If you don’t know the name Shannon Harris I would understand, but if you didn’t know the name Shaaanxo I would be surprised. Shannon Harris aka Shaaanxo is a YouTube star. Shannon has been on YouTube sharing makeup tutorials for over 3 years now and she has risen to the top. With over 388K followers on Instagram, 517K on Facebook and wait for it…955,409 YouTube subscribers at the time of publishing you could say Shannon is popular. Some people try for years to reach a mere quarter of her followers. So what makes her so successful? When I asked around the same answer kept coming up. She is so down to earth. What Shannon communicates in her videos isn’t perfection. She isn’t about having flawless hair and skin. If she has a spot she will show you how you can fix yours. She is honest about products so people feel they can trust her opinion. Shannon makes you feel like you are watching a friend (who is really, really good at makeup) Being from New Zealand, Shannon gives off a relaxed, easy going vibe and people around the world love it.

However as relaxed as she might appear this is one hardworking woman. Not stopping at her YouTube channel Shannon launched her own beauty line xoBeauty selling makeup brushes and false lashes that she has personally created. With brush sets starting from $50NZ and lashes for $6.99 her range is affordable quality and like everything else Shannon touches it’s very popular. I got to talk to Shannon about her range, being a public figure and how she balances it all.

FM-When did you make your first YouTube video and what made you start? It was a few years ago now – its terrible but I can’t remember the year, month… anything! I think it was roughly 3-4 years ago, and I did it because I had recently become quite obsessed with watching other YouTubers from across the globe! I wanted to start my own channel because it looked like so much fun, and I could never find anyone from my side of the world doing it at the time. It was always so hard relating to people from the USA etc, because many of the items or products they would talk about weren’t readily available in New Zealand.

FM-Why do you think you are so popular on YouTube? I have no idea and I ask myself this a lot! I think perhaps it comes down to my dedication and personality.

I try to be 100% myself. No scripts, no acting… I just turn on the camera and chat.

I also keep to a uploading schedule so people know they can count on me to upload frequently!

FM-When it comes to beauty do you have a hands down favorite product? Nope! I have so many different products I love to use, and I am obsessed with trying out new things. Even if I find a holy grail product, I’ll never stick with it for too long as I’m convinced there could still be something else out there!

FM-Ok the classic question…If you were sent to a deserted island what 5 things would you bring? Haha! I could be typical and say I’ll bring a restaurant, my bed, a lake… But no. I’ll keep it tough. I would bring my Jojoba Oil for my skin, because it dries out so easily at the moment. I would bring my Hurraw lip balm, because its the best thing that has EVER hydrated my lips. I would bring sunscreen, and a chilly bin filled with bottled water. And a beach umbrella for shade. Bleh!

FM-What would your ultimate day off be? Driving to a big city with my boyfriend and shopping up a storm! I love going shopping with him. He must be one of the only men in the world who doesn’t mind carting my bags around for me!

FM-How have you found becoming a public figure? I haven’t really thought about it! Its really amazing to read kind and uplifting comments and messages from my viewers. On the other hand, it sucks too because people start to think of you as a ‘thing’ rather than a person. All of a sudden I become a target for negativity and bullying. But all of the amazing people that follow me make it worth it!

FM-You have a hugely popular YouTube, a blog and now a beauty range…how do you keep up? I like to film in advance. I pre film a lot of my videos and spend a lot of time editing them a few days in advance, so I am never rushing when it comes to my upload day. I like to blog in my spare time or on days where I am not uploading. Sometimes I’ll just blog on my weekends! With my brand, xoBeauty, I have staff who take care of the business side of things now. I don’t do any of the working myself, I just do the product development and make all of the final calls! I think it all comes down to hard work and time management, and I have always made sure that I prioritize important tasks before taking any time out for myself, although that is important as well.

FM-Your xoBeauty range is amazing. What made you start your own range? It was something I had always wanted to do. So, one day, I thought ‘stuff it’ and I started designing. I worked hard and did my research, until the day it all worked out and I had myself my own brand!

The only reason people don’t do these things themselves is because they are scared, or they don’t believe in themselves. Anyone can reach their goals! Failure is something we make up ourselves. I believe that everyone should have big goals and go for them! We are capable of so much, its all in the mind

FM-What is your favorite set of lashes from the false lashes range? I love all of them! If I had to pick one lash to wear forever, maybe The Glamourista. Perfect for any occasion. They aren’t too dressed up, OR too dressed down. They fit with a natural look just as well as a dramatic one.

FM-What’s next for Shaaanxo? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? I have huge goals. I’m just going to chip away with them and see where my life takes me! I would love my own makeup line and its something I’m thinking about very seriously at the moment. I also want to expand xoBeauty! And of course, I want to still be doing YouTube videos. Its my biggest passion and hobby! I love it. Shaaanxo uploads videos every Monday, Wednesday and Friday so check out her YouTube Channel  and send her some love.