Background and career
Jeffree Star (born Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr., November 15, 1985) is an American makeup artist, media personality and singer-songwriter. He is the founder and owner of Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
In 2009, Star released his debut studio album, Beauty Killer, which included songs such as "Lollipop Luxury" (which has a remix featuring Nicki Minaj). He embarked on several world tours to promote his music. In 2010, he signed to Konlive, but abruptly left the music industry by 2013, citing legal issues the label's owner faced between 2007 and 2010. Star returned to the music industry in 2024 announcing a re-release of his album Beauty Killer featuring 3 new songs. In November 2014, Star founded the company Jeffree Star Cosmetics. In 2018, Forbes revealed that he had earned $18 million from his YouTube endeavors alone, making him the fifth-highest-paid YouTuber that year.
Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr. was born in Los Angeles County, California, on November 15, 1985, and grew up in Orange County, California. He says that he began experimenting with his mother's makeup as a child, and convinced her to let him wear it to school when he was in junior high. Star attended Pacifica High School in Garden Grove, California, from which he graduated in 2002. After high school, he legally changed his name to Jeffree Star and supported himself with various makeup, modeling, and music jobs in Los Angeles. He recalls his early years, spending his weekends using a fake ID to attend Hollywood clubs, which is where celebrities would hire him as a personal makeup artist.
Star used MySpace to further both his music and his fashion design career. Using MySpace like a blog, Star shared his personal life, while also providing social commentary on "self-image and confidence", fame and beauty. Due to his use of several websites, Star already had a built-up fan base who signed up to join him on MySpace, giving his profile a large number of friends from its inception. His MySpace photoshoots would frequently gain over 50,000 comments. He also gained fame as one of the most popular independent artists, with the daily rankings placing him in the top tier on MySpace.
Star's career as an electronica and pop vocalist began when he befriended Peaches' drummer Samantha Maloney, who encouraged him to make music. In 2005 he was featured on the Hollywood Undead song Turn Off The Lights. During the summer of 2007, he was advertised as a part of the True Colors Tour 2007, which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada. The tour, sponsored by the LGBT Logo channel, began on June 8, 2007, to coincide with Pride month.
How Jeffree Star makes money
In 2018, Forbes revealed that he had earned $18 million from his YouTube endeavors alone, making him the fifth-highest-paid YouTuber that year. Leaked documents later appeared to show one of Star's accusers being paid $45,000 by a Jeffree Star Cosmetics executive.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
