[7] Phan attended Ringling College of Art and Design but dropped out due to financial issues.

[12] BuzzFeed featured two of Phan's "How To Get Lady Gaga's Eyes" makeup tutorials in 2009 and 2010, which helped them go viral and brought her over a million subscribers.

Phan cited legal troubles, the failure of EM Cosmetics' initial launch, and her issues with self-image as what led her to decide to take a break.

In May 2014, Phan announced her partnership with Endemol Beyond USA to build a talent network to feature people from YouTube and create content for millennials.

The ICON network, dedicated to "beauty, lifestyle and entertainment," launched in March 2015 online and on television via Roku.

[32] Phan published a book with Random House in October 2014, titled Make Up: Your Life Guide to Beauty, Style, and Success -- Online and Off.

Phan is a believer of alternative medicine and has promoted products and beliefs based on pseudoscience.

[34] In July 2014, Ultra Records sued Phan in the United States District Court for Los Angeles for copyright infringement relating to the music used in her YouTube videos.