INSIDEEDITION.COM EXCLUSIVE: 

YOUTUBE BEAUTY GURU MICHELLE PHAN HAS A NEW OUTLOOK AFTER THREE-YEAR POSTING HIATUS: “COMING BACK ON, I FEEL LIKE I’M A NORMAL PERSON”

VIDEO LINK (MUST CREDIT INSIDE EDITION AND LINK BACK):

https://bit.ly/36OobbP

New York, NY — January 13, 2020 – Michelle Phan has been a central part of the YouTube beauty community since she joined the platform in 2006. At 22, she became Lancôme’s first official makeup artist. From there, she launched her first makeup line with L’Oréal and found herself on the pages of Nylon and Forbes. That’s why it may have been a surprise to her near 9-million fans when she walked away from her channel in 2016.

Phan, now 32, is speaking with INSIDEEDITION.COM on camera for the first time since having recently rejoined YouTube after a three-year hiatus. In September 2019, she posted a video to the site of her playing with her cat followed by a behind-the-scenes look at a shoot for her company, Em Cosmetics.

“I didn’t plan on it,” Phan says of her impromptu return to the platform. She had just been filming herself for fun when she decided to sit down and edit the video. 

“I honestly didn’t think anyone would watch it,” Phan tells INSIDEEDITION.COM. “Millions of people were so happy that I came back. That was when I realized, ‘Flood gates are open. I guess I’m back. I’m just going to have fun now.’ That’s what I’ve been doing,”

But gone from Phan’s YouTube videos are the intense pre-production, professional camera angles, substantial crew and brand sponsorships.

“I’m just showing my life and things that I’m really interested in,” says Phan.

The always-on demands of the platform, and the need to constantly shoot, edit and upload new content, can take their toll.

“It’s very stressful,” Phan tells INSIDEEDITION.COM. “The online world was my office. That's how I felt. It's very draining.”

During her hiatus, Phan spent time offline traveling the world to places like Egypt in order to “lower the volume,” as well as expanding her business.

She also met with a therapist who helped her push through what were “symptoms of depression,” and deal with the stigma of talking about mental health.

“In the Asian community, mental health is still considered a stigma,” Phan tells INSIDEEDITION.COM. “I was taught to just bury my feelings. For the past 10 years, I just kept everything on the back burner and totally neglected it. It just started to bubble and boil over.”

Her hiatus has ultimately allowed her to return to YouTube feeling refreshed. Now, she’s prioritizing self-care in a digital world that often doesn’t.

“Coming back on, I feel like I’m a normal person,” says Phan.

For INSIDEEDITION.COM’s full report, visit: https://ietv.co/35QaQ1B

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