Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr. November 15, 1985 Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Makeup artist, media figure, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Beauty Killer album |
Jeffree Star (born Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr. on November 15, 1985) is an American makeup artist, media figure, and singer-songwriter. He is the creator and proprietor of Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
Star debuted his studio album Beauty Killer in 2009, which included songs such as "Lollipop Luxury" with a remix featuring Nicki Minaj. He embarked on international tours to promote his music and signed with Konlive in 2010. By 2013, he had stepped away from the music scene, citing legal disputes involving the label’s owner. In 2024, he made a musical comeback by reissuing Beauty Killer with three additional tracks. November 2014 marked the launch of Jeffree Star Cosmetics. According to Forbes in 2018, Star earned $18 million solely from YouTube, ranking him as the fifth top-earning YouTuber that year.
Early life
Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr. was born on November 15, 1985, in Los Angeles County, California, and grew up in Orange County, California. As a child, he began experimenting with his mother’s makeup and persuaded her to allow him to wear it to school during junior high. He graduated from Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California in 2002. After finishing high school, he legally changed his name to Jeffree Star and supported himself through work in makeup artistry, modeling, and music within Los Angeles. On weekends, he used a fake ID to gain entry into Hollywood clubs where he was hired by celebrities as a personal makeup artist.
MySpace
Star utilized MySpace to boost his careers in music and fashion design. Treating the platform like a blog, he shared personal reflections and social commentary on topics such as self-esteem, fame, beauty standards, and confidence. His existing followers from various websites quickly migrated to MySpace, resulting in a profile that amassed numerous friends and photoshoots frequently receiving over 50,000 comments. He became one of the most prominent independent artists on MySpace, regularly ranking among the top performers on daily charts.
Music career
Encouraged by Samantha Maloney, drummer for Peaches, Star launched his career as an electronica and pop singer. In 2005, he was featured on Hollywood Undead’s track Turn Off The Lights. During summer 2007, he participated in the True Colors Tour 2007, sponsored by the LGBT Logo channel; this tour covered 15 cities across the US and Canada during Pride month.
His sole studio album Beauty Killer (2009) reached number seven on the US Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart. The album included songs like "Lollipop Luxury" featuring Nicki Minaj. Star supported this release through multiple world tours. In 2010, he signed with Konlive with plans for a second album that ultimately was never released. He left the music industry suddenly in 2013.
Star appeared in Kesha’s 2010 music video for "Take It Off" and collaborated with artists such as Blood on the Dance Floor, Deuce, Millionaires, and Larry Tee.
On September 15, 2024, Star announced via his YouTube channel a special 15th Anniversary edition of Beauty Killer accompanied by a mini-eyeshadow palette bearing the same name. This reissue includes a new cover design, three new songs, remastered tracks, and a digital EP titled Lollipop Killer. The anniversary edition is available for pre-order in CD and various vinyl formats.
Disputes with Other Media Figures
Jeffree Star has been involved in several controversies with fellow media personalities. Tattoo artist Kat Von D accused him of engaging in "drug use, racism, and bullying." Tati Westbrook alleged that Star, alongside Shane Dawson, pressured her into posting a video targeting beauty YouTuber James Charles. Additionally, Star reportedly bullied James Charles' brother, Ian Jeffrey, on Twitter. He has also expressed criticism toward Kylie Jenner's product lines, had conflicts with Kim Kardashian, and was embroiled in a feud with Jerrod Blandino, co-founder of Too Faced Cosmetics.
In 2010, Star publicly accused Dahvie Vanity of Blood on the Dance Floor, who had been arrested on sexual assault charges in 2009, of bringing underage girls to his hotel room and referred to him as a "child fucker." Star claimed to have witnessed Vanity's behavior in 2012. However, other posts from Star show him promoting Vanity’s music and encouraging fans to disregard negative comments, which led to criticism that he financially benefited from Vanity despite knowing about the allegations. After a HuffPost article detailed accusations of sexual assault involving minors against Vanity, Chris Hansen from To Catch a Predator began investigating the matter. In discussions with Hansen, Star clarified that he did not have firsthand knowledge of any inappropriate conduct between Vanity and underage girls during their collaboration and stated his earlier tweets were based on secondhand information.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics
In 2014, Star launched his online makeup brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics. After ending his music career and facing financial difficulties, he invested his remaining funds into creating the brand. Utilizing his YouTube platform—which had grown to 15.8 million subscribers and accumulated over 2.5 billion views by December 2023—Star effectively promoted his products, significantly enhancing the brand’s reach. Bustle characterized him as "a musician and former MySpace celebrity who reinvented himself within the YouTube makeup tutorial community."
The brand’s debut collection introduced velour liquid lipsticks, followed by highlighters, lip scrubs, eyeshadow palettes, apparel, and accessories such as mirrors and makeup bags. The first East Coast retail location to carry Jeffree Star Cosmetics was a Morphe store at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, which opened on August 11, 2018. Since then, the company has launched multiple successful collections, including the highly regarded "Blue Blood" eyeshadow palette.
Personal Life
Star was romantically involved with Nathan Schwandt from 2015 until January 2020. He refrains from smoking cigarettes and using hard drugs but does consume cannabis.
As of December 2020, Star lives in Casper, Wyoming.
Controversies
Star has faced allegations of racism due to offensive remarks about minority groups, for which he later issued an apology. A satirical skit on MySpace depicted him making insensitive comments regarding skin lightening.
In June 2020, Star apologized after images from his former website Lipstick Nazi resurfaced; these included swastikas alongside photos showing Star engaging in self-harm.
An October 2020 exposé accused Star of multiple counts of sexual assault, physical assault, and paying $10,000 in hush money to accusers; his legal representative denied these claims. Subsequently leaked documents revealed that one accuser received $45,000 from an executive at Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | LA Ink | Himself | Aaron Krummel | Appeared in 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Fred Villari | |||
| 2015 | What Now | Victoria | Ash Avildsen | Feature-length film |
| 2017 | Shane and Friends | Himself | Shane Dawson | Podcast series |
| 2018 | The Secret World of Jeffree Star | Documentary series; 5 episodes | ||
| 2019 | The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star | Documentary series; 8 episodes | ||
| 2020 | The Dish with Trish | Trisha Paytas | Guest star appearance |
Studio albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart rankings | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 |
US Elec Dance/Electronic Albums |
US Heat Top Heatseekers |
US Indie Independent Albums | ||
| Beauty Killer |
|
122 | 7 | 2 | 22 |
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Elec Dance/Electronic Albums |
US Heat Top Heatseekers | ||
| Plastic Surgery Slumber Party |
|
— | — |
| Cupcakes Taste Like Violence |
|
6 | 8 |
| Virginity |
|
— | — |
| Mr. Diva |
|
— | — |
Singles
| Title | Year released | Associated album or single type |
|---|---|---|
| "Lollipop Luxury" | 2008 | From the album Cupcakes Taste Like Violence |
| "Prisoner" | 2009 | Included in Beauty Killer |
| "Prom Night" | 2012 | Standalone single (non-album) |
| "Mr. Diva" | From the release Mr. Diva and Lollipop Killer | |
| "Love to My Cobain" | 2013 | Featured on Lollipop Killer |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award event | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9th Streamy Awards | 'Beauty' category | 'Nominated' |
| 2020 | 12th Annual Shorty Awards | 'YouTuber of the Year' | 'Nominated' |
References
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1985 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American male vocalists
- American makeup professionals
- American male content creators
- American performance art practitioners
- American male pop vocalists
- YouTubers specializing in beauty and makeup
- LGBTQ content creators on YouTube
- American advocates for LGBTQ rights
- Male models originating from California
- California-based singer-songwriters
- Artists associated with Warner Music Group
- American entrepreneurs in cosmetics
- American vloggers on YouTube
- 21st-century American LGBTQ individuals
- YouTubers based in California
- American cosmetics businesspeople