If you’re a fan of beauty brands and influencers, you’re probably familiar with the name James Charles. Over the last few years, the 20-year-old has established a reputation. Regrettably, not all of this attention has been too good.
What have you been doing if you haven’t heard of James Charles? In 2016, at the tender age of 17, the makeup artist became CoverGirl’s very first CoverBoy. Charles, a relative newcomer to the scene, became an overnight sensation after insisting on having his high school yearbook photo retaken in order to emphasise his cheekbones properly. After his yearbook photo went viral, he made his highlighter pop and began appearing all over the internet. Soon, the teen was taking the beauty world by storm. Charles was quickly signed to a CoverGirl contract, and he is now one of the most well-known young beauty vloggers in the industry.
It’s not always easy being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age, especially when you’re a boy in a traditionally female-dominated industry. Charles isn’t just making a name for himself; he’s also shattering stereotypes. Here’s how he’s dealing with his newfound fame while still looking fierce.
His first passions were drawing and painting
Charles has been using artistic instruments since he was a small child, which explains why he seems so natural with a makeup brush. Before branching out to painting on the backs of his friends, the multi-talented artist began his creative endeavours in more traditional mediums such as drawing and painting. His celebrity portraits demonstrate that he is a skilled artist.
Charles has always been an artist, but he hasn’t always dabbled in makeup. “I’m a super creative person who has always loved drawing and painting since I was very young,” Charles told Cosmopolitan. “But makeup was a new avenue for me.” “I used to draw celebrity portraits, so I’ve always been drawn to beautiful faces.” Charles brings his incredible skills and passion to his art, whether he’s working on paper, canvas, or a living, breathing human being.
Charles was honoured as the first-ever male CoverGirl in 2016. He was ecstatic about the honour, telling Allure that it was a dream come true. The beauty expert exclaimed, “This is literally the coolest thing that has ever happened to me.” “I mean, I’m basically 12 years old [laughs], so there haven’t been many cool things in my life, but this definitely takes the cake.” Working with one of the most iconic beauty brands in history, alongside huge icons like Katy Perry, is such an incredible honour.” While things are slowly changing, there are still not that many men in the beauty industry — at least not ones who model a full face of makeup like Charles does. Society still largely Charles has faced a lot of scepticism and outright hostility because he views makeup as a solely feminine accessory. “With the way the internet is, there will be people who don’t agree as more and more guys come to light,” Charles told The New York Times. “Those negative comments are probably discouraging people from doing it because a lot of people take it very seriously.”
Despite the negativity, Charles is ecstatic to be the first male CoverGirl rep. “Being the first boy is so cool,” he said. “It demonstrates that this industry is becoming genderless, and we’re working hard to ensure that everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, or gender, has equal opportunities.” As a result of being thrust into the spotlight, more people developed romantic feelings for Charles. The following is a list of his previous relationships.
James Charles Boyfriend
James Charles came out as gay almost immediately after achieving celebrity. There have been rumours that he’s been involved with a few different people since then, but there haven’t been many confirmations. Grayson Dolan of the Sister Squad – an unofficial YouTube group – was rumoured to be dating him in 2018, but both denied it. “I wish people would stop over analysing popular influencer friendships on social media,” Charles wrote in December 2018, according to Affair Post. Just enjoy it for what it is. Some of the rumours are insane; they’re toxic, frustrating, and they can start to affect us in our personal lives.”
In the same year, Charles told Entertainment Tonight about his dating woes, explaining that he wanted a boyfriend at the time but didn’t like dating apps. “I’m sorry, but I’m too busy.” I just need a boyfriend like, right now. I don’t want to sit here scrolling through people and exchanging messages. “Hello, no!”
In 2019, there were rumours that Charles had a relationship with another makeup influencer named Manny MUA, but those rumours died down after Manny denied the allegations. Charles went on a date with Turner ‘Ttfue’ Tenney in 2020, but neither of them confirmed whether they went on another date.
