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James Charles Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth23 May 1999

Age22 Years (as of 2021)

BirthplaceAlbany County, New York

ProfessionMakeup artist, YouTuber

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyMother: Christie Dickinson; Brother: Ian Jeffrey Dickinson

James Charles Biography

James Charles Dickinson is an American makeup artist, YouTuber and entrepreneur who rose to prominence as a pioneering male beauty influencer. Born in New

Early life and background

James Charles Dickinson was born on May 23, 1999, in Albany County, New York and grew up in Bethlehem, New York. He attended Bethlehem Central High School, graduating in 2017. From a young age he enjoyed painting and drawing; those early creative interests would later feed into his career in beauty and content creation.

James came out to his parents as gay at age 12, and his family proved supportive as he pursued artistic interests. While in school he worked part time at a frozen yogurt shop and did hairstyling locally before focussing full time on makeup. His father converted an office into a makeup room to help him pursue his passion.

Career

Charles began his social media journey on Instagram and launched his YouTube channel in December 2015. He built a large audience by posting makeup looks, product reviews and lifestyle content, becoming one of the most-subscribed beauty creators on YouTube. By 2020 his channel had amassed millions of subscribers.

At 17 he became the first male ambassador for CoverGirl in 2016, appearing in a campaign for So Lashy mascara that paired him with Katy Perry. That partnership and the visibility that followed helped expand his profile beyond social platforms.

He has collaborated with established brands, including a makeup palette collection with Morphe, and he founded an apparel line called Sisters Apparel. In 2020 he launched and hosted the YouTube Originals series Instant Influencer with James Charles, a competition-format show focused on discovering makeup talent.

Charles has worked with high-profile clients and celebrities, providing makeup for names such as Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Demi Lovato. He has also appeared in mainstream media: his TV debut was a guest appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and he has been featured on the cover of Vogue Portugal and listed among TIME's most influential people in 2019.

Public profile

James Charles is known for his work in beauty and for being a self-taught makeup artist. He has received industry recognition including Streamy Awards: he won in the Beauty category in 2018 and was nominated in multiple categories in subsequent years; in 2020 a show he was associated with won a Streamy in the Show of the Year category.

His public life has included controversies and high-profile disputes that drew intense attention and led to periods of personal difficulty. One notable public feud resulted in a significant, short-term loss of YouTube subscribers and had mental-health implications for him. He has addressed allegations and disputes directly on his own channels.

Aside from makeup, Charles describes himself as an occasional singer and has performed with an a cappella group. He has been open about cosmetic and medical procedures he has undergone, including lip filler, botox, and LASIK surgery.

Personal details

He is American by nationality and, as of 2021, was 22 years old. Physically, he is reported to be approximately 175 cm (5'9") tall and to weigh around 60 kg (132 lbs), with brown hair and brown eyes. He owns a home in Los Angeles and has cited influences such as Bretman Rock early in his makeup development.

Latest updates

Charles continued to expand his brand through product collaborations and media projects. He hosted Instant Influencer in 2020, maintained active social channels, and remained a prominent voice in beauty culture. He has also been publicly identified as the founder of Sisters Apparel and has released multiple eyeshadow palettes in partnership with Morphe.

His public life remains active and occasionally contentious, with ongoing attention to his professional releases, collaborations and public statements.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about James Charles, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Instant Influencer with James Charles

Host of a YouTube Originals competition show focused on makeup talent.

2020
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Career Highlights

  1. First male ambassador for CoverGirl (2016)
  2. Won Streamy Award in the Beauty category (2018)
  3. Hosted YouTube Originals show Instant Influencer (2020)
  4. Featured on the cover of Vogue Portugal and named to TIME's list of most influential people (2019)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was James Charles born?

James Charles was born on 23 May 1999.

What is James Charles known for?

James Charles is known for makeup artist, YouTuber.

What is James Charles’s marital status?

James Charles's marital status is listed as Unmarried.