CoverGirl’s first CoverBoy has arrived
We all know CoverGirl to some extent, even if it just means knowing its slogan, “easy, breezy, beautiful … CoverGirl.” Perhaps you even recognize the cosmetic brand’s famous faces, such as Drew Barrymore and Ellen DeGeneres. Well, this beauty industry mogul’s latest announcement is one of the biggest, boldest and best: the brand’s new face will be its first “CoverBoy.”
The shining star is James Charles, 17, who has risen in popularity through his beauty-themed Instagram account that he set up last year. Charles is also a YouTuber with over 100,000 subscribers who watch his makeup tutorials.
Even if you don’t follow him on social media, you might already know of him. Remember that photo that went viral about a boy who retook his senior year photos to show off his highlighter? That, my friend, was Mr. Charles. When I first saw his senior picture, I was in awe. I couldn’t help but internally cheer for him. Little did I know that he would soon be taking the beauty world by storm within a month or two.
I think making Charles the face of CoverGirl is a major statement in the cosmetic industry. For a brand with the word “girl” in it, using a guy as its latest model highlights a huge step in the right direction towards a more inclusive beauty industry. It’s no secret that stereotypically, makeup, skincare and all things beauty are geared towards women. I can’t say that there’s anything wrong with that because in actuality, more women than men use these products. At the end of the day, a cosmetic brand is a business, so it makes sense that it would target its clientele majority.

James Charles represents CoverGirl’s new direction towards gender inclusion. PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
That being said, our society is a place where gender norms are transitioning from black and white to an array of gray. We’re not only normalizing the LGBT community, but also expanding on it, thus creating a new peak in the expression of individuality. It’s absolutely crucial that industries, particularly beauty and fashion, are receptive to that mindset because they can no longer assume all their clients are one gender or demographic. In my opinion, cosmetic companies nowadays should reach out to all types of potential clients, which is exactly what CoverGirl is doing. By making Charles its latest face, it suggests that it doesn’t favor one kind of person over another, but rather develops products for anyone interested in the brand.
I think that idea is further enhanced by the juxtaposition between the “girl” in CoverGirl and a male face. I’m sure there’s someone out there who feels that the name “CoverGirl” hardly suggests inclusion, but by pairing this itself with Charles, the brand speaks volumes about its intention. Instead of veering toward one gender, it suggests a morph to both males and females, creating the most all-inclusive beauty brand of all time. I’m sure that CoverGirl is seriously enhancing this gender-norm revolution, and I can’t wait to see Charles’ fame explode.