There are many different types of back-to-school girls. The ones who leave their summer reading ’til the last minute. The ones who spend more time mourning the end of summer than actually preparing for September. The ones who dread that first 6 a.m. alarm with a fiery passion.
And then there’s Embreigh Courtlyn. The 16-year-old creator and entrepreneur is the one reorganizing her makeup drawer, building the most aesthetically pleasing Pinterest board of outfit inspo and plotting out the perfect slate of super niche goals for the semester ahead.
“Before the first day of school, I go full-out glow-up mode,” Embreigh shares as she sits on her sun-drenched front porch in rural Alabama, sporting a butter yellow hoodie and slickback bun. “I order a backpack, switch up my skincare routine, try out some different makeup tutorials…whatever helps me kick off the year with a new vibe.”
The new semester may still be weeks away, but Embreigh is already radiating fresh-start energy. Maybe that’s why millions of girls turn to her for guidance on everything from acne to outfits to crushes. Whether she’s posting a chatty GRWM, testing a new Sephora launch or doling out life advice between skin- care steps, Embreigh’s videos tap into something so many of us crave: the reminder that there’s always room to grow into a new version of yourself.
Shy girl szn
Embreigh learned this lesson first-hand her freshman year. While it may have looked like she had it all together (she was an honors student *and* played varsity volleyball), she struggled with major self-doubt.
“I was definitely not popular. I only had one best friend,” Embreigh admits. “I also had a lot of anxiety when it came to school stuff, especially public speaking. I would literally cry before having to do a presentation.”
Ironically, the thing that finally pulled her out of her self-professed “awkward era” was talking to a camera. While she played around on Musical.ly as a kid, Embreigh didn’t get serious about content creation until just two years ago, when she launched a TikTok account and began posting regularly.
After one of her first videos went viral (“it was something random about wearing leggings instead of jeans,” Embreigh recalls), her follower count exploded…and brands took notice. Not long after, she went from casually filming after school to landing partnerships with major fashion and beauty labels like Pink Palm Puff, Beginning Boutique and Frilliance.
More than mutuals
Given Embreigh’s rapid rise to social stardom, it’s probably not surprising that confidence is still something she’s actively working on. “I care so much about what people think of me,” she confesses. “Like, if someone told me not to wear a certain color, I’d take it to heart and never want to wear it again.”
One habit she’s picked up to help with that? Keeping out of the TikTok comment section. “I try not to read them at all—or at least not scroll down too far, because that’s where the bad ones are,” she shares.
She’s also become more mindful about what she shares, especially when it comes to her relationship with BF (and fellow content creator) Ayden Valdez. While lip-sync duets and funny moments are fair game, Embreigh feels it’s best to keep most of her romance offscreen.
What she *is* happy to talk about, though, is how much finding her people has changed her. Whether she’s hitting the gym with hometown besties Gracie and Kara or making videos with girls from GlowHouse, Embreigh says she’s finally surrounded by the kind of friendships she always wished for growing up.
“These girls are literally like my family,” Embreigh says of her squad. “I’m grateful that I get to hang with such amazing people. I can tell them anything, and they always give the best advice.”
Beyond the GRWM
While 2026 has brought some pretty incredible opportunities (like becoming part-owner of the skincare company Evereden), the most surreal may have been the launch of her Target clothing line, Embreigh Edit.
“I grew up going to Target with my mom. It was our favorite place to shop together, so being able to walk through those doors and see my own brand was amazing,” Embreigh reflects.
It marked a major full-circle moment for the girl who spent hours making outfit mood boards and wandering the juniors’ section—and who’s now getting to curate pieces of her own.
“We had so many Zoom meetings, and I got to have a lot of input. I put my favorite number, 3, on the back of the hoodies, and I got to choose my favorite colors and prints,” she shares.
But even with Target collabs and her meteoric social media fame, Embreigh insists she’s still a normal teenager who’s just figuring things out. “It’s amazing to have so many kids looking up to me,” she says. “But it’s also kind of scary sometimes, because I’m just a kid myself.”
Ofc, a big part of growing up is pushing yourself out of your comfort zone—even if it feels intimidating—and right now, Embreigh’s doing just that by expanding her YouTube channel and dabbling in acting (she’s about to start filming for the upcoming murder-mystery flick One by One, which she describes as “the Gen Z version of Knives Out”).
And while Embreigh may still be perfecting her vision board and channeling “new year, new me” energy every fall, she says a true reset is all about staying psyched for what’s on the horizon. “I have so many exciting things coming up, and I’m just so eager to learn from all of it,” she reveals.
For a girl who loves a fresh start, Embreigh’s next chapter seems like a pretty good place to be.
Hey, girl! Just to let you know, this originally ran in our August/September 2026 issue. Read our print mag for *free* today when you click HERE!
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Styled by Whitney Brielle.
Hair by George Fragkioudakis.
Makeup by Christopher Miles.
Photographed by Mike Azria.
