Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan
Name	Michelle Phan
Birth date	11 April 1987
Birth place	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Occupation	YouTuber, entrepreneur, makeup artist, author
Years active	2007–present
Known for	YouTube beauty tutorials, co-founding Ipsy, founding EM Cosmetics
Notable works	The Mindful Beauty Dictionary, EM Cosmetics launch

Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan (born April 11, 1987) is an American YouTuber, entrepreneur, makeup artist, and author known for pioneering online beauty tutorials and direct-to-consumer cosmetics brands. She gained prominence through video transformations and makeup tutorials that intersected with fashion, music, and digital entrepreneurship, later co-founding subscription service Ipsy and founding EM Cosmetics.

Early life and education

Phan was born in Boston, Massachusetts to parents of Vietnamese descent; her family relocated to Florida during her childhood, where she grew up in Boston metro area suburbs and later Florida. She attended local schools before enrolling at Ringling College of Art and Design and pursuing studies related to digital media and illustration. Influenced by immigrant family experiences and cultural ties to Vietnam, she drew inspiration from fashion outlets such as Vogue, Elle, and music videos by artists signed to Interscope Records and Universal Music Group.

YouTube career and rise to fame

Phan began posting makeup tutorials and transformation videos on YouTube in the late 2000s, inspired by visual content from Madonna, Lady Gaga, and film makeup in productions by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar. Early technique videos and "create the look" guides paralleled user-generated content trends from platforms like Myspace and Facebook, quickly attracting viewers through collaborative mashups with music from Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and artists such as Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears. Her rapid subscriber growth placed her among prominent online creators alongside Shane Dawson, Zoella, and Bethany Mota, earning recognition from mainstream outlets like The New York Times, Forbes, and Time. High-profile collaborations and media appearances connected her work to brands and institutions including Sephora, Conde Nast, and Glamour.

Business ventures and entrepreneurship

Leveraging digital fame, Phan co-founded the beauty subscription company Ipsy with partner Marcela and business associates, growing it into a consumer brand that partnered with retailers such as Sephora and operated within the venture-capital ecosystem including investors from Accel Partners, Greylock Partners, and NEA. She launched EM Cosmetics as a direct-to-consumer cosmetics line, engaging supply chains and retail channels linked to companies like Target Corporation and Ulta Beauty. Her entrepreneurial activities involved relationships with Alibaba Group, Amazon, and accelerator networks tied to TechCrunch coverage and board-level interactions with executives from YouTube and Google. Financial milestones and restructuring events brought her into contact with firms such as BNP Paribas and legal filings with courts in California.

Media projects and publications

Phan expanded into publishing and multimedia, authoring and contributing to projects distributed by publishers like HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and appearing in print for Vogue, Elle, and GQ. She developed branded content and series for digital platforms including Google Play, Netflix, and cable outlets tied to E! and collaborated with creators and executives from BuzzFeed, Vice Media, and Hearst Communications. Her instructional media intersected with beauty industry awards and events such as Cosmopolitan features and appearances at conventions organized by VidCon, BeautyCon, and trade shows like Cosmoprof.

Personal life and public image

Phan's public image evolved from online tutorialist to business executive, frequently profiled in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Business Insider. She has been compared culturally with figures in fashion and entertainment such as Anna Wintour, Rihanna, and Kim Kardashian, while engaging with influencers including Michelle Obama-era initiatives and panels hosted by TED and SXSW. Her personal relationships and residence history involved cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, and engagements with the creative communities in Brooklyn and Hollywood. Media scrutiny over business disputes and brand disputes connected her narrative to legal matters discussed in The New York Times and industry analyses by Bloomberg.

Philanthropy and advocacy

Phan has supported charitable causes and advocacy initiatives associated with organizations like UNICEF, The Trevor Project, and disaster-relief efforts coordinated with American Red Cross. She has participated in fundraising and awareness campaigns alongside celebrities affiliated with Stand Up To Cancer, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and educational programs in partnership with institutions such as USC and NYU. Her advocacy on entrepreneurship and digital media education included mentorship programs linked to accelerators like Y Combinator and nonprofit incubators supported by The Aspen Institute.

Category:American YouTubers Category:American businesspeople Category:People from Boston