The Untold Truth Of YouTube Star Desi Perkins
YouTube star Desi Perkins has quickly made a name for herself as a makeup artist, vlogger, and social media influencer. Not only has she done Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham's makeup, but she's partnered with top beauty brands like Maybelline, Sephora, MAC Cosmetics, and Boissance. She also has her own line of makeup with Dose of Colors and her very own line of sunglasses. In a nutshell, she's taken the internet by storm and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, she's become known for her incredible makeup transformations after turning herself into famous stars like Selena Quintanilla.
As for her personal life, she's been married to her husband Steven Perkins for nearly 10 years and together, they have three dogs named Harper, Cannoli, and Charlie. They welcomed their first child — a son named Ocean — in October 2020. Keep scrolling to learn more about the makeup guru, including Desi's struggles with infertility and how one impromptu Halloween makeup look launched her entire career.
Desi got her big break after putting makeup on her husband
Desi Perkins, who boasts millions of YouTube subscribers and Instagram followers, had a humble beginning working as a cocktail waitress, as per Yahoo Life, before getting her big break in 2012. It all started when her husband, Steven Perkins, asked her for help with his last-minute Halloween costume. "I was always into sketching and painting, so one year when Steven had a Halloween party but no costume I discovered a special effects video on YouTube," she told People in 2018. "I thought to myself 'maybe I can recreate that.' I did and it was a hit. People started booking me."
Desi then decided to try making YouTube videos herself and the rest is history. "That's when I fell in love with YouTube," she told Yahoo Life. "I didn't have a kit, I didn't have anything, but I hated my job as a cocktail server and wanted a way out." This eventually "snowballed" into a social media career and now she's one of the highest-paid beauty influencers, as per Elle Australia.
Desi's very proud of her Mexican roots
Desi Perkins may have taken her husband's last name when they got married, but she's proud of her Mexican heritage. Back in 2015, the beauty blogger publicly called out anyone who questioned her Latina identity, tweeting, "Why do people keep saying I'm a white girl? I'm Mexican. I didn't get the chancla [shoe] as a kid [to] be called not Mexican enough for [you]. Back up." Then in 2018, she told People that her statement didn't stop the doubters. "I have gotten a comment saying that I'm not Latina enough which confuses me," she said. "I don't know how to be any other way other than how my parents raised me."
Desi, who was born and raised in California, explained that she's always related to the line from the Selena movie in which the late Selena Quintanilla says, "We have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans, both at the same time! It's exhausting!" But despite her doubters, the YouTube star said she's so "grateful to have been brought up with such strong family values." She continued, "My family is the most important thing to me — the food, the language, all of it — and we have the strongest bond. I'm proud to be Mexican."
Desi suffered a miscarriage in 2014
In 2018, Desi Perkins shared a candid — and incredibly raw — YouTube video titled the "Hardest Video I Ever Filmed" in which she opened up about suffering a miscarriage four years prior. "If you guys are new to my channel, then you might not know that I talked about having a miscarriage years ago," she said at the time. "It's been, I think, four years now since Steven and I had a miscarriage, and it was awful." The beauty blogger revealed she had a tumor that had to be surgically removed and had to undergo months of tests, adding that she also battled with depression after the miscarriage.
However, sharing her experience with the world has helped her. "I know that miscarriages are a very common thing and not a lot of people talk about it," Desi said. "I talked about it on my channel, it was probably the best thing I ever felt like I did for anybody. Because not only did it make me feel less alone, but it made other people feel less alone. And I've been struggling with pregnancy since then, and it's been four years."
Desi documented her infertility struggles candidly
In Desi Perkins' emotional YouTube video, she also discussed her struggles with infertility and how the aftermath of her miscarriage was traumatizing. "There were so many times that I psyched myself into thinking that I was pregnant," she explained. "I kept making my body feel pregnant because I wanted it so bad, so if I had one bout of nauseousness... I would get so excited. I'd buy a pregnancy test, come home, and [it would be] negative." She continued, "I could see the disappointment in [Steven's] eyes. We would get so excited and then it was like, no. I got so obsessed with trying."
Desi and her husband, Steven Perkins, did not give up and eventually shared videos chronicling their IVF journey on their shared YouTube channel. Then in May 2020, she announced the couple was expecting their first child together. "I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for this blessing. The journey has been long and difficult but being here now, all I can say is that it was worth it," Desi wrote. "I want to thank you all for how amazing you have been." The two welcomed their son Ocean on Oct. 20, 2020 and have been posting the cutest photos ever since.