Since 1958, CoverGirl has stood as a trusted brand for every girl, but now, they’re reaching out to boys too. James Charles, a 17-year-old social media star and makeup artist, has been announced as the stalwart brand’s first male ambassador — a CoverBoy, if you will — and he excitedly announced his appointment via his ultra-popular Instagram account yesterday.
Charles, who will be working alongside Katy Perry, will star in CoverGirl’s TV, print and digital campaigns for the launch of the new Lashy! by blastPRO Mascara, which the brand touts as a “universal mascara designed to work on all lash types.” He will also continue to share beauty tips, tricks and how-tos on social media throughout the year.
Perry is an active member of the CoverGirl clan, having served as an ambassador since 2014, and she launched a CoverGirl Katy Kat cosmetics collection earlier this year. She posted the news of Charles’ appointment yesterday to Instagram.
“All of our CoverGirls are role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be beautiful,” the brand said in a statement. “James Charles is no exception. One year ago, he boldly chose to launch his Instagram to the world, using transformative, dynamic makeup looks to showcase the many facets of his personality, serving as an inspiration to anyone who might have been afraid to do the same.”
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The high school senior took to Instagram in 2015 to showcase his remarkable makeup skills and quickly racked up a following that now counts more than 500,000. He diligently credits the products he uses in each photo and at times, shares his inspirations.
“Makeup makes me so happy and feel so powerful and strong and it’s truly an escape,” he wrote alongside one post. “Makeup is truly an art. It’s a form of expression, it’s a way to feel beautiful, and to make people gasp and look exactly how they want to. It’s more than just wanting to impress someone or look pretty. We do makeup for ourselves, NOT for the pleasure of anyone else.”
Check out some of Charles’ killer looks below.
This appointment will serve to build on Charles’ already burgeoning fame. In September, he emerged as an internet sensation when he posted a picture to social media of a re-shoot of his high school yearbook photo. He arrived at the photographer’s studio with a ring light in tow to help emphasize his highlighter.
“I’m actually a pretty reserved person, I promise,” he said to BuzzFeed. But, he added, “it was my senior picture and I knew it would be in the yearbook forever.”