real It Girls rise above that by showing who they are—flaws and all—but stand out by not letting trends or pressure dictate their moves.”
Actress, model and beauty enthusiast Lellies Santiago added that, for her, it means not caring about the outside world’s opinion. “I realized early in my career I became an inspiration for a lot of women,” she said. “It wasn’t just what I was wearing or the places I was going it was mainly about my authenticity and staying true to who I am. I knew I had a light.”
Speaking with Brianna Jones, whose popular videos and eccentric styles have caught many eyes, she gave the take that an It Girl “takes up space in every room she’s in and exudes confidence in the most subtle ways.” With over 115,000 followers on Instagram, Brianna has figured out that, “There’s not just one formula to being an It Girl,” as it “can be anybody, in any industry who inspires others whether she knows it or not.”
Whatever industry a woman may be in, there’s obviously always room to influence and encourage other women — and men — in more ways than one. With this list, VIBE shines a spotlight on some Black “It Girls” who are or have transformed social media into platforms of influence and creativity. From the viral sensations who captivate with their charm and aesthetics, to the trailblazers who use their own journeys to advocate for change, to the straight up “baddies,” these women are redefining what it means to be influential in the digital age.
Take a look below at 20 remarkable women — unranked — who I not only love to watch, but are making their own waves. Not only are they stylish and authentically themselves, but relatable to many all over.
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Aaliyah Jay
Image Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images Many would dub Aaliyah Jay an “OG It Girl” who has influenced a wave of modern women, from how she dresses and signature phrases to applying the perfect winged eyeliner. Truly a pillar in the DIY makeup world, Aaliyah’s influence dates back over a decade, when she made her first “Daily Make Up Routine” video. The New York bred sensation garnered attention for her make up looks and hairstyles, so much so that she was eventually hired by Nicki Minaj.
Now, a powerhouse in her own right—running businesses, investing in real estate and opening up about her mental health—Aaliyah has been able to re-invent herself time-and-time again. Not a bad romance, hate comment or personal shortcoming has stopped Aaliyah, as she’s gone on to open her own jewelry line, Karen & Rita, as well as the “girl’s guide to loving life & everything in between” brand Girl Coded World.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWTBp3MAsD0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2BPOdfuZ7o
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De’arra Taylor
Image Credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images Perhaps the “most influential” of them all, De’arra Taylor has worked her way up to becoming the It Girl she is today. Staying authentically herself when it comes to her looks, De’arra has catapulted herself to the top-of-the-top when it comes to defining what an It Girl truly is. Boss? Check. Stylish? Check. In-demand? Check. Relatable and has humility? Check. The list goes on.
De’arra rose to prominence with her daily fashion content that she would share online, as well as her popular YouTube channel. Her relationship with fellow YouTuber Ken Walker — the pair known collectively as DK4L — proved to be only a smidgen of the reason for her growing stardom. Now an owner of the sunglass apparel brand LORVAE, De’arra shows her 6,600,000 following her life as she travels, partners with brands, runs her business, and empowers other women who are in the same field as her, or aspire to walk in her shoes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9x4uN3huVb
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Allyiah’s Face
Image Credit: Instagram screenshot Allyiah Gainer has been an It Girl for years, as she’s grown her platform “Allyiah’s Face” to over 865,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 500,000 on Instagram. Using her platform to encourage women to get into fitness, traveling, beauty, and skin care—Allyiah makes her subscribers feel like her homegirls with relatable content.
She began as beauty blogger, with early content focusing on mastering makeup techniques, reviewing brands, and achieving glam looks on a budget. As her audience has grown, she now does the latter, plus more. Allyiah consistently posts vlogs on YouTube, including “Get Ready With Me” videos, special series like “Vlogmas,” weekly life updates, chit chats, DIY’s and so much more.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR9L75iR99I?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
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Lellies Santiago
Image Credit: Season 1 of Surviving Paradise Cr. Chris Baker/Netflix Lellies Santiago has built her name from the ground up, starting as a model in the tri-state area. From there, Lellies has gone on to appear in music videos, campaigns, and most recently Netflix’s Surviving Paradise competition show, where she was a runner-up.
Nowadays, Lellies creates hair, beauty and fashion content—aside from her own lifestyle brand, Bad Bxtches Don’t Crease, which was created out of the scarcity of “togetherness” amongst influencers. With BBDC, Lellies hosts brunches and networking events where other It Girls can “feel comfortable enough to just be authentically themselves.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_LfdkhgZhJ
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Iris Beilin
Image Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Beautycon Iris Beilin represents for the Afro-Latina women, and women with beautiful curves. The Panamanian beauty influencer infuses her vibrant personality and comedic approach into her YouTube and Instagram content, which has grown her following to 707,000. The dedicated aunty and furr-mom shares weekly content showcasing how to use certain body and beauty products, and more.
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Ash Forde
Image Credit: Instagram screenshot Ash Forde, the Bajan beauty from New Jersey, is known for her killer physique and giving the girls couture looks that are straight off the runway.
Forde shares plenty tips with women on how to achieve a chiseled abdomen like hers while also sharing content of vast brand partnerships. The 30-something also has her own jewelry line called For The Luv of Gold, where she sells hypoallergenic gold-plated, dainty and statement pieces perfect for any fashion It Girl.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDS21sfxkKx
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Teaira Walker
Image Credit: Presley Ann/Getty Images Teaira Walker, the tLA-based beauty influencer, is the It Girl when it comes to elegance with a side of sexy. She effortlessly promotes a luxe life all while showing off her high-end fashion sense and exquisite places to travel to. What makes Teaira an It Girl is not how much money she can spend on Gucci, Balenciaga, Chanel and more, but how vulnerable she has been about her health and personal life—as she’s opened up about dealing with Vitiligo a few years ago.
Teaira has encouraged others to confidently stand tall and still be that girl no matter what life throws your way. Truly embodying the “soft girl” era—not only is her lifestyle that, but so is her aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed.
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Nyma Tang
Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Nyma Tang is a beauty influencer and content creator whose inner It Girl goes beyond social media. The Sudanese influencer garnered popularity after advocating for makeup brands to be more inclusive of darker skinned women. In 2017, Nyma started her YouTube series, The Darkest Shade, where she reviewed the darkest shade of foundation from various makeup brands. Her influence highlighted the under-representation of deeper skin tones in the beauty industry.
Nyma’s Instagram not only showcases her beautiful, glowing makeup looks, but also snapshots of her life as a socialite.
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Glamazontay
Image Credit: YouTube/Glamazontay screenshot Tay, best known as Glamazontay, has been an It Girl for a while now, offering her viewers creative content that includes stylish look books, viral celebrity hair recreations, and business tips. Tay, who is proudly apart of the LGBTQ community, also includes a ton of content geared towards queer viewers. Her Instagram, which has 198,000 followers as of publish date, has much photo inspo, whereas her YouTube offers long-form content such as weekly vlogs filled with life updates, try-on hauls and how-to hairstyling.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DElXVvNNEv1
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Sophiology
Image Credit: Instagram Sophia Idahosa, the self-proclaimed “fine babe,” intertwines her great taste for the finer things, Nigerian culture and her devotion to Jesus Christ. Encouraging women to have strong faith while also being the “bad bi**h” that they want to be, Sophiology moves to the beat of her own drum at all times. The Houston-based influencer became popular for her YouTube videos—which all start with a scripture, by the way—and her mesmerizing, color-coded Instagram feed.
Sophia shows off how to tastefully dress for a curvier body while also keeping it modest. Just last year, she went viral for coining the phrase “Christian BBL,” meaning a buttock augmentation procedure with “spiritual permission from God.” Despite the negativity she received, Sophia decided to be transparent with her following about having a BBL — and the dangers that can come with.
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Symphani Soto
Image Credit: Chris Polk/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images Symphani Soto has proven that an It Girl doesn’t have to be linear, as she can dabble in multiple fields. Keeping it minimalistic but chic, Symphani is known for her LA-fashion sense and musical talents as a singer. Besides her own music videos, she also shares weekly vlogs on her YouTube channel that consists of “chit chats,” life updates, travel vlogs and more.
Tapping into her boss bag, Sympani also owns her own jewelry line, Su Oro, which offers simple pieces that still have a trendy feel.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XeVhojIXhQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
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Bronniee
Looking for outfit inspo, lookbooks or hauls? Bronniee is the It Girl for that! Straight to the point, the stylista keeps her content about fashion with her colorful-coordinated ensembles that are for the everyday woman who wants to be cute and comfortable.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8sk7w8jvnQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
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Alize J.
Image Credit: Instagram screenshot When it comes to giving a “read” Alize J is the It Girl for that. What makes Alize J stand out is her gumption to say exactly what she thinks about pop culture. Through her reviews on TikTok of shows like Zeus Network’s Baddies and transparent videos sharing what she goes through as an everyday woman, Alize has become the girl next door that we wished was our neighbor.
She is growing her fanbase online with her raw commentary and content that’s made for the working 9-5 Black girls who seize the day, then come home to cuddle up to their favorite guilty pleasure shows and a glass of wine.
@_alizej CYLINDER NECK, LET IT GOOOOOO 😭😭 #baddiesmidwest #baddiesmidwestreview
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Shalom Blac
Image Credit: Presley Ann/Getty Images Shalom Blac is one of the most resilient and vulnerable It Girls that many women can relate to–especially if you’ve dealt with traumatic experiences. Blac is a burn-survivor who shows that even with life’s challenges, you can still be the most beautiful version of yourself. A mother and wife, the beauty influencer’s content focuses on lifestyle subject matter that includes motherhood, fashion trends and travel.
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Kim “The Chic Natural”
Image Credit: YouTube/TheChicNatural screenshot A huge beauty and health influencer, “The Chic Natural” delivers content that encourages women to learn how to style their own natural hair in simple ways, and also to eat better. Kim pushes the benefits of becoming vegan and healthy hair care, as well as shares vlogs about her family life as a mother and wife.
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Eni Popoola
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Eni Popoola, who goes by Enigivensunday, dedicates her platform to sharing beauty and fashion tips, product reviews and traveling. On her YouTube is where she gets a bit more personal with her following, as she posts monthly vlogs recapping her outings, chit chatting about various topics, and giving DIY makeup tutorials.
Impressively, Eni has shown that an It Girl can be both educated and creative, as she is a Columbia Law graduate. However, instead of pursuing law, Eni fully tapped into content creation, which has proven to be lucrative for her. When she’s not in another country, posting content from her beautiful high-rise, or having a discussion with her following, you can catch her empowering other women on panels and other platforms.
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Jessieca Alford
Image Credit: Instagram screenshot Jessieca Alford has made a name for herself on TikTok with her “how to be a classy girl” videos. Jessieca shares tips on how to “be a lady” by the kind of perfumes she chooses, clothes she wears, and even how she speaks. In true transparency, Jessieca lets it be known that the information she shares comes from her own experiences as a woman who had to grow and mature from certain antics and behaviors.
For the It Girls who want to learn better etiquette in a loving way—Jess is who you should follow.
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Brianna Jones
Image Credit: Instagram screenshot Brianna Jones is a New York creative who shares much of her unique fashion style and experiences with her following. Whether it’s learning how to do jewelry welding or Lyra aerial exercises, the self-dubbed “serial hobbyist” encourages other women to be brave and step out of their comfort zone with her “Jones Journals.”
“As a multifaceted creative, there should be no limit to what you can do,” she shared with VIBE. “Trying random hobbies and documenting them—all while being stylish—has allowed me to work with some of my favorite brands and make a career out of being myself.”
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Shayla Mitchell (MakeupShayla)
Image Credit: Youtube/makeupshayla Shayla Mitchell, best known as MakeupShayla on her social platforms, is a popular makeup artist and lifestyle enthusiast who has become best known for her content surrounding brand partnerships with the likes of Shea Moisture and others, her closet “Get Ready With Me’s,” cooking vids, and must-watch fitness tips.
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Talitha Jane
Image Credit: Youtube/TalithaJane screenshot Talitha Jane is best known for her TikTok videos, where she shows off different ways to style high-end-mixed-with-affordable outfits. As a body-positive fashion enthusiast and conversationalist, Talitha has found a unique way to incorporate her religion into her content, while still remaining a relatable It Girl who’s trendy. The 20-something also shares weekly vlogs, where she shows her life as a young woman navigating life in a new city.
