YouTuber Safiya Nygaard is, technically speaking, young enough to be my child. She has drawers full of lipsticks; I own one lipstick, one lip pencil, one lip gloss, and two lip balms. She occasionally does things that make me squirm with discomfort, such as using a screw to apply mascara. (Keep that thing away from your eyes!) So how did I get hooked on her videos? And why am I telling you about someone who is so well-known that she has millions of subscribers?

Last question first: Most of my readers tend to be Gen Xers or Boomers. I’m assuming many of you don’t know any more about Nygaard than I did before my kid introduced me to her work. But I believe that her videos can be just as fun for someone who’s fifty as they are for someone who’s twenty-five. Much of that has to do with who she is as a person.

She’s adventurous.

I have a great love for trying new things. Nygaard is my role model in this area. She’s forever engaging in experiments, including melting all of Bath and Body Work’s candles together, getting things from unusual vending machines in Tokyo, buying an abandoned storage unit, and wearing strange clothing items, like this t-shirt. I certainly wouldn’t do everything she’s tried (I felt a little queasy watching her eat a cake with lipstick in it), but I’m entertained and even inspired by the way she explores the world.

She’s got a goofy sense of humor.

I have a soft spot for people who are willing to be silly. Watching Nygaard playfully wear a jean jacket with four-foot-long sleeves warms my heart.

She’s ever-so-slightly geeky.

I don’t know if Nygaard dives into geek culture beyond the most popular things, but I love hearing her Pokémon references, watching her try out Harry Potter sorting hat bath bombs, and seeing the Game of Thrones pillows on her couch. Safiya, the geek in me salutes the geek in you.

She’s both honest and kind.

Nygaard is very upfront about when content is sponsored… and when it is not. She gives credit to other YouTubers who have inspired her or have done something first. And when she offers up critiques, she isn’t mean-spirited. Nygaard proves that you can be both honest and kind.

She’ll teach you about everything from fashion to theme parks.

Nygaard’s videos are, in my opinion, entertaining first and foremost, but I’ve also learned things. I love her videos involving fashion history, including a video featuring bridal gowns from different time periods and a series devoted to looks from 1953 to 2007. Beyond learning about fashion history, I’ve learned many other useless but fun facts, such as the term for Disney-specific casual cosplay (Disneybounding) and the fact that there is a South Korean theme park dedicated to cheese.

Bonus: Her husband, Tyler Williams, is also lots of fun.

Williams has both filmed and been a part of many of Nygaard’s videos almost from the beginning. He supports her in whatever challenge she takes on, even if it includes (somewhat reluctantly) kissing her when she has toilet paper on her lips. I don’t often say, “What a cute couple!” but really, they are just that.

Ready to watch her videos?

I watched all of Nygaard’s videos because that seemed the only way to review someone who will melt every single one of Sephora’s lipsticks together. You don’t have to do that. I recommend starting with her more recent videos and deciding whether you will just subscribe to pick up the newest ones or work your way back as far as you want. In general, I think her videos have been getting better over the years, so if you randomly pick one from a few years ago and don’t like it, try something a little more recent.

Oh, and keep in mind: Some of Nygaard’s videos, like this “hairy chest swimsuit” video, are NSFW (that’s Not Suitable For Work, for those who didn’t know). You’ve been warned.

One more thing: At the end of every video, Nygaard asks people to “shmash that subscribe button.” If you like this blog, please consider “shmashing” its subscribe button. Just look for “Subscribe to Blog via Email” at the top of the right-hand column. Thank you!