James Charles
A makeup artist who shattered gender norms in beauty, building a YouTube empire and becoming the first male face of a major cosmetics brand.
Born 1999 (age 27)·American internet personality·Birthday: May 23·Generation Z
Biography
James Charles turned a high school hobby into a cultural phenomenon. Growing up in Bethlehem, New York, he started doing makeup for school theater, a skill he parlayed into a local business. His big break was digital and viral: a tweet of his senior photo, featuring a dramatic eye look, caught fire and landed him an unprecedented role as the first male CoverGirl. This catapulted his YouTube channel from a tutorial archive to a mainstream destination. Charles's content—a blend of extravagant transformation videos, behind-the-scenes vlogs, and high-profile collaborations—cultivated a massive, devoted audience he dubbed 'sisters'. His influence redefined the beauty community, championing self-expression and proving that the world of makeup was for everyone. His career, marked by both stratospheric success and public controversies, reflects the intense scrutiny of internet fame.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
James was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When James Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
James's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl cosmetics in 2016, breaking industry barriers.
- Built a YouTube channel with tens of millions of subscribers, making him one of the platform's most-followed creators.
- Launched his own makeup collaboration with Morphe, which repeatedly sold out upon release.
Did You Know?
He was his high school's first male cheerleader.
He briefly attended college for fashion marketing before leaving to pursue YouTube full-time.
His signature catchphrase 'Hi sisters!' originated in his video introductions.
“I think makeup should be for everyone, not just for girls.”
