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Your fave OG beauty gurus: Where are they now?

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Before influencers, we had beauty gurus, real teens sharing makeup tutorials and beauty hacks from their bedrooms. Their vids were down to earth, funny and relatable, leading to big brand opportunities for creators like Bethany Mota and Michelle Phan. But these gurus have come a long way since their peak in the 2010s. Read on to learn what your fave creators have been doing, on and off camera.

Bethany Mota

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Bethany Noel Mota (@bethanynoelm) on

Bethany Mota, aka Macbarbie07, dominated the preteen Youtube scene in the early 2000s. Her videos quickly rose to fame thanks to her shining personality, and her killer sense of style led to collabs with the likes of Aeropostale and even an appearance on Dancing With The Stars

She still makes Youtube videos, though not as frequently as in her heyday. She also recently had the opportunity to interview Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as part of a town hall.

Mota has also been open about her private life, sharing on social media that she is in a relationship with Dominic Sandoval, aka Dtrix. A dancer and former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance?, Dtrix and Mota have been together for over a year.

Michelle Phan

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by ℳ (@michellephan) on

We owe Michelle Phan a lot—she basically started beauty guru Youtube. Her original videos were known for having a calm, relaxing tone, with Phan's podcast-worthy voice directing our application of goth or soft makeup. At the peak of her Youtube success, Phan launched her beauty sample subscription service, Ipsy.

However, if you were a fan way back when, you probably know what's happened in the meantime. Despite racking up billions of views, Internet fame and a decent amount of money, Phan left Youtube without a trace in 2016. In 2017 she uploaded a video titled 'Why I Left', where she explained how Youtube and her fame had made her burned out and self-absorbed. She promised to upload again, but first, she would take more time to figure herself out.

Phan has begun reuploading, though at a much slower pace. She no longer owns her share in Ipsy, though she is releasing new products for her EM cosmetics line. In her latest video, she showed off a divine-looking liquid blush.

Meredith Foster

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Meredith Foster (@meredithfoster) on

You may know her from her Youtube channel on beauty, or her brave video about her journey with an eating disorder. One thing for sure: Meredith Foster has proved that she won't give up. Starting her channel way back in 2010, Foster, AKA Stilababe09, took inspiration from popular beauty gurus like Bethany Mota when crafting vids on everything from Taylor Swift's curl to holiday DIYs. 

Foster has since ditched her old username (#relatable) and rebranded as just 'Meredith Foster'. Like Phan, she uploads less frequently than she used to her, but her content remains similar to her old beauty vids. She also wrote an inspirational workbook which was published this June, titled Meredith Foster: Fostering Your Best Self.

Foster uploads more personal content than she used to—like her video about her eating disorder, or a vlog about her past relationships—along with more faith-based content. It seems her grown-up fanbase doesn't mind learning more about her. After all, she's been on their screens for a decade.

Meg DeAngelis

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by MEG (@megandeangelis) on

Megan DeAngelis, known to her fans as Meg or MayBaby, joined Youtube in 2008. Uploading videos about everything from cheer to moving to Germany, DeAngelis's MayBabies loved watching her relatable, humorous content.

Nowadays, she uploads once every couple of months, continuing the funny style that gained her popularity. Recent examples include her series on eating only one color of food for 24 hours, a vid about trying to dress like movie characters and a vlog about living in Los Angeles alone for three months.

Outside of Youtube, DeAngelis has pursued acting. She starred in the 2017 AwesomenessTV film Dance Camp and even voiced a character in the Dreamworks hit Trolls. Like the others on this list, DeAngelis is still in her twenties and much of her journey has yet to happen.

Zoe Sugg

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Zoë Sugg (@zoesugg) on

AKA Zoella. This British beauty babe is one of the biggest successes to come out of the beauty guru community. She joined the platform in 2009 and attracted subscribers fast. Her videos have always had an honest, unfiltered feel. As her beauty channel grew, she also began putting out vlogs with boyfriend Alfie Deyes and her brother Joe. 

In 2014, she launched her own beauty line and published her debut novel, Girl Online. She's been featured in marketing campaigns for Youtube, made talk show appearances, and even developed a photo app called Filmm. This year, she announced a new YA book titled The Magpie Society: One for Sorrow, co-written with Amy McCulloch and set to release in October. She also dropped an Etsy line.

On the Youtube side of things, Zoella has largely withdrawn from her channel. She last uploaded two years ago. While there's no official explanation for her leave, many fans speculate that she's simply busy with other projects and needs a break from Youtube. Whether she returns to uploading or continues working on her businesses, we're sure Zoella will continue to create uplifting things.

Did you watch any of these beauty gurus? Let us know on Twitter @girlslifemag!

Slider Image: Instagram/Michelle Phan

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by Bailey Bujnosek | 8/20/2020
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