Starrr gazing: A day in the life of a male beauty influencer
This story first appeared in the spring issue of Digiday magazine, available exclusively to Digiday Pulse members. Join the community to receive the full magazine (and more) here.
The 27-year-old social media influencer’s love affair with makeup began when he picked up Photoshop and photography in high school.
Male beauty influencer Patrick Starrr’s journey to the center of the spotlight actually began behind the scenes.
“I started doing photography and headshots for my friends and realized I could Photoshop makeup, and add blush, contour and shape brows,” he told Digiday. “It was like playing a video game, and that was basically what sparked my interest in makeup.”
By the time he turned 17, Starrr — whose real name is Patrick Simondac — was already an entrepreneur, doing hair, makeup and photography for weddings. He eventually got a job at M.A.C as an on-call artist, and started his own YouTube channel while on a month’s break post the holiday season in 2013.
Here’s a day in his life, from his recent trip to New York City for the New York Fashion Week in February 2017, where he was the official backstage correspondent for Time Inc. magazines including People, Instant and InStyle.
6:00 a.m.: My alarm clock goes off and I roll out of bed for a packed day in New York City for NYFW. I shower and shave my face and prep my skin for the gallons of makeup I am about to put on. My routine usually consists of moisturizing and putting on some eye cream, but today I add some oil on my forehead because New York is cold.
6:30 a.m.: I layer many foundations, concealers and powders (four in all!) to complete the airbrushed-yet-snatched look everyone loves on my social media. It takes me about an hour and a half for a full “Patrickstarrr” look. It’s not easy when you have a beard — it’s porous and the makeup is more vulnerable to separating.
8 a.m.: I head backstage to Badgley Mischka’s show with my team for the day. I have my publicist, producer and my brother helping me put together Snapchat and Instagram stories for my accounts as well as for Time’s different social media accounts for the takeovers I’m doing for them. I know that followers want to feel like they are with you.
8:45 a.m.: I interview Badgley Mischka’s hair and makeup team. It’s really hectic backstage, but I need the shots and sounds to be able to put together a really amazing video for my YouTube channel.
10 a.m.: The show starts and we are all mesmerized by the fashion and beauty coming to life – and I am also in the front row! The show had a really cool art installation, with a canopy bed, a mattress and a desk bang in the middle of the runway, representing each type of woman that the brand caters to, which I thought was very cool.
10:30 a.m.: We grab food at The Mercer… One of Marc Jacob’s favorite places to dine and snack. It’s the perfect time to snatch an orange juice for energy. I also order some salmon which was really tasty.
11:45 a.m.: My team and I head back backstage to interview designer Anna Sui for his newest collection. It is a beautiful collection of textures and neutrals.
12:00 p.m.: At this point we are all backstage, falling head over heels for the amazing makeup and hair that is coming to life right before our eyes! I also manage to snag a selfie with Gigi and Bella Hadid. I’ve met Gigi before, so she says “Hey Patrick, what’s up?” and I’m thinking “GTFO!” in my head.
2:00 p.m.: The show starts and I see the supermodel Kendall Jenner… and I immediately run backstage to grab a selfie with her as well.
3:00 p.m.: We say our goodbyes and I head back to my hotel for a quick break and outfit change for the last NYFW show for the night. It’s a good breather to give my swollen feet a break and also get some work done.
5:00 p.m.: I finally have a moment to kick back and relax and eat some Chic-Fil-A before my last fashion show of the day. I catch up on my social media as I edit one of my YouTube videos for later in the week.
8:00 p.m.: We are at what I think is the most dramatic show in my eyes, The Blonds! I am wearing this huge Styrofoam pink jacket handmade by BCALLA. It’s festive and pink and I’m so excited to be at this one. I feel like a fashion clown, with my contoured face, over-the-top clothes and heels.
9:00 p.m.: We are backstage at this point and M.A.C. Cosmetics is doing the makeup and the hair is just magical. It was surreal for me, almost like coming full circle, to be with the artists that are creating these hot new looks that once upon a time I would recreate when I worked at M.A.C.
10:00 p.m.: I’m headed back to my hotel to upload pictures and edit Instagram photos for my followers to see. I graze past Paris Hilton and Adam Lambert right after the show and I can’t believe what a day I’ve just had in the Big Apple.
12:00 a.m.: It’s about time to head to bed and do it again for the rest of the week.
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