Collab with Selena Gomez marked a shift in perception: Creator Ankush Bahuguna
Ankush Bahuguna’s brand journey began with smaller but significant steps, from PR packages to paid partnerships, marking his shift from comedy creator to a recognised voice in beauty
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Published: Mar 18, 2026 9:05 AM | 7 min read
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Content creator Ankush Bahuguna presents himself not as a beauty expert but as a “makeup buddy on the internet,” someone who simplifies beauty for everyday users rather than intimidating them with complex tutorials. His content thrives on relatability, whether it is mismatched eyeliner or quick fixes for common concerns like ashy concealer. He consciously builds content around real audience problems, often taking cues directly from comments and DMs, helping him foster a deeply engaged community rather than chase fleeting virality.
When asked about his collaboration with Rare Beauty, the cosmetics company founded by singer and actress Selena Gomez, as the only Indian and the only male creator in the room, Bahuguna described it as more than a career milestone. He said it marked a shift in perception. The collaboration, which also brought him face to face with Gomez, placed him firmly on the radar of global beauty brands as well as Indian media. The online buzz and subsequent press coverage proved to be a turning point in how brands began to view his influence beyond India.
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“The real win wasn’t meeting Selena. The real win was realising that my community cared so much,” he said, reflecting on how his audience celebrated the moment as their own. For Bahuguna, the amplification that followed was less about celebrity access and more about validation of the community he had built over the years.
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Long before this global spotlight, Bahuguna’s journey with brands began with smaller yet significant milestones. Early recognition came through PR packages from Kay Beauty, followed by initial paid collaborations with Maybelline and Estée Lauder. These early partnerships helped him transition from a comedy creator experimenting with makeup to a credible voice in the beauty space.
Six years ago, when Bahuguna started his content journey, he faced a mix of visibility challenges and industry grey areas that many creators still grapple with. He noted that discoverability was one of the biggest hurdles, good content did not guarantee reach, and it often took years to be noticed. At the same time, entering the beauty space as a male creator came with its own resistance, including trolling and scepticism around men wearing makeup. Beyond audience bias, the business side of the industry posed its own challenges. From delayed payments and last-minute deal cancellations to simply not knowing what to charge, the lack of standardisation in the early influencer ecosystem often left new creators vulnerable.
“If you don’t have people in the industry to guide you, you don’t even know your worth,” he indicated, pointing out how informal and opaque brand negotiations are in the industry.
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Post Rare Beauty, the scale of opportunities evolved. Global brands began engaging with him not just for his reach but for his ability to represent Indian audiences in international spaces. This was evident in collaborations like his Japan trip with d'Alba, where he again stood out as the only Indian and male creator among a global cohort. The association also highlighted his growing influence in skincare, particularly amid the rise of Korean beauty trends in India.
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Yet, behind the glamour of international trips and celebrity interactions lies a relentless work ethic. Bahuguna recalls shooting announcement content within hours of landing in Los Angeles, racing against sunset without access to basic equipment like a ring light. The grind continued with late-night edits to align with Indian posting schedules, underscoring the often overlooked reality of creator life where timing and real-time storytelling are critical.
At the core of his success remains a distinct content philosophy. “I genuinely just want to be your makeup buddy on the internet. I’m not any figure of authority,” he said. His videos focus on solving everyday beauty concerns, from uneven eyeliner to practical office-friendly looks, making his content approachable rather than aspirational in an unattainable way.
This relatability extends to how he navigates online negativity. Instead of ignoring trolls, he converts them into content. “If you’re going to troll me for no reason, the least you can do is give me engagement,” he said, adding with humour, “I have a thick skin, but my chappal is thicker. Most of the hate comes from faceless accounts. It’s easy to sit behind a screen and pass comments when there’s no accountability. Over time, I realised those voices are not my real audience, so I don’t give them that power anymore,” he said.
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Bahuguna’s content handle wingitwithankush has crossed over 1.7 million followers, while his main Instagram account also commands over 1 million followers, taking his combined audience to well over 2.7 million. His consistent messaging that makeup is for everyone continues to resonate strongly across these communities.
What sets Bahuguna apart is the nature of his following. His audience cuts across demographics. While a large portion comprises women including Gen Z, working professionals and older audiences learning makeup for mature skin, there is also a silent but growing male viewership. Many male followers engage privately through DMs rather than publicly, reflecting the lingering stigma around men consuming beauty content. This mix gives him a unique cross-demographic appeal, allowing brands to tap into both aspirational and practical consumption segments.
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“My audience is the best. They’re very supportive and very open-minded,” he said, adding that not everyone in his community even uses makeup, but stays for his personality and storytelling.
When it comes to brand collaborations, Bahuguna draws clear lines. “I can’t just come on the internet and say, ‘yeh kajal le lo, yeh bahut accha hai.’ It has to make sense in my content. Maybe I’ll show you how to fix smudged kajal or how to make it last longer, but I won’t just sell it for the sake of it. I will not endorse anything that I personally wouldn’t use,” he said.
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He emphasised that branded content must serve the audience first, often reshaping briefs into more informative formats like tutorials or tips. “If it doesn’t make sense, I will not say it. I’m not going to scam my followers,” he added, highlighting the growing importance of trust in influencer marketing.
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He also pointed to a broader industry shift where community outweighs virality. “You can have 20,000 followers but a very tightly knit community that listens to you,” he said. His own trajectory reflects this belief, moving from niche relatability to global recognition without losing audience trust.
Despite the momentum, Bahuguna remains measured about the future. While the idea of launching a beauty brand exists, he is cautious about entering an already saturated market without a clear purpose. “There needs to be a reason why I open a brand. I don’t want to do it just because everybody’s doing it,” he said.
For now, his focus remains on building a space where audiences feel seen and comfortable, whether through makeup tutorials, humour-led content or unfiltered opinions. The Rare Beauty moment may have accelerated brand attention, but it is his consistent authenticity that continues to sustain it.
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