These beauty bloggers have nailed the perfect cat eye and the art of contouring. They help millions of followers navigate the rocky shoals of choosing the best mascara and the longest-lasting foundation. Some now earn six-figure incomes from their adoring audiences, thanks to partnerships with major brands eager to profit from their street cred.

They’re also guys.

They may not be household names, but they do have huge followings. James Charles, a 17-year-old New Yorker who is the first male “face” of CoverGirl mascara, has 1.5 million Instagram followers. Manny Gutierrez, who is known online as Manny Mua, has 3.3 million of them; his followers are known as Mannyacs and his Instagram page leads with the slogan: “I think boys deserve just as much cosmetic recognition.”

Online personalities like Mr. Charles and Mr. Gutierrez represent progressive thinking and a fresh take on an old market, said Neil Saunders, a retail analyst who is managing director of GlobalData. “A cutthroat beauty market, where differentiation is vital, has been keen to capitalize on male bloggers,” he said.

These bloggers tend to project a very traditionally feminine beauty aesthetic — forget facial hair, think Kardashian-style eyelashes. Many of them are gay and say that their followers’ virtual embrace offers powerful reinforcement.