Gigi Gorgeous

Lazzarato operated a makeup tutorial YouTube channel that began in 2008 while in the eleventh grade, when a friend mentioned seeing a makeup video by Michelle Phan on YouTube.[11] Lazzarato first came out at age 16, identifying at the time as a gay male.[12][13] Since transitioning, her YouTube channel started to include more vlogs, fashion, and lifestyle videos.[14][15]

On January 18, 2011, Lazzarato announced The Avenue, a YouTube-based reality series. The show premiered on March 15 of that year on YouTube with distribution by Blip. The show’s last episode aired on April 14, 2013.

Lazzarato was awarded the LogoTV Trailblazing Social Creator Award in 2014 for being an advocate on behalf of LGBT youth. Gigi frequently attends BeautyCon conventions to meet with fans and sit in on panels about makeup techniques and the cosmetics industry.[16] Gigi has modeled for designer Marco Marco, and walked in the 2014 and 2015 Marco Marco Fashion Shows.[17]

Lazzarato has used internet celebrity status to bring awareness to transgender issues, the LGBT community, and anti-bullying.[18][19] Gigi’s image was featured in a montage of transgender celebrities in the ABC 20/20 documentary about Caitlyn Jenner's transition.[20][21]

In October 2014, Lazzarato began dating Cory Binney. They met at a club and started dating from then on. They were on and off and broke up in around May or June 2015 which inspired one of Lazzarato’s most viewed videos titled “Single Life (My Break Up”) which is a music video to “What the Hell” by Avril Lavigne. It is now one of the top 5 most viewed videos of all time with 7.5 million views. Lazzarato and Binney got back together a month later before officially splitting in November 2015.

In early 2015, Lazzarato starred in fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson's debut short film I Hate Myselfie as Amber. Gigi said “I looked to Rachel McAdams' portrayal of Regina George in Mean Girls (2004), while playing Amber. Gigi has since reprised the role of Amber in I Hate Myselfie 2.[22]

In June 2015, it was announced that Lazzarato had teamed up with singer Miley Cyrus and had joined Cyrus' Happy Hippie Foundation's Marie Claire "#InstaPride" campaign.[23] The campaign included a series of photos and an announcement by Cyrus that they were working on a secret project. The project later turned out to be a spread in American magazine Marie Claire featuring them both.[24][25] Lazzarato signed a partnership with 'Too Faced Cosmetics' in which Gigi starred in the cosmetic commercial film "Better Than Sex" which premiered on July 9, 2015. At the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards Lazzarato, along with a group of drag queens, introduced Miley Cyrus for the debut performance of Dooo It! from Cyrus's new album Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz.

In September 2015, Lazzarato had a two-page spread in People magazine.[26] Gigi appeared on Entertainment Tonight as a special guest that same month.[27] Lazzarato was featured in Kylie Jenner's app "Kylie" that feature several make up tip videos.[28] On September 18, Gigi won the Streamy Award for "Best Beauty Series".[29] It was announced on October 7 that Lazzarato would star in Adam Lambert's video for his song "Another Lonely Night".[30][31]

On August 9, 2016, Lazzarato was detained in the United Arab Emirates. Gigi’s passport taken by airport officials and immigration officers at the Dubai International Airport, and was denied entry in to Dubai for being a transgender woman, as the government does not recognize Gigi’s gender as legitimate even though, according to Lazzarato, “The gender on my passport states female and not male.” The "imitation of women by men" is illegal in the UAE, and violators can face up to a year in jail.[32] Lazzarato was released after being detained for five hours.[33][34]

The "#JusticeForGigi" hashtag surfaced on Twitter, with fans and supporters calling for Lazzarato's release and a reform in anti-LGBTQ laws.[35] It was not the first time a transgender person was detained in Dubai. In 2014, two Brazilian transgender women were also detained and had their passports taken.[36] Lazzarato, before leaving Dubai for Sweden, responded to the incident by calling for equality and legal protections for LGBTQ people.[37]

In January 2017, the documentary This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, starring Lazzarato, directed by Barbara Kopple premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[38] On June 11, Gorgeous watched the documentary with Katy Perry on Perry's four-day livestream event, Katy Perry Live: Witness World Wide.

In June 2017, Lazzarato was named to the Time Magazine list of the 25 most influential people on the Internet.[39]

In 2019 Lazzarato published a memoir, titled He Said, She Said: Lessons, Stories, and Mistakes From My Transgender Journey.[40][41] In October 2019 Lazzarato announced a makeup collection coming out with Ipsy in November 2019. The collection features various beauty products related to makeup.

Lazzarato came out as a transgender woman in December 2013. Since then, she has undergone electrolysis, tracheal shave, hormone replacement therapy, facial feminization surgery, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation.[51] In March 8, 2014, Gigi legally changed name to Gigi Loren Lazzarato.[52]

In a September 2015 issue of People, Lazzarato credited “transgender model and performing artist Amanda Lepore and the death of my mother for sparking my transition.[53]”