Michelle Phan
Born 1987 · Age 38
Vietnamese-American beauty YouTuber and entrepreneur; founder/owner of EM Cosmetics; co-founder of Ipsy; early YouTube beauty pioneer.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Boston, Massachusetts
Michelle Phan was born in Boston to Vietnamese refugee parents.
Father left family
Michelle's father left when she was six; family faced financial instability including frequent moves and periods on public assistance.
Graduated high school / attended Tampa Bay Technical HS (approx.)
Raised in Tampa, she attended Tampa Bay Technical High School prior to enrolling in art college.
Started personal beauty blog/Xanga (‘Ricebunny’)
Michelle began blogging about makeup on Xanga under the username 'Ricebunny', posting tutorials that attracted thousands of readers.
Enrolled at Ringling College of Art and Design
Michelle attended Ringling College for art/design (first semester), where she used a college laptop to start making videos.
Dropped out of Ringling due to financial constraints
Left Ringling College in her second semester because she could not afford tuition; worked as a waitress to make ends meet.
First viral success (natural makeup video)
Her first natural-makeup tutorial received ~40,000 views in a week and amassed large view counts within months.
Launched YouTube channel
Began posting video tutorials on YouTube (often cited as May 2007); channel quickly grew as makeup tutorials found an audience.
Moved to Los Angeles to pursue YouTube full-time
Relocated to LA to dedicate herself to filming, editing and growing her channel as viewership rose.
Accepted into YouTube Partner Program
Began monetizing videos through YouTube/AdSense as her channel viewership and revenue grew.
Lady Gaga tutorial(s) go viral (BuzzFeed coverage)
BuzzFeed featured her 'How To Get Lady Gaga's Eyes' tutorial(s) in 2009–2010; these features helped push her past one million subscribers.
Named official video makeup artist for Lancôme
Lancôme tapped Phan as their official video makeup artist; she became Lancôme's first Vietnamese-American spokesperson.
Co-founded MyGlam (later Ipsy)
Co-founded subscription beauty service MyGlam with Marcelo Camberos and Jennifer Goldfarb; company later rebranded to Ipsy.
Long-distance relationship with Dominique Capraro begins (personal milestone)
Began a long-distance relationship with model Dominique Capraro which later appeared in a 2013 video; relationship kept more private later.
Launched FAWN (YouTube MCN) and became YouTube advertising partner
Launched FAWN, a multi-channel network (MCN), and worked as a YouTube advertising partner to support creator monetization.
Ipsy initial funding (~$2.6M seed)
Early investors provided seed funding to build Ipsy's product and operations (Girlboss and other profiles reference ~$2.6M).
Launched Ipsy (MyGlam) to subscribers
Ipsy launched its monthly 'glam bag' subscription product in September 2012.
EM Cosmetics launched by L'Oréal
L'Oréal launched 'EM Cosmetics by Michelle Phan' (brand named for 'Em', dedicated to her mother) on August 15, 2013.
Received Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Ringling College
Ringling College awarded Phan an honorary Doctorate of Arts in recognition of her creative and entrepreneurial work.
Announced partnership with Endemol Beyond USA for ICON network
In May 2014 Phan announced a partnership with Endemol Beyond USA to build a talent network (ICON) for beauty/lifestyle content.
Won Streamy and Shorty Awards; Teen Choice nominations
Won Streamy Award (Inspiration Icon) and Shorty Award (Best YouTube Guru) in 2014; nominated for Teen Choice Awards.
Teen Choice Award nominations (2014)
Nominated for Teen Choice Awards (Choice Web Star: Fashion/Beauty and Choice Web Star: Female).
Sued by Ultra Records for copyright infringement
Ultra Records sued Phan in July 2014 seeking up to $150,000 per alleged infringement (up to $7.5M total) over music used in YouTube videos.
Partnered with Cutting Edge Group to launch Shift Music Group
Partnered to launch Shift Music Group, expanding into music/artist ventures (announced September 2014).
Filed countersuit against Ultra Records
Phan filed a countersuit on September 18, 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Published book with Random House
Published 'Make Up: Your Life Guide to Beauty, Style, and Success -- Online and Off' in October 2014 (Penguin–Random House).
Named to Inc. and Forbes '30 Under 30' lists
Recognized by Inc. (30 Under 30) and Forbes (30 Under 30 Art & Style) in 2015.
Ultra Records litigation settled
In August 2015 the suit and countersuit with Ultra Records were dropped following a private settlement (terms undisclosed).
Teen Choice Award nominations (2015)
Nominated again for Teen Choice Awards (Choice Web Star categories).
Ipsy raises $100M; valuation reported over $500M
Reports in 2015 said Ipsy raised $100 million in funding, valuing the company at over $500 million.
Went on hiatus from YouTube/social media (began)
Abruptly stepped back from posting and public life (2015–2016), citing legal troubles, business setbacks and personal issues.
Ipsy hits ~$150M revenue; launches Ipsy Open Studios
Ipsy reportedly hit $150 million in revenue and opened a 10,000 sq ft production/open studio in Santa Monica (Ipsy Open Studios).
Teen Choice Award nomination (2016)
Nominated for Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Fashion/Beauty in 2016.
Publicly confirmed purchase of L'Oréal's share of EM (via Ipsy) — later confirmation
Profiles note she bought L'Oréal's share of EM in April 2015; Phan confirmed buying L'Oréal's share through Ipsy on Instagram in December 2016.
Launched webcomic / webtoon Helios: Femina (weekly run)
Released Helios: Femina as a digital comic/webtoon (Biography cites March 2016; it ran weekly for 26 episodes per profiles).
Continued public retreat; rebuilding brand behind the scenes
After relaunch, she reduced on-camera appearances and focused on business development and partnerships.
Relaunched EM Cosmetics under her ownership
Relaunched EM Cosmetics in April 2017 with a smaller, more affordable line (~10 products) and influencer ambassadors.
Posted video explaining hiatus (first return video)
On June 1, 2017 she published a video explaining why she left social media and her plans moving forward.
Resigned from Ipsy to focus on EM/Divinium Labs
Announced departure from Ipsy in September 2017 to lead EM Cosmetics full-time; EM operated under Divinium Labs, LLC.
Profiles document EM first-launch failure and trolling impact
Media coverage detailed the initial EM launch's poor reception and online harassment that contributed to her hiatus.
Spoke at Girlboss Rally / featured in Girlboss interview
Appeared in a public conversation/interview at Girlboss Rally (2019) discussing entrepreneurship, burnout and recharging.
Reported allegation: Michael Avenatti embezzlement (Phan named among clients)
Reporting in 2019 alleged that lawyer Michael Avenatti embezzled about $4M from Michelle Phan (investigation/indictment context).
Official full return to YouTube channel
Variety reported Michelle Phan relaunched/returned to her YouTube channel in September 2019 after a multi-year absence.
Continued behind-the-scenes entrepreneurship and investments
Profiles note Phan invested in/blockchain and creator-economy businesses and worked on music-licensing startup Thematic (date of founding cited in profiles).
Voice role in Cookie Run: Kingdom (uncredited)
Provided the voice for the character Blackberry Cookie in the mobile game Cookie Run: Kingdom (uncredited in-game role).
Net worth reported by some sources (~$50M)
Biographical summaries and fan sites report an estimated net worth in the range of $40–$60M (commonly cited ~$50M).
YouTube channel metrics (reported)
As of September 16, 2024 her YouTube channel listed about 8.62 million subscribers and 1.05 billion total views.
Key Achievement Ages
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