Michelle Phail

A critical review of Michelle's latest short film

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:51:02 -0800

Given the beautiful, dreamy colouring of the shots, the amazing scenery/location which Paris provides, the nice music, the good looking guy and outfits {even if her heels are always ‘too much’ and if you did take a stroll all over town with those on, you’d most likely sprain your ankle}, this short movie could have been enjoyable. Since I’m feeling generous, I’d even count the obvious ‘kind souls help strangers in danger’ message as a pro, not to mention the lovely improvement that was not being subjected to hearing her cheesy voice overs.

What unfortunately overshadows all of this is how predictable, boring, uninspiring the story line is. I hate how she conveys always the same message - girls are all just secretly waiting for their prince charming to sweep them off their feet and take them away to live their perfect happily ever after. Of course, the guy has to be famous/rich too in order to properly fit into this scenario {the guy from her first movie clearly was a trust fund baby and this Dominique one is obviously somewhat of a teen idol, chased by fans and having access to TVs} and the girl is always doing nothing meaningful with her life on her own, since she’s ready to drop everything in order to just follow him. I’m not trying to diminish the importance of love, but the fact she seems to imply that it’s the ONE thing you have to wait/hope for and revolve around rubs me the wrong way.

It’s just a guess, of course, but her being so obsessed with such fantasies denotes how much she wishes her life really was like this, with hot guys falling in love with her without even knowing her- she uses these ‘movies’ as a source of narcissistic supply, imho- meaning she makes them for no one other than herself, thus explaining the lack of a good/varied message in all of them.

The practical oxymorons in this have already been pointed out by a lot of other users, but for the sake of redundancy:

1} You don’t try and force a drunk/high stranger on the verge of passing out to have a date with you, you seek medical help. This just goes to show how even her altruistic gesture is in reality self centered, especially considering how she just abandoned him there when he proved to be not a company good enough for her.

2} The famous star you treated in such a manner would most likely not be looking everywhere for you, considering the fact you did not even spend any quality time together. Of course, the drunk, blurred half memory of Michelle’s charming face and the lipstick trace are enough to lure him in, though, aren’t they?

3} He wouldn’t know it was really her he was chasing after. It could be that his hobby is to run though- away from fans, after random strangers who could be the random stranger who tried to date his drunk self and then left him…

4} You don’t drop everything off to go away with the drunk guy you semi-helped, semi-used the day before, knowing nothing about him. Not only such an attraction is shallowly appearance based, it is also -and mostly- dangerous. The one time you saw him he was bumping into people and fainted because of the use of some substance, now he appears out of thin air right in front of you- I would be thinking this guy is a dangerous stalker rather than the love of my life, but that could be me being cynical.

- sugarandspice

Michelle Phan and Animal Testing

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:21:00 -0700

This article is not designed as an argument for or against animal testing. Instead, it is an article exploring Michelle’s claims that the companies she works/worked for do not test on animals.

Michelle Phan has been claiming for a long time now that the company she works for, Lancome, does not test on animals.

The important thing is how Michelle has worded this. She says, “They do not test on animals.” She is not saying “They do not test their finished products on animals.” Michelle is implying that Lancome do not test on animals full stop.

Not only that, but Michelle herself claims that products sold in China are tested on animals and we should therefore avoid them.

Both Lancome (whom Michelle represents) and IQQU (Michelles’ cosmetic brand that she claims to have created and owned until recently) ship their products to China.

So, what is the truth? Is Michelle really capable of lying about such an ethically important subject just to make money out of her fans?

I shall begin by looking at an ingredient found in both L’oreal Youth Code and Lancome Genifique; Dimethicone, because you will find this ingredient in many cosmetics.
[Please note that L’oreal owns Lancome].

A quick look at any scientific journal reveals that dimethicone is tested on animals. I have just chosen one example, but feel free to read up on dimethicone in other journals if you wish.

Now, to further illustrate my point. I also had a look at the ingredient, cyclosiloxane, found in many L’oreal cosmetics.

At this stage, I would like to point out that these extracts are not taken from the media, blogs or invalid internet sites such as Wikipedia. These extracts are from published scientific journals, so the information they contain is official and confirmed. I understand that the language used in these journals if full of scientific jargon, so if you would like me to explain anything, please do not be afraid to ask.

I wanted to take extracts from the L’oreal/Lancome sites themselves so that I can show you how they word their animal testing statements. However, I could not find anything on either website about animal testing.

The reason that animal testing is such a sore topic with both Lancome and L’oreal is simply because they recently got caught lying about animal testing themselves! L’oreal has admitted to breaching PETAs’ statement of assurance that they do not test on animals.

Looking through PETAs’ official lists of companies that test on animals, it can be seen that Lancome is clearly listed.

Unfortunately, Michelle has already spent many months claiming that Lancome does not test on animals and that she would advise boycotting companies that do carry out such tests. Therefore, she has inavertedly told her fans to boycott the very company that she represents. Whether she knew about Lancome’s history or not, the fact of the matter is that she bluffed her way through fans’ questions and failed to research or confirm the replies she gave. Michelle lied to fans about an ethically important topic, and I feel that this is unforgivable.

Q&As with MishBunny

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:34:45 -0700

Q&As with MishBunny:

For those of you who missed Michelle’s brief appearance on Guru Gossip

The Need To Squeeze: Really people? (A Phan rant)

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:26:18 -0700

The Need To Squeeze: Really people? (A Phan rant):

jonappy:

I was going on Michell Phail, a tumblr dedicated to showing the faults in Michelle Phan. I read Michelle Phail because I enjoy Michelle’s videos but there is these little things that irk me. I don’t necessarily care about her, but as a makeup artist myself I wanted to see what so many people…

Prophanities

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:07:00 -0700

A slew of submissions worthy of their own page. Feel free to submit yours today!

The Cult of Michelle Phan

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:23:16 -0700

The Cult of Michelle Phan:

Michelle Phan. For those who don’t know, she is the former Ringling art student who gained worldwide notoriety for her YouTube channelwhere she would create makeup tutorials that are a huge a hit, particularly with the teens. Many of the videos have well over one million views.

This led to a position with Lancome, the makeup and skin care company.

She is also a superstar on the social networks with well over 500,000 “likes” on her Facebook fan page and nearly 150,000 followers on Twitter.

However, this all leads to the dark side of Phan and her militia of followers. There is an almost blind loyalty to Phan and a zombie-like, robotic reaction to anything she posts.

More insanity from Michelle's "Phans".

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:53:18 -0800

More insanity from Michelle's "Phans".:

It’s not a surprise to anyone at this point that a majority of Michelle’s fan base is made up of absolute assholes. They certainly reflect the personality of their guru.

Michelle recently made an announcement of a fake Facebook page and asked her fans to flag it only because people were saying rude things about her on it. 1. It’s the internet, Michelle. Get used to it. No one did anything outstandingly bad. 2. So, the other fake pages are okay? I see how it is.

Rockstar Look for Guys

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:44:58 -0800

Michelle disabled the ratings and comments section of her latest video, but not before someone managed to take a few screenshots of the overwhelmingly negative feedback.

Click through for the bigger version:

What are your thoughts about this video?

Truth About iQQU?

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:05:57 -0800

Truth About iQQU?:

Note: I am not here to ruin anybody’s reputation. This is merely an updated review about a product I have reviewed in the past, and everything is based on my experience. I have friends and family who wants to buy these products so I felt that I needed to go back again and re-review them. Please read everything first before you leave any negative comment. Thank you!

On my Skin Care Routine: http://withadriyah.blogspot.com/2011/01/skin-care-routine.html, I have mentioned some products that did not work for me. Almost everyone know that sometime last year, I have purchased and reviewed IQQU Products by Michelle Phan. Here is my Beauty Review for it: http://withadriyah.blogspot.com/2010/02/beauty-review-iqqu-acne-serum-and.html

Read more: http://withadriyah.blogspot.com/2011/02/truth-about-iqqu.html#ixzz1EBZZ9Y11

iQQUGate Part 2

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:40:17 -0800

The previous tumblr article proved that Michelle was lying about the iQQU skin care products being US FDA approved. Michelle is now backpedaling and claiming she sold iQQU to an unnamed person. When questioned by people on when she sold iQQU, she side-stepped the answer.

It is a surprising turn of events that is too convenient to be a considered a coincidence.

Here are her latest claims about iQQU and her no longer being co-owner of the company. Keep in mind that Florida still records HER as the owner.

The comments made by Michelle were made in her Facebook entry titled “Just donated….” on February 1, 2011. The following screen caps were taken on January 1, 2011 at around 6 PM Pacific. Names have been removed to protect the innocent. These screen caps are her responded to people questioning her on iQQU and FDA status.

Notice how she no longer states that the products are US FDA approved but are “FDA Asia approved” and that the products meet US regulations? Asia has a Food and Drug Administration? There isn’t an “FDA Asia”. Each country has it’s own method to regulate food and drugs and some countries, like China, may not be at the US standard. Look at what happened with medications, cosmetics and toiletries that came from China in the last few years due to high concentrations of lead and other items deemed not safe in the US. Numerous items were recalled for safety violations and dangers. Many items DID harm people and DID kill animals. So even if a product is deemed by the Chinese FDA or the Thailand FDA as safe it doesn’t mean it meets US standards. The fact is that the Acne Serum was deemed by the US FDA as NOT SAFE AND EFFECTIVE while the two sunscreens were never tested nor approved.

Regardless of her ownership in iQQU, she has been making statements on her YouTube video comments as well on her Facebook that the products are US FDA safe. Her most recent “US FDA approved” statement was made on January 29, 2011. She is still liable for misleading the public with false and fraudulent advertising.

I’m sorry but if anyone believes her lies that she sold iQQU, no longer is employed by iQQU or that the products are US FDA approved then I have a bridge to sell you. She’ll need to provide the IRS with that proof that she sold the business when she files her taxes this year and the FDA, if they do go after her, can request those tax records.

Michelle Phan, IQQU & the FDA: Are the products really FDA approved?

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:59:00 -0800

My investigation into Michelle Phan’s claim that her IQQU skin products are FDA safe came about when an unregistered member of Guru Gossip came to the site complaining about not getting her products and not getting any response from Michelle or IQQU representatives.

I won’t get into the LLC expiration or the lack of a business license in this article but suffice to say there is proof on the Florida government website that her LLC expired in September 2010 and she does not have a LLC in California nor a business license in either Florida or California. I will touch on the fact that LLC is what would have protected her from any lawsuits or complaints between September 2010 and as of today. She can renew the LLC by simply filing her annual report for 2009 and 2010 then she’ll be all up to date until the end of 2011.

So, let me start with my original post on my own Facebook account:

Michelle Phan, Lancome US’ spokeswoman, has her own cosmetics company called IQQU Beauty. Ms. Phan has stated many times that her products are US FDA approved however this is not the case.

She posted on her Facebook account this reply on November 24, 2010 at 11:17pm.

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=179441625406144&id=53754642881

The fact is that at least one product is NOT FDA approved while two have not been reviewed.

From the U.S. National Library of Medicine (a U.S. GOVERNMENT website):

(not reviewed thus not approved) IQQU ADVANCE SUNSCREEN - http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=26247

(not reviewed thus not approved) IQQU ADVANCED SUNSCREEN SPF 50 - http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=33072

IQQU ACNE SERUM (acne serum) lotion - http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=34402

From the U.S. National Library of Medicine

Disclaimer: This drug has not been found by FDA to be safe and effective, and this labeling has not been approved by FDA.

http://i32.servimg.com/u/f32/16/02/38/76/fdanot10.jpg

Michelle Phan committed fraud when she posted it IS FDA approved. Her company is NOT LLC protected which means SHE can be held legally responsible.

Furthermore her LLC, registered in Florida, expired in September 2010 because she failed to file yearly reports. If she failed to file yearly reports did she also fail to report her quarterly statements to the Florida Dept of Revenue? Her products ship from Florida, her company was registered in Florida and while she now lives in California there is no record of her having a business license in either California or Florida. Again, her LLC expired in Florida.

The bottom line is this: Ms. Phan’s IQQU Beauty products are NOT FDA approved and it’s fraudlent to claim otherwise. If she’s lying about her own products then why should you trust her to represent a company like Lancome? I know I wouldn’t.

I’ve kept my eye on the matter and she once again claimed that IQQU is FDA safe. On January 29 she posted this:

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=160122180704155&id=53754642881

Oh Michelle, Michelle, Michelle…. You’re still claiming IQQU is FDA safe? It’s not. She can claim it up and down but the fact is that it’s not. The Acne Serum is “not safe and effective”, the two sunscreens were never tested and the rice scrub never submitted. If one item was listed as not safe and the other three were never tested then how are the products APPROVED?

Iqqu Acne Serum 50403-226 Iqqu Advanced Sunscreen 50403-999 Iqqu Advanced Sunscreen SPF 50 50403-050 National Drug Code Directory http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ndc/default.cfm Michelle’s labeler code is 50403 Product code are the three remaining numbers listed above. And the results were…. So I went back and used the Labeler Code and Product Code search option. I used the Acne Serum product code. The results were the same for the remaining two products (the sunscreens). And if her supporters think I’m lying then go to the FDA’s NDC Labeler Codes page and click on the Electronically Submitted NDC Labeler Codes link. This will download a zip file containing a Excel sheet with companies that have NDC codes. Open it and search for IQQU. This will pull up this: There you go. Further proof she’s committing fraud by claiming IQQU is FDA approved. Search for yourself or even call them. They’re open Monday through Friday.

So if you still don’t believe me then call the FDA yourself. They’re open Monday through Friday. 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) http://www.facebook.com/FDA

URGENT UPDATE:

I got off the phone with a FDA Agent this morning and discovered that her skin care products are not listed as cosmetics but rather as a DRUG which is why the products have a NDC.

The agent I spoke with took the information and is now investigating the matter because it’s a FRAUD to claim a product is FDA approved when it’s not as well as marketing the product with a FDA approved logo.

I would suggest that if you bought iQQU that you contact the FDA, the number is listed in the article. You have to contact the DRUG portion of the FDA not the cosmetic portion. If you had a severe reaction to iQQU, or any reaction really, let them know. The Acne Serum has been listed by the FDA as “This drug has not been found by FDA to be safe and effective, and this labeling has not been approved by FDA.”

The more people call to complain and the more reports they take the more they will take the matter seriously and do something about it.

"You know, I personally do not have a problem with Michelle Phan. I’m not particularly invested..."

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:22:00 -0800

“You know, I personally do not have a problem with Michelle Phan. I’m not particularly invested in what she does outside of her YouTube videos, so all the stuff about her personal life doesn’t interest me. I’m glad she’s doing what she likes AND getting paid for it. What annoys me about Michelle Phan is not Michelle herself, but her followers. All you have to do is look at the comments to be bombarded with an avalanche of stupid, which is quite the feat because reading YT comments is like being in an ocean of stupid with no land in sight. My belief that humanity is not best represented by the worst 5% is the only thing that keeps me from assuming that not ALL of her “minions” feel the need to constantly prove themselves to be ignorant little pissants. You could be a fan of hers and like what she does, but the minute you post something even mildly negative, e.g. “This isn’t your best work” or “I like this, but it’s not really an everyday look,” you get a bunch of barely literate 12 year olds attacking you like flies on shit. I swear that these people share a brain — it’s hard not to get this impression when they regularly respond to criticism (of someone they DO NOT KNOW) by accusing you of being jealous of Michelle. How the fuck do you get “I’m so jealous BAAWWWWW” from a comment that basically says “meh, not for me”? These people are weirdly invested in everything she does. Gotta love the herd mentality. I like her; I can’t stand her sheeple.”

- ckarma

A Love/Hate Relationship

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:34:00 -0800

Michelle has expressed her feelings about “haters” on more than one occasion.

As some others have seen and experienced, the way she deals with haters (as well as fans who disagree or leave constructive criticism) is quite the opposite of what she preaches above:

(ironic, much?)

These are responses to the above comment:

So what are Michelle’s feelings about “haters?” Does she pray for them or despise them? Perhaps she should be thankful to have that kind of feedback because members notice that she takes their concerns and criticisms into consideration. She either changes her technique or indirectly responds to questions regarding her skills or integrity. If only she didn’t act like she was so much better than them (many are ex-fans) and just be a little more real.

Shown in the post below, she also seems to participate in the forums anonymously even though she claims to ignore the site and its members.

Is Michelle a Forum Troll?

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 02:10:00 -0800

If you remember the post about “kimsoshy,” there was speculation as to whether the poster was really Michelle Phan.

There are several indicators pointing to whether an anon is Michelle or not. If you examine her writing, you’ll notice that her syntax, grammar, tone, and word use are somewhat unique, thus making it quite easy to tell:

her use of the phrase “just saying” or “no offense”
fragmented sentences
lack of compound sentences
short, concise sentences
asking questions that make her audience self reflect, “Don’t you guys think that…?”
revelation of information not commonly known
condescension

The guest posters, unless stated otherwise, are all from the same IP address despite posting under different names. If these posts are indeed from the same person, it brings into question the truthfulness and character behind them.

Click on the images for close-ups, or the links below them to see the posts in better context.

[link]

[link] (added this speculation; all of the above posters have different IP addresses)

[link]

Your thoughts?

Twitter Fiasco Update

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:46:32 -0800

Michelle’s Apology – Genuine or Not?

This is an update about the twitter incident that happened a while ago. Responding to the backlash from her fans, Michelle posted an apology note on her Facebook fanpage:

Kudos to Michelle for putting effort into writing an apology. However, as with other issues with Michelle, we’ve noticed a few inconsistencies in her apology note.

1) Trying to justify her actions.

Isn’t the point of an apology to express remorse for your actions and NOT to make excuses? Why does she try to appear more victimized by blaming gossip sites, blaming the lack of a publicist, and defending the right to make mistakes? It’s like saying, “I’m sorry for what I did, but really it’s not my fault because of x factors.” Why does she feel the need to justify herself? That defeats the whole purpose of this apology note.

2) Hypocrisy and more lies. (Highlighted in red)

She tries to justify her actions being offended by the word “retarded.” Someone found the below picture on her xanga, using the word “retarded” in a similar context. Michelle can’t exactly use the “I was young and dumb excuse,” otherwise she would understand where the girl was coming from. Besides, the girl never called her tutorials dumb, she said it was dumb to ONLY do tutorials for anime and video games.

The snippet from Michelle’s apology:

Found on her xanga:

How come we never heard of anything about volunteering until now? Interesting.

While we’re at it, for someone who wants to empower women and asked them to refrain from attacking each other, she ironically supported Xiaxue’s blog entry, who mentioned wishing rape upon haters.

From the entry:

Someone noticed her hypocrisy regarding this:

To which Michelle replied back with:

A metaphor, really? The two contexts are quite different. Xiaxue clearly wrote, “People wanna rape you with a bayonet.” A metaphor is an implicit comparison of two things. In this case, the word rape appeared to be used literally and not as a figure of speech.

3) Deleting the apology note.

A few days after the note was posted, it was deleted. Why?

The apology seemed important when she first posted it up. She even told her fans not to attack the girl, “or else the whole post would be useless.” Seeing how she wanted to spread the positivity among young women, why would she delete it? If her apology was truly genuine (and if she was truly regretful about her actions) then there would be no need to delete it.

Some other people’s comments on this whole twitter fiasco:

Another screenshot that questions the integrity of the apology:

The link directs people to the apology note on Facebook, but why does she need to justify her actions by saying she has “the right to make mistakes”? For one, no one has the right to make mistakes. That’s like saying “I have the right to be an idiot.” The correct phrase should be, “Everyone makes mistakes.” Why couldn’t she have written, “I’m sorry about this whole incident,” or something to that extent?

We showed all the tweets that occurred between Michelle and the girl. She even admitted herself that she wanted “revenge” and to give the girl “a taste of her own medicine.” The evidence speaks for itself.

For the record, this is the apology made by the 16-year old (which is still up and NOT deleted):

She was going to send this apology to Michelle but, not surprisingly, Michelle blocked her on twitter.

The girl truly acknowledges her actions and does not beat around the bush looking for excuses. This girl, who is younger than Michelle, seems more capable of writing a sincere and genuine apology.

"That’s like saying you’re a hardcore Italian chef, and then wondering why no one..."

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:24:59 -0800

“That’s like saying you’re a hardcore Italian chef, and then wondering why no one introduced you to pizza….”

-

- CactusFlowers

Michelle’s Claims as a Girl Gamer

"If she didn’t call herself an artist, nobody would judge her painting. If she didn’t..."

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 22:55:32 -0800

“If she didn’t call herself an artist, nobody would judge her painting. If she didn’t call herself a professional makeup artist, nobody expect more skills from her. If she doesn’t say she’s a hardcore gamer, who cares if her gaming scores suck? If she didn’t say she making a charity channel for donation and go on and on bragging about how charitable she is, who would ask her to give a dime to anyone?”

- Stop It!

...Artwork Part 2 continued...

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:51:00 -0800

Whoa there, Michelle’s really trying to prove a point with this artist thing!

Something she just posted:

The same girl’s comment on this new update:

We’re guessing she’s posting these new updates to bump down the forest landscape post into obscurity, eventually deleting it when no one notices.

Seriously. Stop trying so hard, and while you’re at it, lose the diva act.

...Artwork Part 2 continued

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:27:59 -0800

This update from Michelle was posted a few minutes after the previous tumblr entry was made, possibly due to the feedback that some fans left on that landscape post after the discovery of the photograph:

These comments were posted around the same time frame right before her latest update went up. Notice the comments about “references.”

Covering your tracks, girl? Tsk, tsk.

Michelle's Artwork Part 2

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:01:00 -0800

It seems obvious that Michelle reads this blog or the guru gossip forum. We get the impression that she quietly responds to the many observations “haters” make despite saying that she never pays attention to them.

Our last entry was about the work of art Michelle did a while ago. A thread was started recently about Michelle’s artwork as well, prompting people to question her creativity and passion for art:

“Does Michelle even do any artwork anymore? The only work I find when I Google is at least 2 years old or more.”

The same day, she all of a sudden decides to pick up a brush and start painting again:

Let’s take a closer look at this “sketch.”

It’s nice, right? Praise from fans galore…however…

It looks pretty…EXACTLY similar to this photograph found on google images:

Someone created a .gif overlaying the two:

Some facebook comments she received that wasn’t of the “OMGURAMAZING” caliber:

It came from a photograph, right?

What is with the irrelevant arguments Michelle makes? The girl said she was a painter, Michelle didn’t need to give her a lesson to up her cred. Then again, it seems like she does this often when she doesn’t have much of an argument to make.

It’s interesting how she can’t talk much about the painting besides saying that it’s a “sketch.” Where’s the inspiration coming from? Does she always take her ideas directly from another source?

To quote Michelle, “Nothing is original, everything is INSPIRED!”

…or perhaps, blatantly plagiarized?

Maybe she did paint it herself… but it’s kind of sad to see her showing off her work to fans, looking for praise when so often the girls at GG see that she frequently derives her work from another source without giving credit.

So do you think she has an original, creative bone in her body and is the artist she claims herself to be?

Join the discussion!