It's not a boring time in the world of make-up, that's for sure. On one end of the spectrum you have celebrities like Alicia Keys pioneering a no-make-up movement and popular brands like Glossier that promote an effortless, 'I woke up like this' look.

On the other end, you have vloggers and influencers like Nikkie Tutorials and Jaclyn Hill who have built a massive following thanks to their heavy-handed, Kardashian-like approach to make-up - with cult-favorite brands like Too Faced capitalizing on it.

As a beauty editor, I'm a fan of it all - it keeps my job fun by ensuring there's always something new to write about. In my personal life, however, I've always staunchly preferred a more natural, me-but-better look (with the occasional bold lipstick, of course).

But recently, after staring at the never-ending stream of spot-free complexions, sculpted cheek bones, painted-on pouts and artfully penciled-in brows that is my Instagram feed, I found myself feeling insecure. The most insignificant flaws like a patch of redness drove me crazy, and I became obsessed with achieving a flawless appearance that was less like myself and more like, what appeared to be, everyone else.

'Help!' I thought when I realized what I was doing. 'I'm turning into a clone!'

Pick a side: Make-up artist Katie Jane Hughes showcased the difference between 'Instagram' (left) and 'editorial' (right) make-up on her feed recently, noting that while she encourages her followers to opt for whichever style makes them feel best, she prefers the latter

They woke up like this: Alicia Keys (left), 35, began a no-make-up movement when she ditched the cosmetics last May. Since then, even Kim Kardashian (right), 35, has followed suit at times

When I went backstage at Oscar de la Renta's spring 2017 show during New York Fashion Week last month, I learned I was not the only one struggling with the impact that 'Instagram make-up' has had on the beauty world.

As legendary make-up artist Tom Pecheux prepped a model's face for the runway with moisturizer, a dab of concealer and nothing else, he told me that his goal was to make sure the girls didn't look like 'what you see in tutorials'.

'I love make-up but it doesn't necessarily make the girl look more beautiful, and it makes them look all the same. Here, the no make-up is showing uniqueness and the truth when everything is so fake,' he continued.

'Exactly!' I replied.

Getting real: Atthe Oscar de la Renta spring 2017 show last month, models walked down the runway bare-faced in a move meant to highlight their individuality

Then, after editorial make-up artist Katie Jane Hughes posted an Instagram image with half of her make-up done in a natural style and half done in the ubiquitous Instagram style, I was eager to get her thoughts.

'I would like to see people embracing what they’ve got instead of masking themselves,' she said. 'I'm worried about it influencing kids and making them feel like they’ve got to do this or that or they're not going to look good.'

Another reason the trend has struck a nerve among industry veterans, she said, is the its cartoon-ish aesthetic.

'[Professional make-up artists] know how hard it is to make a make-up look work well in real life. Anyone can use a filter,' she said. 'Balance in make-up is key to it looking elegant and expensive in my opinion. I often wear a lot of make-up but I don't like it to look that way, so I pull back on a thing or two.'

Lupita Nyong'o's outspoken make-up artist Nick Barose echoed the sentiment in a recent Instagram post about his distaste for matte liquid lipsticks, which have become a beauty vlogger signature.

In the caption, he wrote: 'When something is so matte on the lips, it might look good on [Instagram] but in real life it can be kinda gross. It brings out all the lines on your lips and separates at the area in your inner lips that's wet, not attractive. Real life doesn't come with Facetune.'

Cashing in: Nikkie Tutorials (above) is among the growing list of popular vloggers who have partnered with major brands like Too Faced on must-have products

When I spoke to Shannon Harris a.k.a. Shaaanxo, a New Zealand-based vlogger with 2.7 million followers, she acknowledged that Instagram has bred some 'strong trends', but she also made a good point, one that I hadn't considered before.

She explained that she got into make-up and YouTube vlogging in the hopes of gaining confidence after being bullied for her appearance in high school.

'I didn't really have any friends who could relate - who were interested in make-up - so I found a lot of comfort in interacting with people online,' she said.

When she said that, I realized that what the Instagram make-up trend may lack in individuality, it makes up for in community.

'Make-up at first was my mask, but it's definitely not anymore,' Shannon continued. 'It helped me feel empowered and actually makes me feel more confident when I decide to go make-up free now.'

Contour queens: Vloggers like Shaaanxo (pictured) have amassed millions of followers thanks to their tutorials that detail how to achieve flawless looks like the one above

As for Katie and Nick's issue with the more-is-more technique? The vloggers I talked to stressed that the looks you see on social media aren't necessarily meant to be practical.

'Instagram make-up is so popular because the precision is very visually appealing in a photograph,' said Desi Perkins, who has two million subscribers on YouTube and nearly three million on the photo-sharing app. 'When people are scrolling through, you have a second to get someone to stop. A strong cut crease is something you can appreciate.'

She was also quick to point out that she's not attempting to take the place of editorial or red-carpet make-up artists.

'Doing celebrity make-up isn't my thing,' she said. 'I think there's room for everyone's work to shine through. To me, the more styles of make-up, the more exciting things are.'

The more the merrier: 'Everyone has different techniques, so people get excited to learn, How would she do this?', YouTube beauty guru Desi Perkins tells FEMAIL of the saturated landscape

Neither Desi nor Shannon is setting out to encourage followers to wear layers of make-up at all times. For Shannon, the looks that she creates are all about experimenting.

'I rock natural, heavy, Instagram trends and everything in between - it depends on my mood. It's fun to play around with it.'

After exploring both ends of the spectrum, I realized that I don't have to make a choice. It's okay if I feel the desire to spend a half hour contouring my face every once in a while, just like it's okay to walk out of the house without concealer or mascara.

The important things are to remain true to yourself and to maybe not take the rest so seriously.