How Erin Parsons Became the Internet’s Favorite Beauty Historian

Even as a teen, Erin Parsons was fascinated by the transformative power of makeup.

“I saw Marilyn Monroe, and then saw that she was Norma Jean before, and how she was able to transform into this character using bleach, hair dye, lashes, eyeliner — I just thought it was fascinating,” said Parsons on the WWD Beauty of Tomorrow podcast.

Parsons kicked off her beauty career working at Lancôme and MAC Cosmetics counters before moving to New York and assisting Pat McGrath during fashion weeks and photoshoots for several years; becoming Gigi Hadid’s go-to makeup artist, and then in 2016 joining Maybelline New York as the brand’s global MUA.

When COVID-19 hit and Parsons began to experiment more intentionally with creating content of her own, though, she unlocked a new career chapter as the internet’s resident beauty historian. Since then, she’s amassed more than 6 million followers across platforms who tune into her beauty history deep-dives, which range from unpacking lipstick trends of the World War II era to recreating Josephine Baker’s signature hairstyle and beyond. And, of course, there’s Parsons’ hallmark advocacy for more cool-toned makeup, a content focus that eventually caught the attention of her own alma mater: MAC.

Throughout her journey, Parsons has built one of the most formidable collections of vintage cosmetics products around. For her next act, she’s planning to share that collection — and eventually, the collections of others — with the world in an even bigger way.

To listen to the conversation, CLICK HERE.