Tati Westbrook
Tatiana Aleksandra Westbrook | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tania Aleksandra Krievins February 14, 1982 |
| Occupation(s) | Makeup artist, YouTuber, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Known for | YouTube beauty tutorials, Tati Beauty, Halo Beauty |
Tatiana Aleksandra Westbrook (née Tania Aleksandra Krievins; born February 14, 1982), commonly known as Tati, is an American makeup artist and YouTuber.
YouTube
Westbrook began her career as an image consultant before transitioning into makeup artistry. She started her YouTube channel originally named GlamLifeGuru on November 7, 2010, which was later rebranded as Tati. Early on, she lacked experience with filming and editing but managed to reduce her editing workload from twelve hours to approximately three hours by 2015.
Recognized by Newsweek as a pioneering figure in YouTube’s beauty community and often referred to as the "mother of the YouTube beauty community," Westbrook surpassed the milestone of one million subscribers in early 2016. Her channel predominantly offers makeup tutorials, beauty product reviews, and tips.
Tati Beauty
Westbrook introduced her cosmetics line, Tati Beauty, in October 2019 with the release of a textured neutrals eye shadow palette. In November 2021, she announced the brand’s closure through a nearly nine-minute video entitled "Why I'm Closing Tati Beauty," attributing the decision to challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and legal difficulties.
Halo Beauty
In February 2018, Westbrook co-established Halo Beauty Inc., a company specializing in vitamin supplements. Combined earnings from her YouTube presence and Halo Beauty are estimated at $1.3 million annually.
James Charles controversy
On April 22, 2019, Westbrook publicly shared feelings of betrayal within the beauty community after fellow YouTuber James Charles promoted SugarBearHair, a direct competitor to her Halo Beauty brand. On May 10, she posted a 43-minute video titled BYE SISTER..., accusing Charles of targeting heterosexual men and detailing prior disputes beyond advertising disagreements. The video quickly boosted Westbrook’s subscriber count by over four million and led to Charles losing more than three million subscribers within days, while Westbrook’s channel peaked at over 10.6 million subscribers. Charles responded with a video titled No More Lies on May 18. Following these events, Westbrook experienced a loss of more than one million subscribers and became ineligible for YouTube's Diamond Creator Award.
On June 30, 2020, Westbrook released Breaking My Silence...'’, revealing that creators Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star had influenced her decision to produce the BYE SISTER... video. This particular video was set to private by June 2021.
Halo Beauty lawsuit
In October 2020, Westbrook and her husband James faced a lawsuit filed by Clark Swanson, former business partner and co-founder of Halo Beauty. The suit alleged breach of contract, gross negligence, and fraudulent inducement concerning the vitamin supplement company. An out-of-court settlement was reached in July 2024, after which Westbrook announced via YouTube her exit from Halo Beauty.
Personal life
Tati is of Latvian descent. She married James Westbrook in 2017, who frequently appears in her videos. Through this marriage, she has a stepson who occasionally features in her content. Following a year-long break after removing an apology video addressed to James Charles, Tati returned to YouTube in June 2021 with "A Year Later…," signaling renewed focus on makeup tutorials and reviews. The video also confirmed her continuing role as CEO of Halo Beauty amid ongoing legal proceedings.