Bailey Sarian pioneered a genre largely by accident. In January 2019, obsessed with the Chris Watts case and with nobody to talk to about it, the former Sephora artist started telling true crime stories while doing her makeup on camera. “Murder, Mystery & Makeup” turned a mid-size beauty channel into a phenomenon: 780,000 subscribers in March 2020 became 3.5 million by year’s end, YouTube named her one of its top breakout creators of 2020, and an entire wave of imitators followed. As of October 2026, the 37-year-old hosts two weekly shows, signed with UTA for all-area representation in October 2025, and remains the defining voice of true crime makeup.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bailey Brooke Sarian |
| Born | November 26, 1988, Los Angeles, California (age 37; turns 38 in November 2026) |
| Background | Armenian descent; raised in Menifee, California |
| Pre-fame | Sephora (5 years), Urban Decay product specialist, IPSY in-house creator |
| Signature series | “Murder, Mystery & Makeup” (launched January 2019) |
| Podcast | “Dark History” (Audioboom Original, launched June 2021) |
| YouTube | About 8M subscribers (2026) |
| About 3M followers (2026) | |
| TikTok | About 3M followers (2026) |
| Net worth | No reliable published figure |
Early Life
Bailey Brooke Sarian was born on November 26, 1988, in Los Angeles and raised in Menifee, California, in Riverside County. She is of Armenian descent and has spoken about the Armenian Genocide on her own platforms. Her mother worked as a 911 dispatcher, and her stories fed Bailey’s early fascination with crime. Bailey is the middle child of three daughters.
She graduated from Paloma Valley High School in Menifee. There is no college on her record. She was hired at Sephora as a young adult, where she worked for about five years, then moved on to become an Urban Decay product specialist and later an in-house creator at IPSY. Along the way she freelanced in makeup for weddings, commercials, and music videos.
Rise to Fame: Inventing True Crime Makeup
Sarian created her YouTube channel in January 2013 and posted her first video that September. For years she made standard beauty content, then storytimes, with modest growth. The pivot came in January 2019. Deep in a 2018 obsession with the Chris Watts case, with “nobody to talk about it with” (as she told Dazed), she filmed herself narrating the Watts family murders while applying makeup. The first “Murder, Mystery & Makeup” episode was born.
The format exploded during the pandemic. Her subscriber count went from about 780,000 in March 2020 to 3.5 million by the end of the year. YouTube named her one of its top breakout creators of 2020. Her most-viewed video, the Jeffrey Dahmer episode, sits at more than 22 million views as of 2022. She is widely credited with pioneering the true crime makeup genre outright.
Dark History Podcast
In June 2021, Sarian launched “Dark History,” an Audioboom Original podcast that applies the same treatment to the dark side of history rather than individual crimes. The first episode covered the DuPont chemical scandal. The show was an immediate hit: one of Apple’s most popular new shows of 2021, named among the year’s best new podcasts by outlets including Variety, and winner of Podcast of the Year at the 11th Streamy Awards in 2021 (she had already won the Creator Honor Award at the 10th Streamys in 2020, presented by NikkieTutorials).
As of 2026, “Dark History” is still weekly, with the audio podcast releasing on Wednesdays and video versions running on Thursdays on YouTube. She added a 2024 Signal Award for Best Host and a 2025 Webby Award for the show.
Awards and Recognition
| Year | Honor |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Creator Honor Award, 10th Streamy Awards; YouTube Top Breakout Creator |
| 2021 | Beauty award and Podcast of the Year (“Dark History”), 11th Streamy Awards; LA Weekly cover |
| 2021 | One of Apple’s most popular new shows; Variety best-podcast list |
| 2024 | Signal Award, Best Host |
| 2025 | Webby Award, “Dark History” |
She has also appeared on talk and entertainment shows.
Business Ventures and Representation
Sarian’s brand deals include collaborations with ESTATE Cosmetics and Melt Cosmetics (from December 2023), plus sponsorships from Casetify, among others. She sells merch at baileysarian.com, including a Summer 2025 collection.
The biggest business news of her recent career came in October 2025: she signed with UTA for all-area representation across TV, film, live events, and brand deals (reported by The Hollywood Reporter), joining UTA’s Creator practice alongside names like Alix Earle, Kai Cenat, and Charli D’Amelio. She remains managed by Underscore Talent, which she signed with in January 2025; NetInfluencer reports she was previously with WME.
Personal Life
Sarian met tattoo artist Fernando “Fern” Valdez on December 13, 2013, when he gave her her first tattoo. They got engaged in 2016 after a Paris proposal announced that May. On January 24, 2022, Sarian confirmed the split herself on Twitter, describing it as a mutual separation and asking fans not to send him hate. The couple never married. Note that some outdated bio pages still list her as engaged, and a few low-quality sites have incorrectly claimed a marriage.
Controversies
Sarian has kept a relatively clean public record. Two criticisms are worth noting honestly:
- True-crime ethics debate: Outlets and commentators have criticized the true crime makeup genre, and her channel specifically, for monetizing victims’ tragedies. Sarian has said her intent is never to disrespect victims. This remains an ongoing genre debate, not a resolved scandal.
- Bettie Page criticism (2021): A fitness brand’s site demanded an apology over alleged inaccuracies in one of her videos. It was one-sided criticism.
Lesser items to treat carefully: a low-quality site claims she sued L’Oréal in 2016 over image use (unverified, single source), and another mentions “rumors” of an IP lawsuit (explicitly framed as rumors). Neither should be stated as fact.
Net Worth
No reliable named source has published Bailey Sarian’s net worth. Estimates on low-quality bio sites vary wildly, and none should be treated as credible. There is no Forbes wealth figure for her. Any article stating a number is guessing.
2024 to 2026 Developments
Early 2025 brought the Underscore Talent deal, followed by the 2025 Webby win and a Summer 2025 merch collection. The October 2025 UTA signing signaled ambitions beyond YouTube into TV, film, and live events. “Dark History” continues weekly with themed episodes covering subjects from Nero to the Wizard of Oz to the history of minimum wage. Recently she has spoken candidly about burnout and the mental-health toll of researching distressing cases, and the “Murder, Mystery & Makeup” cadence has slowed somewhat, drawing some fan speculation.
The MM&M Format and Its Impact
The “Murder, Mystery & Makeup” format is deceptively simple: Sarian researches a true crime case in depth, then narrates it conversationally while completing a full makeup look, usually finishing with a chatty sign-off. The makeup is not a gimmick layered over the story; it is the delivery mechanism that made hour-plus true crime episodes watchable for an audience that had never sought out the genre. Episodes routinely run long, and the research load is heavy: she has spoken about the mental-health toll of immersing herself in distressing cases week after week.
The cultural impact is measurable. Before January 2019, “true crime makeup” was not a category. Within two years, it was one of YouTube’s most imitated formats, with creators across the platform adopting the storytime-plus-glam structure. Sarian’s pandemic-era growth, from roughly 780,000 subscribers in March 2020 to 3.5 million by December, remains one of the sharpest audience expansions of that period, and YouTube’s decision to name her a top breakout creator of 2020 formalized what the numbers already showed. The MM&M format sits alongside the long-form, personality-led beauty content that creators like Jackie Aina built their channels on.
Dark History, Episode by Episode
“Dark History” deserves its own accounting because it proved the first act was not a fluke. The Audioboom Original launched in June 2021 with the DuPont chemical scandal, signaling that the show would take on institutional wrongdoing rather than individual criminals. It ranked among Apple’s most popular new shows of 2021, made best-of-the-year lists at Variety and elsewhere, then won Podcast of the Year at the 11th Streamy Awards.
The show has stayed weekly through 2026, with the audio podcast releasing on Wednesdays and video versions running on Thursdays on YouTube. Recent themed runs have covered Nero, the Wizard of Oz, the history of minimum wage, and conspiracy theories.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bailey Sarian?
Bailey Sarian was born on November 26, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. She is 37 years old and turns 38 in November 2026.
What is Murder, Mystery & Makeup?
It is Bailey Sarian’s signature YouTube series, launched in January 2019, in which she narrates true crime cases while applying makeup. The first episode covered the Watts family murders. The format pioneered the true crime makeup genre and drove her from 780,000 to 3.5 million subscribers during 2020.
Is Bailey Sarian married?
No. She was engaged to tattoo artist Fernando Valdez from 2016 until their split, which she confirmed on January 24, 2022. They never married.
What is the Dark History podcast?
“Dark History” is Sarian’s weekly Audioboom Original podcast, launched in June 2021, covering dark chapters of history (the first episode was on the DuPont chemical scandal). It won Podcast of the Year at the 2021 Streamy Awards.
What is Bailey Sarian’s net worth?
No reliable source has published a figure. Estimates on low-quality bio sites vary wildly, and none should be treated as credible.
What is Bailey Sarian doing in 2026?
In October 2025, she signed with UTA for all-area representation (TV, film, live events, brand deals), continues “Dark History” weekly, and released a Summer 2025 merch collection ahead of the signing.
How did Bailey Sarian start Murder, Mystery & Makeup?
In January 2019, deep in an obsession with the Chris Watts case and with nobody to talk to about it, she filmed herself narrating the Watts family murders while doing her makeup. The video launched the series and eventually the entire true crime makeup genre.
Why did Bailey Sarian and Fernando Valdez split?
Sarian confirmed the split herself on Twitter on January 24, 2022, describing it as a mutual separation and asking fans not to send him hate. The couple had been engaged since 2016 but never married.
Has Bailey Sarian written a book?
No book deal has been found or announced as of October 2026. Her long-form work lives on YouTube and in the “Dark History” podcast.
