Jeffree Star is one of the biggest beauty gurus on YouTube, with over 18 million subscribers, and an eponymous makeup brand that is valued at over $1.5 billion. Given Star’s insane success over the last decade, many people might be wondering if Jeffree Star went to college.
Jeffree Star did not go to college. After graduating from Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California, Star moved to Los Angeles, where he supported himself by modeling, being a makeup artist and focusing on his music career.
Read more below about how Jeffree Star went from a staple on the Hollywood club scene to one of the biggest makeup moguls in history.
Orange County Childhood
Jeffree Star was born and raised in Orange County, California. The beauty guru had a tumultuous childhood, with his father committing suicide when Jeffree was six and Star splitting time being raised by his mom and his grandparents.
Despite the upheaval, Star found solace in his mother’s makeup and magazines. Jeffree began wearing makeup to school in junior high and continued to hone his makeup skills all the way up until graduation.
Los Angeles or Bust
After graduation, Star packed up his life and moved to Los Angeles, where he quickly became known on the Hollywood club scene, being hired as a makeup artist by socialite Paris Hilton and fellow reality television alum Nicole Ritchie. Not only that, but Star’s music career, fueled by a large following on Myspace, took off.
Star recorded one studio album, Beauty Killer, and made appearances on the festival circuit with the Vans Warped Tour. Eventually, Star was signed to Akon’s record label, where he was due to record a sophomore album, but eventually walked away from the deal, telling Cosmopolitan, “It was almost like they were dimming my light and they weren’t letting me be me.”
Musical Maverick to Makeup Maven
With his music at an end, Star took the last of his money and invested it into his eponymous makeup brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics. As the heyday of Myspace died down, Star had moved platforms to YouTube, where he had begun creating makeup tutorials and product reviews.
As Star’s YouTube subscriber count soared, he had a built-in customer base for his makeup line. Jeffree began showcasing his brand and item launches on his channel, creating a frenzy, with entire collections selling out in minutes.
Since the time Jeffree Star Cosmetics debuted in 2014, the brand has launched numerous collections, some of which have become beauty community staples, with dozens of items requiring multiple restocks as so many fans wait to buy them.
A Knack for Business
Not only is Jeffree Star a makeup maven, but he is also an incredibly shrewd businessman. In addition to his YouTube channel and his makeup company, Star has investment properties and multiple other companies to his name.
During a documentary about Star’s business and life, Star said, “I own an entire shipment and fulfillment center, I own a merchandise company, I print and manufacture everything myself. So I have about 10 businesses that I’m currently running besides my brand which is the giant cosmetics company.”
You can watch a real business student discuss Jeffree Star’s astute skills as a brand owner in the YouTube video below.
Due to the popularity of his businesses, Star leads a very glamorous life, with fancy cars, designer clothing and a mansion, (a $14.6 million dollar upgrade from his old home). Star’s company shows no signs of slowing down, with multiple launches planned for 2020.
Regardless of the fact that Jeffree Star did not attend college, he has created an ever-growing empire, built from the ground up with nothing but his skill and innate business acumen at its core. Though Jeffree has not publicly commented on not attending college, it’s safe to say he’s probably the most successful graduate in his class.