Galery

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Mara Samartzi is one of the most popular Greek video bloggers with two channels on YouTube. The Greek one is called MyGreekBurlesque and the English MyBurlesque. Tips on how to choose the perfect product for hair, body and face, fashion ideas and revelations about life are a small part of the videos uploaded by Mara Samartzi on the popular social network for video sharing where she has over 16,000 followers.

An interview by Simona Peneva

When did you start making the videos and which one was the first of your YouTube channels? Was it the Greek or the English one?

I started about 3 years ago with the English channel. I was recovering from an operation and I had a lot of spare time. I created the Greek channel a year and a half ago since my Greek audience was quite insistent and it did not take me long to agree.

Why do you maintain the two channels? Do you make the same videos for them?

No, I make different videos for each channel. The English channel is my "true" one. There I show the favourites of the month, I give lessons on how to do your make-up, fix your hair, I show clothes and fashion. The videos I upload on this channel are more aesthetic in terms of processing. The Greek channel is more personal; it contains videos in which I give tips and suggestions (although this will change in the future ..).

Which one of the two channels attracts greater interest?

I like making videos for the English channel but the audience likes watching the videos on the Greek channel.

How did the idea of this occur to you?

As I said, I was recovering from an operation and had a lot of spare time. So, while I was looking for something interesting on YouTube, I found this community and decided to do this.

There are many similar channels in the USA and they are quite popular. Are you the only Greek girl with such a channel and do you know others like you?

They are almost PANIC-stricken in the USA! When I started I thought I was the only Greek girl but, actually, there are another two or three Greek girls. The more time passes, the more we become. GBB (Greek beauty bloggers) are already a large part of the Greek community on YouTube.

Whom do you address? Do you have a particular audience?

My English channel is aimed at females aged between 13 and 50 years whereas my Greek channel attracts all kinds of audiences, without restrictions in terms of age, gender or nationality. In the beginning, my videos were intended for females but now a lot of males are interested in the videos I make about books and films.

What do you think your audience likes the most?

I think this is the fact that I am keen on making all my videos; I do not make them against my will. In addition, I am honest with them (many companies send free products to me but if I do not like something I will say so), in no way will I suggest a firm only because it has sent free products to me. In fact, I thoroughly examine things before I recommend anything.

What is the goal you want to achieve through your channel?

I am not trying to "achieve" something with my channel. I like making videos and I have been able to meet many people in this way, and I still meet new ones every day.

What is your favourite video (of your own) and which one has the largest number of views?

In the Greek channel, the video with the highest number of views is the first video I made in which I am answering questions about sleep (she is laughing). I guess they were eager to hear me speaking in Greek. In my English channel I think it is the video in which I am talking about my tattoos. As for my favourite, I cannot say. I love them all so much. They are like children to me (she is laughing).

What attracts the greatest interest of your followers on YouTube? Is it make-up, blogs or the responses to their questions?

They like the videos about make-up or hair and fashion but, ultimately, they prefer the blogs because you come to know others better through them.

What is the question your followers ask most often?

It is whether my hair colour is natural... (Yes, it is!)

What is your favourite beauty product?

Do you mean only one? It is impossible for a girl of beauty to have only one favourite product.

What inspires you?

It is books and films! Strange as it may seem but I take ideas from the books that I read. For example, I am thinking about what a heroine would be wearing or I am trying to do some make-up that I have seen in a film. Even in my direction I use elements from my favourite films that have inspired me.

How do you choose the theme for your next video? Do your followers help you?

Yes, I already make videos that my followers have strongly suggested. Unless I have an idea and then I tell myself, "I do not care! I will make a video about what I think of; if it is not a personal request then logically they will say this is nonsense!"