James Charles Age & Biography

James Charles is an American YouTuber and makeup artist who became one of the most famous beauty creators on the platform. James Charles is 27 years old, born James Charles Dickinson on May 23, 1999, in Bethlehem, New York. He has 23.8 million subscribers on YouTube and 39.8 million followers on TikTok, and at 17 he became the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl.

Quick Facts

Full Name	James Charles Dickinson
Born	May 23, 1999
Age	27 years old
Birthplace	Bethlehem, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	YouTuber, makeup artist
YouTube Subscribers	23.8 million
TikTok Followers	39.8 million
Years Active	2015–present

Who Is James Charles?

James Charles is an American YouTuber and makeup artist best known for his makeup tutorials and beauty content. He has 23.8 million subscribers on YouTube, where his videos have been viewed 4.76 billion times, along with 39.8 million followers on TikTok and 19 million followers on Instagram. In October 2016, at 17, he became the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl, and he later launched the Sisters Apparel clothing line, the Sister Collection makeup collection and his own company, Painted.

Charles hosted the YouTube Originals competition series Instant Influencer, which premiered in April 2020 and won Show of the Year at the 10th Streamy Awards. He came out as gay to his parents at age 12 and has described makeup as a creative outlet and an art form. He has collaborated with Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Lil Nas X, Kesha, Madison Beer, Doja Cat, JoJo Siwa, Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae and Trixie Mattel, and he released his debut single Call Me Back in February 2024.

Early Life & Background

James Charles was born on May 23, 1999, in Bethlehem, New York, to parents Skip, a contractor, and Christine Dickinson. He has a younger brother, Ian Jeffrey, who works as a model. In 2010 he started a YouTube channel called JaysCoding, where he posted song covers and videos about competitive Mario Kart Wii modding. He graduated from Bethlehem Central High School in 2017 and has said he was bullied a lot in high school.

Charles began as an amateur hairstylist and started doing makeup after a friend asked him to do hers for a school dance. He is self-taught: the first product he ever used was his mother’s foundation, and he has said he glued his eyes shut at least 15 times while learning to apply false eyelashes. His father, a contractor, helped convert space in the family home for his YouTube channel.

Career

Charles started his YouTube channel in December 2015, posting makeup tutorials. In September 2016, a tweet of his senior portrait retake, in which he wore makeup and used a ring light, went viral after being retweeted by Zendaya. The following month, at 17, he became the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl. He launched the Sisters Apparel clothing line, the Sister Collection makeup collection and Painted, his own makeup company, and by early 2019 he had 10 million subscribers on YouTube. In January 2019, the opening of a Morphe store in Birmingham, England, where he was appearing, caused gridlock in the city centre.

Charles did Iggy Azalea’s makeup for her March 2019 single Sally Walker and appeared in the music video. He announced the Sisters Tour in April 2019, then cancelled it the following month after his feud with fellow creator Tati Westbrook. He hosted Instant Influencer, a YouTube Originals competition series that premiered in April 2020 and won Show of the Year at the 10th Streamy Awards, and he made a cameo in Larray’s Canceled music video in October 2020. He released his debut single Call Me Back in February 2024.

In May 2019, Westbrook uploaded a 43-minute video criticising Charles, and he became the first YouTuber to lose one million subscribers in 24 hours. He responded with an eight-minute apology video and a 41-minute video titled No More Lies. Westbrook later removed her original video, and in a 2020 follow-up she said Shane Dawson had manipulated her into making it.

In 2021, Charles faced accusations that he had sent sexual messages to underage fans. He denied grooming, and in April 2021 he posted a video titled Holding Myself Accountable, calling his past behaviour reckless and desperate. Morphe cut business ties with him, and YouTube temporarily demonetized his channel. He returned to YouTube in July 2021, and in a July 2023 Cosmopolitan interview he denied the grooming allegations.

Facts About James Charles

• James Charles was born on May 23, 1999, in Bethlehem, New York.
• At 17, he became the first male brand ambassador for CoverGirl.
• He has 23.8 million subscribers on YouTube and 39.8 million followers on TikTok.
• He hosted the YouTube Originals series Instant Influencer in 2020.
• He released his debut single Call Me Back in February 2024.

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