17-year-old James Charles has joined the ranks of Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Sofia Vergara, and more, as the new face of CoverGirl – or as he would say, “CoverBoy.”
James is a high school senior and aspiring makeup artist from New York, with a large following on social media. He posts makeup tutorial videos on his YouTube account, which has over 70,000 subscribers, and posts photos of his different looks on Instagram, where he has over 5K followers.
James posted a headshot from his recent CoverGirl photo shoot and said he was “shook” to announce he is now working for the brand.
“I truly hope that this shows that anyone and everyone can wear makeup and can do anything if you work hard,” he said.
James said his journey started last year, when he did a friend’s makeup for a school dance and then began experimenting on himself. He told BuzzFeed that he started his Instagram account to try to attract clients during prom season. “I never in a million years would’ve expected to be where I am today, or even working with CoverGirl,” he said.
James even got a shoutout from fellow brand ambassador Katy Perry on her Instagram.
As the first male ambassador for the iconic makeup brand, James hopes to inspire more men to try makeup.
“Breaking gender norms just comes instantly as soon as a boy is comfortable and confident enough to put on makeup,” he told BuzzFeed. “I think it’s so important to love who you are and be comfortable in your own skin.”
