Two months ago, I was scrolling through new videos of YouTubers that I had subscribed to when I found a video by Ben J. Pierce entitled Makeup Roulette (ft. James Charles). Pierce is one of my favorite YouTubers, so I decided to watch it.
I was in awe of James because his makeup was so flawless, so I checked out the video they did on his channel, and subsequently watched all of James' makeup tutorials. His bubbly personality, fast-paced but enjoyable content, and crazy awesome looks that I could only dream to repeat on myself, had me hooked. I ended up subscribing and following him on Instagram and Twitter.
On October eleventh, Covergirl and James Charles announced on their Instagrams that James Charles was the first ever Coverboy, and would be the face for their new mascara, "So Lashy." You know I freaked out. I am so incredibly proud of James for getting so far in his career in only a year! God only knows how far he will be this time next year, but I can't wait to see.
But what does this really mean?
It is a step forward for men who wear makeup. I am all for people expressing themselves, even in unconventional ways. In our society, it is common for men who wear makeup to be harassed for their choices or to labeled off as gay. Regardless of whether or not James is gay, it should be just as acceptable for men to wear makeup on their faces as it is for women.
Why do we wear makeup? It makes us feel confident. Now, there are many arguments against wearing makeup at all and why it shouldn't be so directly correlated with how confident we are, but that's an argument for another article. Makeup can make men feel confident, and we as a society should welcome that.
James Charles is the first step to that acceptance. Covergirl appointing him as one of their own made a statement to the world: We accept and praise men who wear makeup. With him in their commercials, being the main advertisement of their latest product, and having the backing of another Covergirl, Katy Perry, James Charles is breaking the makeup world from gender exclusive to gender inclusive. It will allow another area for men to express themselves.
This is not just for men who beat their face to the gods like James Charles.
This is for the men who want to cover up a pimple with concealer. This is for the men who want a little mascara or some clear lip gloss just for an extra kick to their look. To normalize wearing makeup for men gives men a chance to change their appearance in a whole new way. This could help many men become more confident or happier with their appearance.
James Charles is not just a Coverboy.
He is an advocate for male makeup artists and users and I will always support that.
