A big facet of Starrr's career is collaborating not just with brands but also with other content creators, and he's done a solid job of making them worthwhile. Many influencers use collaborations as a way to grow their channels quickly, but while they're working with other YouTubers whose fans are already subscribed to both channels — which can be beneficial for fanfare but can come off as cliquey — Starrr legitimises his makeup skills by transforming mainstream celebrities. Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian West, Kris Jenner, Maddie Ziegler, Shay Mitchell, Madelaine Petsch, Keke Palmer, Jessie J, and Ashley Tisdale: they've all a sat in his chair.
This helps with his credibility and exposure and has successfully grown his channel. When his video dolling up Kardashian West — a household name no matter the demographic — went live, his subscriber count skyrocketed for the day, amassing over 57K new subscribers in 24 hours. (He typically averages around 2,500 new subscribers a day.) Similarly, when his video with teen dance queen Maddie Ziegler went live, he saw another massive spike. Their video together has 5.7 million views to date.
Given the judge with the loudest screams at the Face Awards was Oscar Award-winning Ve Neill, it's clear the community craves authority and credibility in addition to personality. Starrr, a self-taught artist who was notoriously told to remove his makeup one day while working at a MAC Cosmetics in Florida, marries both.
This is all paying off for him. His collaboration with MAC Cosmetics — full circle, right? — is rumoured to be the second-biggest deal in the brand's history, behind Rihanna's. (Requests for confirmation from MAC were not returned.) Google Social Blade estimates he could receive $280K a year simply from YouTube views, excluding sponsorships. He's taking on more hosting opportunities like the Face Awards and the American Influencer Awards, which come with major paychecks.
"The ultimate career goal is to be a mogul in all aspects," said Starrr. "If I touch base on different genres, the leverage of visibility and credibility is there. And accountability will resonate with a larger audience beyond YouTube. If I can just continue to branch out of my realm and just try it, then why the hell not?"
Image Source: Getty Images / Dimitrios Kambouris