Style October 12, 2016
CoverGirl announced their new face of the beauty business – and it’s not a woman.
James Charles Dickinson has been named the first CoverBoy of the 60-year-old cosmetics corporation, according to TIME. Although men have started to represent lesser-known makeup companies (think Benefit cosmetics and Makeup Geek), CoverGirl is the initial major player in the business to invite a male model to the team.
The 17-year-old, New-York based makeup artist has blown up social media, gaining massive followers on Instagram and YouTube. He will be working with entertainment celebrity Katy Perry. This inspirational man has accomplished a lot – and he’s only a senior in high school. As a beauty ambassador for CoverGirl, he hopes to promote diversity within the cosmetics industry and provide a voice for men passionate about makeup.
“I think it’s important for brands to recognize the male population because we’re growing,” Charles said via Refinery29. “I see more and more beautiful boys in makeup every single day on social media … we love makeup just as much as the rest.”
The New York Times considers the possible effect a noncelebrity male face will have on the brand. James Charles joins men such as Jaden Smith and Young Thug who are challenging masculine social expectations. Both of these celebrities have publicly worn dresses, much like Mick Jagger performing on stage with the Rolling Stones circa 1969. Nylon delves into the timeliness of James Charles’ achievement in the midst of the trending no makeup trend and Donald Trump’s latest scandal surrounding harmful masculinity.
James Charles as the first CoverBoy tears down gender stereotypes and paves the way for more diverse media representation. ENTITY predicts this will inspire a positive effect on the beauty and entertainment businesses, with the possibility of new makeup lines tailored for men as well as more male faces on the covers of fashion magazines.
But what will happen to the future of gender-specific industries? Will men receive the same beauty scrutiny as female models today? Will the male entrance into the beauty world incite the same objectification standard that has been set for women? While the answers to these questions won’t be revealed quite yet, ENTITY can’t help but wonder how the first CoverBoy will change the industry.
Watch one of James Charles’ makeup tutorials above and check out more videos on his YouTube channel!
