The Truth Behind Cole Carrigan's Rise to Fame

Celebs

| LAST UPDATE 08/09/2022

By Scarlett Adler

Ever since he posted his first YouTube video, Cole Carrigan's soared his way up to the top of the beauty industry. From creating iconic makeup looks to speaking his mind on social media, this influencer is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

Rise to Fame

Cole Carrigan first entered the world of YouTube beauty gurus back in 2013, and ever since then, he's pushed himself to succeed in the makeup industry. With every video that he's uploaded, he's gained more subscribers, increased his profit, and become more confident in himself.

The Rise Cole CarriganThe Rise Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

This self-taught beauty enthusiast has gone from zero to 248 thousand Instagram followers in just a few short years and has brought us along his journey each step of the way. Keep reading to learn how exactly Cole Carrigan rose to fame, and all the twists and turns his career's taken.

Getting Started

Long before he moved to Los Angeles and achieved influencer status, Cole grew up in Dallas, Texas. He first became interested in the beauty industry when he was in middle school and saw some of Jeffree Star's, another makeup guru, YouTube videos, and Carrigan aimed to do the same thing and express himself through makeup.

Getting Started Cole CarriganGetting Started Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"I started using makeup because my best friends were so good at it, and I was so fascinated by how pretty they would make themselves," Cole explained. "I fell in love with how beautiful I looked." He added that he mastered the art of makeup simply from practicing on himself and his friends; He never had any formal training.

Pursuing His Dream

In May of 2013, Cole created his very own YouTube channel and began uploading tutorial videos, and then a few years later, he started to share his work on Instagram as well. He eventually left Dallas to move to L.A. and turn his passion into a career and posted his first look on January 9th, 2018.

Pursuing His Dream Cole CarriganPursuing His Dream Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"I think it's really cool to just be able to sit down and play with makeup and just surprise yourself with the crazy stuff that you can do," Cole explained. "It took me about eight months to reach the skill level that I'm at today. Practice makes perfect; Don't give up on your dreams."

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Discovered by Jeffree Star

And Cole's dream came true in 2018, when beauty influencer Jeffree Star did his first collab with Cole, back when he hadn't yet put his name on the map. "I have definitely been trying to use my platform and my channel to showcase smaller artists," Star posted on his Snapchat story.

Discovered by Jeffree Star Cole CarriganDiscovered by Jeffree Star Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"I discovered him on Twitter and Instagram; I was looking for new artists just to like see and discover," Jeffree shared in a YouTube video. Carrigan gave Star a makeover for all of Jeffree's subscribers to see, and from that point on, this dynamic duo has been inseparable.

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Jeffree Inspired Cole

Cole and Jeffree collaborated on a video called "The Truth About Boys in the Beauty Community" to address their similar experiences. Cole mentioned that when he first discovered he was interested in makeup and fashion in middle school, Jeffree was the only person he could relate to, long before they became friends.

Jeffree Inspired Him Cole CarriganJeffree Inspired Him Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"You literally inspired me to help me find myself," Carrigan told Star in the video. "I used to watch all your videos... And that's not only me, that's millions of people that you have inspired... I aspired to be like you." Cole also admitted, "I'm as confident as I am wearing makeup because I see you are killing it."

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Carrigan in the House

Jake Paul, another YouTuber, created Team 10, which is a group of young influencers who collaborate on content, and all lived together in Paul's Calabasas mansion. Cole and Jake were close friends when Team 10 first launched, so he was invited to be a member and live in the house.

Team 10 House Cole CarriganTeam 10 House Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

Jake had promised to support members and provide them with all the necessary resources to create the best possible content, but numerous members were unsatisfied. In 2018, Nick Crompton, Chance Sutton, Tessa Brook, and a few other high-profile influencers left the group, and eventually, so did Cole.

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31 Days of Halloween

If you scroll through Cole's Instagram page, it's clear that he experiments with quite a range of looks, but most of all, he's extremely passionate about Halloween. "Y'all know Halloween is my sh--," he shared on Instagram. So, every year, Cole leads up to Halloween by posting a new look for the entire month of October.

31 Days of Halloween Cole Carrigan31 Days of Halloween Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

In the past, these looks have included a skeleton, Frankenstein, an infected species, and more, all with elaborate makeup. Like Cole said in one of his videos, "Whenever I do a look, I try and make my next look even better than the one before." So, these Halloween makeovers are sure to get even better each year.

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At Odds With Austin McBroom

In October of 2019, Cole uploaded a video to his YouTube channel, which explained that one of his friends had been assaulted by Austin McBroom, known for his channel, The ACE family. Carrigan said that he was sharing this video to help victims speak up for themselves.

Austin McBroom Cole CarriganAustin McBroom Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @austinmcbroom

He also posted a photo of how the hotel room was left after his friend and Austin were there. Cole did everything possible to try and convince his viewers that this had happened and explained what his friend had said about her supposed experience with McBroom.

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Catherine Paiz Defends Her Man

The moment that Catherine Paiz, Austin's wife, caught wind of the rumors that had been spread, she immediately defended Austin. Paiz said that all photos Cole had shared were fake, which caused Cole to call her "delusional" and a "f---ing idiot." After weeks of staying silent, Austin stepped in and put the rumors to rest.

Catherine Paiz Defends Her Man Cole CarriganCatherine Paiz Defends Her Man Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @catherinepaiz

McBroom claimed he was the "victim of extortion, defamation, and slander." He also issued a statement saying, "My family and I are dealing with this matter privately and taking legal action. Bullying, extortion, slander, and defamation of [character] is something I will not stand for, and I can promise that justice will be served."

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A Third Side of the Story

After numerous social media posts from Cole, Austin, and Catherine, another person stepped in to give her side of the story. Leslie Golden, an Instagram model and friend of Carrigan, shared, "To speak on this video that Cole Carrigan posted, some of you have already figured out that I'm the girl they're talking about in the video."

A Third Side of the Story Cole CarriganA Third Side of the Story Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @lesliehannahbelle

"I feel like this video was made for the wrong reasons, and this wasn't Cole's story to tell," Leslie continued. "Cole even texted me saying we could potentially get paid $100,000 from this... I wasn't aware Amanda or Cole were in contact with drama alert to anonymously run our story."

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The Truth Always Comes Out

"I was aware that Cole's video was being made, and I only wanted it to be factual," Leslie revealed. "I wanted to say that Austin McBroom is not to blame in the situation... There are several sides to every story, and this isn't how I wanted to tell mine." However, Carrigan still didn't let the situation go.

Truth Always Comes Out Cole CarriganTruth Always Comes Out Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

He admitted that his "intentions were wrong in the beginning," but still posted on social media; "if Austin was really a 'victim' of 'extortion,' why post 3 different statements about how you're (sic) getting your lawyers involved? "He's scared bc I posted FACTS," Carrigan tweeted.

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Reviewing the 'Worst' Makeup Artist in L.A.

In July of 2019, a viral challenge hit YouTube that involved getting a makeover by the worst-reviewed artist possible. So, Cole did the challenge and uploaded the video from his experience on YouTube. He explained that he searched Yelp for makeup artists with bad reviews and chose the one who seemed to have the most unhappy clients.

Reviewing Worst Makeup Artist in L.A. Cole CarriganReviewing Worst Makeup Artist in L.A. Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

After the makeover, Cole said to his viewers, "Is she serious?" He added, "I really hope no one sees me, I'm scared… I definitely won't be doing anything like this ever again; That was very terrifying." Many of his subscribers agreed and thought the unnamed artist did a poor job and came off rude.

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Stirring the Pot With Cameron Dallas

At a house party hosted by the Vine star, Cameron Dallas, in May of 2019, Cole got into a public fight with Dallas. "So last night at a party I was outside talking to people minding my own business when Cameran Dallas decides to come up to me and throw his water bottle all over me," Carrigan explained.

Fight With Cameron Dallas Cole CarriganFight With Cameron Dallas Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

He claimed that Cameron threw the water on him because of his sexuality, implying that Cameron was not supportive of this. "I have too much respect for myself to be silent about a situation that needs to be brought to everyone's attention," Cole tweeted, after sharing his thoughts about the event on social media.

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Siding With Cameron

Cole made it clear that he would not tolerate those kinds of actions, hoping to get support from his friends and followers. However, many party guests called Carrigan out and said that Cameron had thrown water on plenty of others, so it was nothing personal.

Siding With Cameron Cole CarriganSiding With Cameron Cole Carrigan
Getty Images via Roy Rochlin

Some of Cole's fans also defended Cameron, saying he was a great supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, and the accusations were likely false. But, Cole's followers didn't leave it at that; They did everything possible to prove a point and shut down his claims.

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Digging Through Cole's Past

Many twitter users who felt strongly about Carrigan's accusations against Cameron went through some of his old content on social media, making note of anything that seemed offensive. Some of his followers pointed out specific instances when Cole used offensive or inappropriate language in his videos.

Digging Through His Past Cole CarriganDigging Through His Past Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

Once he realized that he had rubbed so many people the wrong way, Cole decided it was time to make amends with his fans and explain where all of that content had come from. So, he uploaded a video to his YouTube channel titled "Taking Accountability."

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Taking Accountability

And that's precisely what he did; Cole explained why he'd said the things he said. "I'm here to explain it all and tell my truth of everything," he said right off the bat. He also sincerely apologized for disrespecting or hurting anyone and explained, "I do not condone or tolerate any form, shape, size of racism, ever."

Taking Accountability Cole CarriganTaking Accountability Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"I was 12-years-old in those videos; I was naive, I was uneducated, I was immature, and I didn't know what I was even saying," Carrigan added. He said that being brought up in Texas made him think that these terms, which were seen as offensive to many, were acceptable.

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Blaming His Southern Background

"People normalize those words around each other… That's why I guess I felt so comfortable at that time speaking the way that I did," Cole explained. "I'm so disgusted looking back at that video, and I can't even process that that is me, and that is the person I used to be."

Blaming Hid Background Cole CarriganBlaming Hid Background Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"I am not here looking for sympathy, I'm just being honest and raw with you guys," Carrigan added. "I understand that it's my fault, and I understand that I posted that out to the internet for the world to see. I can't change what's been said, but I can grow, I can evolve, I can learn from this experience."

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Reacting to Viewers' Roasts

In November of 2018, Cole tweeted a message that encouraged his followers to roast him and say anything they wanted. One follower said, "You call yourself a self-taught makeup artist, but every time you do a look on Instagram, it just looks like your face got gang-banged by a box of crayons."

Reacting to Viewers' Roasts Cole CarriganReacting to Viewers' Roasts Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

That user revealed that she's actually a fan of Cole and was just trying to be funny. "Cole be looking like Timmy Turner with them eyebrows and those teeth," tweeted another follower, and Cole didn't deny it. A third individual said, "Why would I roast you when you allow your contour to do it for me?"

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Leaving Team 10

After a short period of time, Cole was asked to leave the Team 10 House. Some say it was because of an argument he had with Armani Izadi, a close friend of Jake Paul, but Carrigan said there was much more to the story. "Just want to let you guys know that I am no longer a part of Team 10 anymore," Cole tweeted in July of 2019.

Leaving Team 10 Cole CarriganLeaving Team 10 Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"Details will be up later this week," he added. Paul had different feelings towards Cole's exit, and explained to fans, "Not only is Cole representing my brand, but he's also representing Team 10 everyone else on the team. We have to be careful about what everyone on the team posts."

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Didn't Think It Was Fair

Cole did not think that his removal from Team 10 was fair under any circumstance. On his Instagram story, he claimed that Jake Paul and the rest of the crew spray-painted hurtful words over a mural he'd painted. He said that it read, "Get the f--- out of our house."

Didn't Think It Was Fair Cole CarriganDidn't Think It Was Fair Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"The environment was very toxic. No one cared about each other. No one supported each other," Carrigan explained. "They didn't provide anything besides telling me I had an editor." While Cole ultimately decided that leaving Team 10 was the right move, he was not pleased with how the group went about his departure.

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Jake Paul Fought Back

As soon as Jake Paul saw these stories and accusations, he immediately began to defend himself on his YouTube channel. He explained that he had painted the mural of Cole, so he felt that once the makeup artist was no longer a house member, he had the right to paint over it.

Jake Paul Fought Back Cole CarriganJake Paul Fought Back Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @jakepaul

Jake admitted that there were indeed hurtful words over the mural, but he wasn't the one who did this. He said that he made an effort to cover it up because he felt it was inappropriate, but wasn't shy about saying he's sick of dealing with some people in the house, especially those who are "at such a small point in their career."

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Real Reason Cole Left Team 10

After all of the rumors regarding why Cole left Team 10, he posted a video explaining the truth behind his exit. "They constantly stressed about how we would be provided with literally every resource to create any shape or form of content that we possibly could want and get any brand deal we want and get all this money," he revealed.

Real Reason Cole Left Team 10 Cole CarriganReal Reason Cole Left Team 10 Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"The whole three months that I lived there, I didn't get one brand deal from them," Carrigan added. "The only thing that I was provided with was a room, a really nice house to live in, and followers." All of these feelings had been building up for quite some time, and on a trip to Vegas, Cole decided he'd finally had enough.

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The Final Straw

When the whole gang traveled to Vegas for Jake's now-wife, Tana Mongeau's birthday, it became clear to Cole that it was time to officially cut ties with Team 10 and the drama that arose from its members. He and Arman Izadi got into a heated argument after Izadi claimed that Carrigan spoke poorly about him.

Final Straw Cole CarriganFinal Straw Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @izadi

Cole said that Izadi was verbally attacking him, "Saying that I'm trash, dirt, lazy, unproductive selfish, egotistical," he revealed. "I'm talking every name in the book. To the point where I'm bawling my eyes out." So, Carrigan was forced out and then claimed Team 10 hacked his Instagram account and sent him threatening messages.

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Caused Jake to Leave Tana's Party

Cole wasn't the only one who got into an explosive argument at Tana's birthday party; Jake and Tana got into their own fight because of Cole's attendance. Since they were friends, Tana had initially invited Cole to her party, regardless of the Team 10 drama, but Jake strongly encouraged her to uninvited Carrigan.

Caused Jake to Leave Tana's Party Cole CarriganCaused Jake to Leave Tana's Party Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @tanamongeau

"You should uninvite him," said Jake. "As petty as that is, it's like our whole squad is gonna be there." Once Jake found out Tana never uninvited Cole, he refused to attend if the ex-house member would be there. So, Tana lied to Jake, said Cole wasn't at the party, when truthfully, he was, causing Jake to storm off when he found out.

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Makeup Inspired by Hate Comments

After James Charles uploaded a video where he used viewers' hateful comments as inspiration for a makeup look, Cole decided to do the same. The first comment was, "I'm sorry, but his face was soooo greasy in the beginning lol I can't." So, Cole sprayed his face with actual cooking grease.

Makeup Inspired by Hate Comments Cole CarriganMakeup Inspired by Hate Comments Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

Another viewer said he looked like an oompa loompa, and someone else said he resembled a Cheeto, so Cole covered his face with orange foundation. He read plenty more comments and applied makeup to represent each one. Cole ended the video by saying, "Maybe I can set you up with my local eye doctor so you can get something checked out."

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Building a New House

After his dramatic exit from Team 10, Cole decided it was time to create his own creator house. So, he teamed up with beauty influencer La Demi and launched their very own squad, The Glam House Beverly Hills. Cole described it as "The first-ever creator house for all things beauty and glam."

The Glam House Cole CarriganThe Glam House Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @itslademi

The duo made it their mission to create a space for "all genders, races, and sizes" to collaborate on beauty, makeup, and skincare. After feeling unwelcome and unsupported in the Team 10 House, Cole used his hurt feelings to develop a community that did the total opposite and welcomed everyone.

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Inside The Glam House

"We are so excited to share all the content and exciting stuff we have been working on," said creators of The Glam House. La Demi was named the house leader, and Kara Lewis is the official photographer of the group. They're anxiously awaiting other beauty influencers to join The Glam House and collaborate on what they love.

Inside the Glam House Cole CarriganInside the Glam House Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @theglamhousebh

"We've teamed up with some of the top beauty brands and creators to make the most sickening content creator house where you can come and be yourself, get glam, meet your favorite creators, and collab with some of the top influencers/ beauty brands in the industry," explained Carrigan.

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Casting Beauty Gurus

Since Cole and La Demi are eager to fill the house with beauty enthusiasts, they're scoping out potential members all over America. "The Glam House is having a casting call for all innovative glam creators, beauty creators, hairdressers, fashionistas, etc. to be a part of the team and possibly move into the Glam House," Cole wrote.

Casting Beauty Gurus Cole CarriganCasting Beauty Gurus Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @theglamhousebh

"I can't wait to see what YOU can bring to The Glam House Beverly Hills, I believe there is a space for all of us." Cole is extremely excited to give other creative-minded people a place to call home and get to know so many other beauty community members, as it's rapidly growing.

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Net Worth of $1.3 Million

Over the years, Cole's built up a following of 248 thousand Instagram followers and 233 thousand subscribers on YouTube. According to networthlist.org, Carrigan has reached a net worth of $1.3 million. His profits come from ads in his YouTube videos, as well as his role as an ambassador for various brands.

Net Worth Cole CarriganNet Worth Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

And as his fanbase continues to grow and he continued to pursue his career, chances are, Cole's net worth will only keep increasing. "I don't even feel like my life is real," said Cole. "Every day when I wake up I have to pinch myself, it's literally mindblowing."

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Why He Loves Makeup

In many of Cole's YouTube videos, he reflects on his journey to beauty stardom and frequently thanks his fans for the endless support. He also emphasized his love for makeup, saying, "I think makeup is so empowering and fun," he explained. "It just brings every culture, race, gender, sexual orientation together."

Why He Loves Makeup Cole CarriganWhy He Loves Makeup Cole Carrigan
Instagram via @colecarrigan

"You just forget about everything when you're doing makeup, and that's why I love it so much," he added. Cole's certainly come a long way as a self-taught artist and has a lot more planned for the future. "It's been really fun to push my creativity and push my own boundaries and surprise myself with my talent," explained Cole.

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