How Katie Fang Became Social Media’s Uncurated Beauty Queen

Katie Fang is calling in from Turks and Caicos, where she and other big-time influencers are on a coveted Tarte trip, posting behind-the-scenes looks from the island villa. Ten minutes before our interview, Fang posts a “Get Ready With Me” TikTok, recapping her first full day on the island while she applies Tarte palettes in her pajamas. It’s hard to believe that just a few days ago — before the perfect weather, puppy yoga, and jet skis — she was on set for an upcoming photo shoot and prepping for finals. Fang is booked and busy, sure, but determined to make it all work.

Best known for her GRWM vlogs, the 20-year-old isn’t afraid to let it all out on camera. In fact, it’s her fearlessness in sharing her raw emotions online that has helped her blossom into one of Gen Z’s newest social media personalities, with nearly 8 million followers.

In just the last year and a half, the Taiwanese creator became the face of Cetaphil’s Gentle Exfoliating line, hung out with Rihanna, designed a Wildflower phone case, and landed a coveted spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. She also packed up her entire life in Canada to move to New York and enroll in New York University. And it’s all thanks to a singular video she posted three years ago of herself crying while getting ready to go to work as a waitress. Originally 10 minutes long, Fang sped up the footage to make it funnier and posted it for fun, never expecting it to gain millions of views.

“I always liked to make jokes out of serious situations, even though the situation wasn’t even that serious. I was just being dramatic and crying because I didn’t want to go into work, which is something that most people have to do,” Fang says.

Despite the initial awkwardness of total strangers approaching her about the video, she’s grateful for the experience, noting that even her then-manager jokes about having launched Fang’s social media career. “It's true, because if she had never called me in, I never would've made that video,” Fang adds.

While Fang embraced her newfound fame by posting more regularly for her fans, she built her massive empire gradually. Before she signed with United Talent Agency, Fang had a team at home with her older sisters acting as pseudo-managers and her mom providing full support towards her daughter’s new endeavor.

“Because I grew up in an Asian household, most of the time [parents] like to follow the traditional route, where you go to college, you graduate, you become a doctor or a lawyer,” Fang says. “I got super blessed because my mom was very understanding, and she did her research on this industry.”

If there's a day when I genuinely don't feel creative at all and have nothing to say, then I won’t force myself to post anything.

Despite her mother’s own reservations about letting Fang wear makeup as a kid, she eventually bought her daughter her very first eyeshadow palette. (“Before that, I would either go to my grandma's and play with her makeup or play with my mom's,” Fang says.) Years later, Fang has taken that passion for makeup and turned it into a career full of brand deals and endorsements. Not only has she sparked viral product purchases like Glow Recipe’s toner, Rare Beauty’s blush, and Dior’s Backstage concealer with her videos (by the way, she thinks you’re sleeping on Nudestix Cream Blush), she’s worked with brands like Laneige, Summer Fridays, and Kosas. And she’s done it all by being herself.

“I don't plan my videos,” Fang says. “I feel like that's too curated. I like to film stuff when I have something to say. If there's a day when I genuinely don't feel creative at all and have nothing to say, then I won’t force myself to post anything.”

This strategy has helped Fang not only protect herself from creative burnout but also allow her to invest an equal amount of effort in her career, her schoolwork, and her social life. It’s something she wishes she had known early on in her career, when she says she was overthinking everything.

I've learned to separate what I want to share online and what to keep private. There are some things that don't necessarily need to be shared with the internet.

“I felt like I had to share so much of my life online because I felt like that was what people wanted,” she says. “Now, I've learned to separate what I want to share online and what to keep private. There are some things that don't necessarily need to be shared with the internet.”

While you might not catch her posting photos of her partner online (currently, the only ones she’s shared feature a red heart emoji over their face), Fang is proud to be able to tap into her feelings, especially if it helps other young Asian girls feel represented. “When I first started posting GRWMs, I got so many comments from young Asian girls saying that they never saw our representation online,” she says. “So, it's been really great to be able to be their role models, especially in the beauty space.”

In her growth era, Fang has a few secrets up her sleeve, including making something of her own to share with her fans. She can’t reveal details just yet, but she’s happy to share goals for the future: Tiffany & Co. is her dream campaign, and she’s manifesting “good vibes” in 2026. Something tells me neither is far out of reach.