After about two years, Michelle Phan and L'Oréal USA have parted ways, according to WWD. The brand plans to sell Phan's beauty line, Em Michelle Phan — which was released in 2013 with L'Oréal's backing — to Ipsy, a subscription-based company Phan cofounded in 2011.
"I’m grateful that L’Oréal believed in me and helped me bring my dream of creating a beauty brand to life," the 28-year-old YouTube star and entrepreneur told WWD. "I’m excited to be working with Ipsy to bring Em home to my community, the original inspiration for the brand." The relationship came to an end because, as WWD sources report, the line "didn't live up to the hype" and never evolved beyond the startup phase. One analyst suggests that the prices were too high for her millennial audience.
During the past few years, Phan has become the first Vietnamese spokesperson for Lancôme, released a book, and was, most recently, chosen for both the Inc. and Forbes 30 under 30 lists. As she told us in an interview in 2013, "Not everyone's gonna love what you do, and you can't sulk [about] that." So while one deal has been nixed, we're betting she has plenty of other projects to keep her busy.
Michelle Phan and Ipsy have politely declined to comment at this time.
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