Phan Quotes & Sayings

Your YouTube channel is your show. I think it's a wonderful platform for anyone who wants to have stronger creative control over their content, their message, their vision and their branding. — Michelle Phan

When you're eating a bowl of pho, you're eating everything you need. — Michelle Phan

If light is a place, then darkness is the way. — Michelle Phan

We want to be seen as more than just martial artists, or bad stereotype token roles in American TV and movies. — Dat Phan

I knew comedy was the thing for me when I was the only Asian kid in high school ... who failed math. — Dat Phan

Seven years ago, in my first semester at college, the professors handed out MacBook Pros. With mine, I filmed a seven-minute tutorial on 'natural makeup' - just me, my laptop, and a cup of coffee. When, a week later, it clocked 40,000 Web views, I knew people were connecting with it, so I kept going. That moment changed my life. — Michelle Phan

Vietnam, we take over by doing pedicure! That's how we take over. We take over one foot at a time, damn it - that's the plan of attack right there. We take over from the toe up, that's the plan. We spread over USA like fungus from the toe. — Dat Phan

Makeup is no different than clothes and accessories - it's embellishments for your face. And it also gives you creative freedom. You get to have that moment in front the mirror every morning and give yourself self-love. You're making yourself up beautiful, which is essentially self-love. — Michelle Phan

I know I'm a storyteller at heart, and if there's a platform that needs stories, I'm going be there. — Michelle Phan

When you read about the real history of where feminism comes from, it came from a very political point of view. I don't believe in bringing any politics to an idea like feminism. I love the idea that women should be celebrated, but I also believe men should be, too. We need both - yin and yang. — Michelle Phan

I want to be able to leave behind an infrastructure and a road map for any of my dreamers to follow. So that they can again take care of their family, pursue what they love and live a fulfilling life. Everyone is called, but not everyone answers. I was called, and I answered. — Michelle Phan

When you grow up poor, you have to either work really hard to try and get where you want to be, or you'll just stay put. — Dat Phan

So many of my followers who just graduated can't get jobs; they're hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and they don't know what to do. My dream is to see a new generation of entrepreneurs who are creating and having more meaningful jobs than the day-to-day grind. — Michelle Phan

I believe if religion brings you to a sense of peace, that's beautiful. But I also believe if religion's not your thing, that's fine, too, just so long as you're a good person and you find that one thing that leads you to peace and teaches you to have harmony with yourself and other people around you. — Michelle Phan

I am first a creator, but my ongoing objective is to leverage my personal success to help mentor new and existing talent and further help them achieve their goals. Endemol Beyond shares this vision, and together, we will drive the future of original content for generations to come. — Michelle Phan

My production style is all about imagination. I want my audience to use their imagination when they watch my videos. My goal is for my voice to be that little hope of encouragement in your head when you walk out your door. — Michelle Phan

There's definitely more to me offline than what you see online. Because what I show online is what I want to show to my followers ... If I showed everything I did offline, it might not align with some of my other followers around the world. — Michelle Phan

I didn't start wearing makeup until I was in art school, and many of the techniques I learned on canvas, I applied to makeup. — Michelle Phan

I love liquid eyeliner - it's just easier. It doesn't melt, fade, skip, or smudge. It's tougher to use because it's not as forgiving. The brush for my em michelle phan Scribble Calligraphy Liquid Liner was inspired by a calligraphy brush, so you can get a very thick or thin line, depending on how you flick it. I use it in Tattoo Black. — Michelle Phan

So many of my friends have 200,000 subscribers, and they make around five to six K a month, which is completely cool. — Michelle Phan

Western beauty is considered the dominant beauty in the world. Tall, blond, blue eyes. I always felt a little self-conscious because I wanted to be more Caucasian. I tried to get bigger eyes ... I would dress preppy. — Michelle Phan

I really believe in giving tools and resources to other creators so that they can create beautiful videos. — Michelle Phan

For me, money is a tool. — Michelle Phan

Robust activity on one site is so much better than halfhearted activity on multiple sites. — Michelle Phan

Nothing comforted Sabine like long division. That was how she had passed time waiting for Phan and then Parsifal to come back from their tests. She figured the square root of the date while other people knit and read. Sabine blamed much of the world's unhappiness on the advent of calculators. — Ann Patchett

As one of the first creators on YouTube, I've been fortunate to sit in the front row, witnessing the remarkable evolution of digital media. The experiences and knowledge I've been afforded are invaluable, and I'm excited to take that skill set, together with Endemol Beyond, to build a reliable, reputable business. — Michelle Phan

I always secretly loved the art of makeup as a child. I would come up with stories and characters and try on my mom's Maybelline eyeliner when she wasn't home. It was a very old-school pencil - you had to burn the tip to make it smudgy enough to use. — Michelle Phan

Honestly, what I have the most fun with, I just hang out with my cat, and I go online, and I talk to my followers, and I have real conversations with them. — Michelle Phan

One day, you have a father who's always around, and then the next day, he's gone. I was too young to comprehend that. I actually thought he was going to come back. — Michelle Phan

I see videomaking as an art - it's not a process for me. — Michelle Phan

When I smell pho, I just automatically think of my mom. All these nostalgic feelings and memories come rushing through my head. — Michelle Phan

Aflame in black ecstasy, orders extinguished:
after death
how will I know my love was true,
this sacrifice not an exercise in vanity? — Phan Ming Yen

I am so inspired by the people watching my videos and responding to them. I have learned so much from my community over the years and always love reading their feedback and their own personal stories that they share with me. — Michelle Phan

I listen to a lot of Tibetan music before I sleep. I'll just type in 'Tibetan meditation music' on YouTube, and within 15 minutes, it knocks me out. I sleep like a baby. — Michelle Phan

Money comes and goes. I'm thankful I have money. I'm trying to save up more. I would like more money. But it's not happiness. If you're a millionaire and hate your family, hate your friends and your life, then what is the point? You're just a person with a lot of money and power who is not happy. — Dat Phan

I was doing gigs to stay alive. I worked two or three jobs at a time, there were times when I stayed up for 36 hours straight. I slept in shopping mall parking lots. A stand-up gig paid $35; then I could eat for another few days until the next gig. Literally, I was performing to live. — Dat Phan

It's a constant battle between what your heart tells you, and what your brain tells you. — Dat Phan

My dad and I had been close - he called me Tuyet Bang, Vietnamese for 'avalanche,' because of my nonstop energy. I took a lot from him, like being a risk taker, and I know how much he loved my mother. — Michelle Phan

I call 2015 a year of deconstruction. I needed to deconstruct myself, my businesses, and find all of the holes in my empire. I had to find holes and fill them with people who could do it better. — Michelle Phan

My best advice for anyone out there that feels like, 'I don't have a million followers so why should I even give it a shot,' is that it's not about the numbers - it's about the engagement. That's how you can build influence. — Michelle Phan

I use sunscreen every single day, even if I'm not going outside in the sun, because I'm near a window. I can always get those UV rays on my face, so I always apply sunscreen on my face and neck. It's like brushing my teeth: I feel weird if I don't apply sunscreen. — Michelle Phan

I believe that rejection is a blessing because it's the universe's way of telling you that there's something better out there. — Michelle Phan

I had a blog and was documenting my life as a college student in an art school. I had a few comments left by a few girls asking if I could do a tutorial on how I did my makeup. I didn't think my makeup was all that special, but I try my best to share whatever I can with my viewers. — Michelle Phan

I'm grateful that L'Oreal believed in me and helped me bring my dream of creating a beauty brand to life. I'm excited to be working with Ipsy to bring Em home to my community, the original inspiration for the brand. — Michelle Phan

Whatever happens, I'll just keep moving forward. Like an avalanche. — Michelle Phan

Flipboard is really fun because it's like a digital magazine that lets you curate your favorite things and follow your favorite people. I do Instagram but not Vine. I love Vine, but I don't have time to browse through it. So when I'm on YouTube, I'll look up the 'best of Vine' compilations. — Michelle Phan

The Manuka honey face mask is another favorite of mine that I actually do. I know there are these people that recommend crazy masks, and I'm like, 'There is no way you're putting that on your face!' But I do put Manuka honey on my face. I take a teaspoon and warm it up. — Michelle Phan

We're living in an age where we should be collaborating. Because it's the Internet now. It's hard to say who owns what. — Michelle Phan

Part of having a social media strategy is being smart about whom you follow. Ask yourself who is important to your company or brand. Figure out who needs to know you exist. — Michelle Phan

divine views in the entire country, so if you want to see what a true monument of manmade energy can be please check out the Taj Mahal! — Larry Phan

If I can find time to play games, it's console gaming. I don't want to be plugged into my phone all the time. I'm waiting for the new Mario Kart to come out, but I've been playing Donkey Kong and Mario 3D World on the Wii U. — Michelle Phan

As a young girl, I loved having stories read to me. There is something magical about narration and voiceovers. Recording a voiceover is an art form in itself. — Michelle Phan

I don't believe in that term 'self-made' - not to be offensive, but I believe everything happens for a reason, every single person you meet. Even if it's one single person giving you advice, that person helped you get to where you're at today. — Michelle Phan

I'm used to everything digital - the pictures, the avatars of the person, the profiles - so when I get to see someone in the flesh, it's really nice. — Michelle Phan

All of the development I do is with the help of business advisors who are more like my best friends than just business people. They helped me as I created Ipsy back in 2011, which is a beauty community that ships out sampling bags to subscribers. — Michelle Phan

I'm homemade. I upload my videos in my living room; I edit everything, and I upload on my laptop. And my viewers love that about me, and they get inspired and do it themselves. — Michelle Phan

Every video I've made has an inspirational message behind it. Since day one, I thought, 'Okay, I want my audience to be, like, Disney members.' So if that's the case, I have to keep everything rated G. — Michelle Phan

Growing up, before my mom would cook our rice, she would rinse the rice out and pour it out three times. And after the fourth pour, she'd pour it into a little bowl, and she'd rinse her face with that. It's known to help whiten the skin and nourish it because essentially inside the water you have all the essential nutrients from the rice. — Michelle Phan

I was inspired by many teachers when I started my channel, Bob Ross being one of them. His voice was so soothing, almost like hypnosis. He was that great of a teacher, even the casual viewer could learn how to paint from watching his show. Growing up, I just remember him being so mesmerizing on screen. — Michelle Phan

I was 16 years old and wanted to help my mom with the rent. There was a restaurant called China Buffet in Tampa that hung a 'Help Wanted' sign outside, so I went in and ended up hosting every Friday and Sunday for $6 or $7 an hour. — Michelle Phan

Art was a way for me to express myself and for me to also escape because it was tough growing up as a child. We didn't have a lot of money. I was always creating. I was writing stories. I was doing comic books. I made my own universe. — Michelle Phan

What if someone created some sort of eyebrow pencil that was revolutionary and that was made specifically to help eyebrows look more realistic? — Michelle Phan

I don't want to make videos where people are always happy and they're agreeing. It's boring! Do something where people can talk about it. — Michelle Phan

I got an apartment for my family so they can move out of this one-room that they were renting out from a family. — Michelle Phan

Ipsy's goal has always been to create a community that inspires women around the world to express their own unique beauty. — Michelle Phan

I don't believe that if one door closes, that's the end. You're in control of that, but you need to seek opportunities and prepare for them. — Michelle Phan

I'm motivated by my love to share and teach. I love sharing things that inspire me, and I love connecting with people. Being a part of a community is in the millennial DNA. — Michelle Phan

I'm a creator at heart. — Michelle Phan

Makeup is not a mask that covers up your beauty; it's a weapon that helps you express who you are from the inside. — Michelle Phan

Platforms - they come and go, but storytelling is forever. — Michelle Phan

When Google reached out to me in 2011, they wanted me to build out their female lifestyle vertical. When they were starting with that initiative, they were giving each production house a million dollars to produce content. — Michelle Phan

I am passionate about finding undiscovered and talented artists. I want to help those artists get to the next level and provide existing artists with a new way to reach fans. I wanted to partner with the Cutting Edge Group because they share my vision and have a proven track record in innovation in the music business. — Michelle Phan

You need interesting content that entertains or informs - preferably both. You want people to look forward to your posts and come back for more. People want to follow you. They want to hear your words and see your vision. — Michelle Phan

Eight years ago, if I wanted to do a YouTube video, I broke out my camera and filmed everything myself and learned how to edit and kind of become a one-woman studio. But we're living in an era now, thanks to ICON, where any creator who is online, they can create in their own space. — Michelle Phan

Social media is an ever-changing world. You want to be ready if a certain platform becomes red-hot, and you don't want someone else taking your company name as his or her handle. That does happen! — Michelle Phan

Tobias wasn't entirely sure what happened next. All of a sudden everyone was in motion, and Tobias hit the carpet behind the couch face down with one arm wrenched behind his back. "Get the light, Phan! Light!" Noah barked, planting a knee in Tobias' back to keep him down. Tobias sighed, fighting the instinct to move; Noah would break his arm. "This really isn't my night," he said. ~ after Tobias sneaks up on Noah & Phan in the dark while they're watching a horror flick — Chris Owen

I learned that money's not happiness. The more famous I am and the more money I make, the closer I stay to my family and friends that I've known since junior high school. True happiness to me is the connection with fellow human beings I've known for a long time. — Dat Phan

I was living under a desk in West Hollywood. It was a closet that I shared with another comic. I was shocked when they called me to come in to try out for the show. The chances of me getting on a TV show and winning it is like one-in-a-million. I had only been doing comedy for six years at that point, so I was basically considered an open mic-er or maybe a feature act once in awhile. — Dat Phan

The first videos I uploaded on my own personal channel were videos of dogs. — Michelle Phan

Influence is the new power - if you have influence, you can create a brand. — Michelle Phan

I have one room dedicated to just meditation. — Michelle Phan

The Internet opens a lot of doors to those who are passionate. — Michelle Phan

You know how it is in L.A. At times, it's a dog-eat-dog world. There's a lot of sharks. I think with YouTube, we're anti that. We're anti-competitive. We're all about collaborating and supporting. — Michelle Phan

It's very easy to make a viral video, but longevity and consistency, that's hard. — Michelle Phan

Most people think of me as a makeup guru, but might be surprised to know I'm also a trained artist and a huge comic book fan. — Michelle Phan

I love Fredorator and what they produce and the storytelling of 'Adventure Time' ... There's such a dark, adult underlying theme underneath the whimsical, magical children's aspect of their storytelling element. — Michelle Phan

You know when you're a child and your imagination is limitless and you really believe in magic? I thought I had super powers. — Michelle Phan

I always wanted a family environment, a community where a creator like myself could connect and vibe with other creators without feeling competitive. — Michelle Phan

Phan, welcome back to service, in which I push you around and give you a lot of orders. And send you off in a chauffeured car after soundly taking a crop to your ass twice a week. — Chris Owen

That's the beauty about beauty; it's not like a tattoo. You can just wash it right off, and your skin is your canvas, so you can do something new the next day. — Michelle Phan

I'm a total nerd, so I'm on my telescope, or I read a lot. I'm very inspired by ancient history. — Michelle Phan

Anyone can wear glitter, even a woman in her 60s. It's all about techniques. Instead of applying glitter all over the face, you can just add a little to the inner corner of your eyes or on your brow bone, or even on your Cupid's bow. It just adds this magical element to your makeup. — Michelle Phan

I always had that yearning, that hunger, to one day be independent and be my own person and build my own world. The most fulfilling thing is to live a life where you have freedom. — Michelle Phan

The beauty of the Internet is there's a niche market for everything, and if you can focus on it, you can build a sustainable and viable business of it. — Michelle Phan

Success is like a lightning bolt. It'll strike you when you least expect it, and you just have to keep the momentum going. You have to strike when the iron is hot. So for me, I just kept striking and striking to polish out the sword that I was making. — Michelle Phan

If Erik existed and lived life in despair,
We wish him to know we are here and we care. — E.A. Bucchianeri

Us Asians look like we're twenty until we're fifty. Once we're fifty, we look like Yoda. — Dat Phan

When I first started, there really was no beauty guru community. I didn't have the right production resources. I had to learn how to edit. I didn't even have beauty products. I had to go out and buy them myself because beauty brands didn't even know what a beauty guru was. — Michelle Phan

As my YouTube following grew, I was soon earning as much from advertising revenue as from waiting tables, so I quit my job. My boss thought I was crazy, which just made me more determined. In 2012, four years and 200 videos later, my channel was so successful that Google offered me $1 million to create 20 hours of content. — Michelle Phan

The Internet is where you can find people who are authentic. — Michelle Phan