Covergirl or Coverboy?

Olivia Staumbaugh, Reporter

The monthly subscription of CoverGirl has come in, and we’re expecting to see Katy Perry, but instead it’s… a boy? Meet CoverGirl’s newest fresh face, James Charles. He is a seventeen year old New York local breaking his way into the makeup world. The makeup brand is breaking gender boundaries by expanding their advertisement of makeup to both men and women. Charles has a YouTube and and Instagram where he does makeup tutorials for over half a million fans to enjoy.

“This influences other people who don’t have the guts to do what he does,” senior Carlos Alvarado said.

This is challenging people and society by expressing true colors through a makeup pallet. Charles is now partnered with iconic women in the makeup and entertainment industry, like Zendaya, Katy Perry, and Janelle Monae.

“I think it is really good for CoverGirl to be expanding their horizons. I think it is monumental, I think it’s really good,” junior Katelyn Capdeville said.  

Charles’s goal is to influence anyone of any age to broaden their horizons to a new era of self expression, whether it be through makeup or another medium. Alvarado’s love for makeup, despite being one of the few boys in the school to wear it, has grown as he learns about it as an art, and not just as a means to cover facial flaws.

“At first makeup was just a way to cover acne, but now I have grown to love it,” Alvarado said.  

Makeup is great way to cover flaws, and an even better way to make one feel beautiful. Other major makeup companies have already had men endorsers, such as Vogue, Glamour, NYX, and Maybelline cosmetics. However, since CoverGirl is a drug store makeup brand, it is available to everyone, no matter what gender you identify with.

“It is super accessible and will be seen by way more people. It is monumental,” junior Tabitha Edsall said.

Although seen by the media as a primarily positive movement, when the magazine released on October 14, 2016, it created a lot of talk and controversy.

“I don’t really like him that much, but if you’re going to hate him, it should be for his skill and not for his gender,” junior Drew Winters said.

There were 22,000 retweets of Charles’s official post about his new work, and along with that public attention came an array of different opinions.

“It really weirds me out. I think only girls should use makeup,” junior Logan Collins said.  

Despite the many different views on the subject, makeup is quickly becoming a new medium for self-expression for both men and women. America has yet to see what true effects this will have on our society.