Patrick Starrr Brings Beauty Brand to the UK: “It’s Less About Vanity and More About Sanity”

If you’re not familiar with Patrick Starrr, you’re about to be. Beauty fans will have known the makeup artist for years after he set up his YouTube channel in 2013 and became one of the first male beauty influencers in the industry. Since then, he’s amassed a loyal following, become a trusted expert in the beauty world, and launched his own makeup brand, One Size. Although fans this side of the pond who wanted to bag the award-winning blusher or coveted powder foundation were left empty-handed . . . until now.

Thanks to the launch of Sephora UK, One Size is one of the exclusive labels now available and it’s making its mark in our beauty bags, not only with its products, but with everything the brand stands for. “One Size beauty is for the unseen and the unheard and we represent every brand of beauty,” Starrr tells POPSUGAR in an exclusive chat. “I was shopping in the mall and there weren’t any clothes to fit me . . . but there was a store right around the corner, so you know what I can buy? I can buy makeup, because makeup is a one size fits all.”

It’s been almost a decade since he started filming beauty tutorials, but unlike many content creators who capitalised on overnight popularity, Starrr has always been focussed on the bigger picture. “I think for me as a founder, specifically as an influencer founder, it’s less about vanity and it’s more about sanity,” he says.

Aesthetically pleasing pink and red packaging make up the core of his collection, yet this month’s UK launch coincides with the brand’s first celebrity collaboration, bringing with it some added sparkle. While Starrr is extremely well-connected – he was texting “mother” Naomi Campbell at 2am and messaging fellow business owner Ariana Grande with “founder to founder” chat on his flight over – it’s not his famous friends that have joined his brand, but the icon that is Mickey Mouse. The self-titled “Disney nerd” can’t quite believe the partnership himself, having been a lifelong fan since birth – literally! “My first name is Patrick Sidney and my mum named me after Disney with the Sidney. So it’s just mixed up letters. S-I-D-N-E-Y. So you switched the S and the D,” Starr reveals, and our minds are blown.

“Every single character, princess, cartoon goes through something, champions a theme. And with makeup, whether that be a lipstick story, a face story, I think it’s all about championing your inner beauty and who you want to be,” Starrr continues. “And although it takes me hours as a bald, overweight, Asian plus size, gay man to get in this for all of you to see, I’m excited that people can aspire to be something bigger than they are.” After Disney, who has he got his sights on for the next One Size collab? “Oprah. I love Oprah,” he says. With Starrr’s ambition, we have a feeling this could just become a reality one day.

Starrr might have a successful beauty brand to his name, but don’t think he’s resting easy. On top of filming, editing, and posting to his social media and his business, he is back at aesthetician school five days a week. “I’m just looking to expand my experience as an influencer to be more credible,” he reveals. “As I get older, more mature, to really garner respect and trust from people is really important to me as I’m in this position as a founder now.”

Starrr’s focus and passion is palpable, but staying grounded is not always easy in such a competitive, and occasionally catty, industry. “People need to love you where you are at, rather than love you for who you could be. And that goes for any family, any friend, any work relationship,” he says. “And I’ve learned to acknowledge who I am in the present and not let anyone sway me in my identity for what my potential could be. Because I’m already freaking here. So staying who you are is the biggest piece of advice.”

When it comes to finding our own beauty identity, he recommends experimenting with different styles. “Get your makeup done by multiple different people. Don’t be scared. Makeup comes off at the end of the day. I don’t think I would’ve garnered as much experience had I not had my makeup done by multiple people,” he advises.

As we try out the waterproof eyeliner (need!), and admire our reflection in the highlighter compact (also need!), we ask Starrr to sum up the brand for his new UK beauty fans. “Maximalist, loving, and inclusive”, he tells us, which coincidentally are three words that come to mind when we think of Starrr himself.

Read ahead to see which One Size products caught our attention.