CoverGirl now has a cover boy.
The cosmetics company announced Tuesday that 17-year-old James Charles will serve as the first male face of CoverGirl, kicking off a campaign to promote the brand’s new mascara “So Lashy.” The makeup artist and social media influencer has more than 435,000 followers and is known for defying gender roles by sharing photos of himself in elaborate makeup, using products typically used by women.
The announcement was made in an Instagram post shared by Katy Perry, a current CoverGirl brand ambassador, showing the singer with Charles, who followed up with a video on his own account.
The announcement was well received, with commenters leaving notes like “This made me so happy I’m actually crying tears, I’m so proud of you” and fans and friends taking to Twitter to share the news.
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I’m BEYOND happy & excited & soooo very proud of my friend @jcharlesbeauty for literally making history at 17. The makeup world is shook
— Blending Queen (@SkyeAsiyanbi) October 11, 2016
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CoverGirl is taking a cue from MAC Cosmetics, who in June launched a video series about the lives of transgender and nonconforming individuals. The series was directed by Silas Howard, a director of the Amazon show “Transparent” and a member of the transgender community.
Charles started sharing photos of himself in makeup a year ago, according to his Instagram profile.
