James Charles Dickinson is a popular American beauty YouTuber and makeup artist born on May 23, 1999. Known for his makeup skills and creativity, James rose to fame on YouTube for his beauty tutorials and transformations [1]. With over 16 million subscribers, James Charles is one of the top beauty influencers on YouTube today.
Originally from Bethlehem, New York, James Charles became interested in makeup artistry from a young age. He started his YouTube channel as a high school student in 2016, gaining a massive following for his makeup looks and skills. By the time James was a senior in high school, his YouTube following had grown exponentially into the millions.
In 2016, James Charles made history as CoverGirl’s first ever male spokesmodel [2]. His representation as an openly gay man in the makeup and beauty world was groundbreaking. He went on to partner with major brands like Morphe Cosmetics to create his own eyeshadow palette collection.
Today, James Charles is one of the most recognizable and influential beauty vloggers on YouTube. With his makeup artistry skills and engaging personality, James continues to create innovative makeup content for his millions of subscribers.
James Charles on YouTube
James Charles started his YouTube channel in December 2015 and quickly gained popularity for his makeup skills and tutorials. He is known for creating colorful and creative makeup looks and giving beauty tips and reviews. Some of the most popular types of content James posts on his channel include makeup tutorials, reviews of new makeup products, celebrity makeup transformations, travel vlogs, and Q&A videos.
According to SpeakrJ, James Charles currently has over 23.9 million subscribers on YouTube as of January 2023. His channel has amassed over 4.3 billion total video views. James gained millions of subscribers within his first few years on YouTube thanks to his skills, charisma, and collaborations with other popular YouTubers.
James Charles on Instagram
James Charles joined Instagram in December 2015 when he was just a high school student in upstate New York. According to Hypeauditor, he currently has over 21 million followers on the platform. SpeakrJ reports his engagement rate is around 0.80%, which is considered high for an account with so many followers.
On Instagram, James Charles posts a variety of beauty and glam content including makeup tutorials, product reviews, brand campaigns, and behind-the-scenes photoshoots. His feed features colorful artistic makeup looks, tips for beginners, and promotion of his own Morphe eyeshadow palette.
With over 1,200 posts, James uses Instagram to showcase his skills as a makeup artist and connect with fans of the beauty community. The platform played a key role in launching his influencer career while still in high school.
James Charles on Twitter
James Charles joined Twitter in December 2015, shortly after he started his YouTube channel. According to SpeakRJ, he currently has over 7.5 million followers on the platform. James is very active on Twitter, with over 28,000 tweets posted so far.
He mainly tweets about his latest YouTube videos, makeup looks and products, sponcon partnerships, and personal life updates. James also interacts heavily with his followers, replying to fans and participating in Twitter conversations. Occasionally he will post rants addressing controversies and rumors surrounding him. Overall, Twitter allows James to have a direct line of communication with his dedicated fanbase.
TikTok’s Popularity
TikTok is a short-form video sharing app that allows users to create and share 15 to 60 second videos. The app was launched in 2016 by ByteDance, a Beijing-based internet technology company. Originally known as Douyin in China, TikTok quickly became popular worldwide, particularly with Generation Z.
In just a few years, TikTok has seen tremendous growth. As of 2023, TikTok has over 1.5 billion monthly active users globally, making it one of the most popular social media platforms in the world [1]. TikTok’s userbase increased by over 1000% between 2018 and 2020 [2].
TikTok is especially popular with teenagers and young adults. Over 60% of TikTok’s global users are between the ages of 16 and 24. TikTok’s algorithm is very adept at figuring out users’ interests and feeding them personalized content. The app provides an endless stream of short videos that are easy to consume, often funny or entertaining. Users can express themselves creatively through singing, dancing, comedy, and more. These factors have made TikTok the social media app of choice for Generation Z.
Do Other Influencers Use TikTok?
TikTok has become an extremely popular platform for influencers across many niches, including beauty. Some examples of top beauty influencers who leverage TikTok include:
Charli D’Amelio is one of the most followed creators on TikTok with over 146 million followers. She frequently posts beauty and fashion related content. Her viral dances helped skyrocket her popularity on the app (SOURCE).
Addison Rae is another massively popular TikTok star focused on beauty, fashion and lifestyle content. She has over 93 million followers and landed major brand deals with American Eagle, Item Beauty and more (SOURCE).
Bretman Rock grew his following into the millions by posting makeup, comedy and lifestyle videos. He was named Beauty Influencer of the Year at the People’s Choice Awards in 2020 (SOURCE).
TikTok offers influencers a wide reach, especially among younger audiences. The short form video format allows for viral growth and opportunities for sponsored content. Many influencers leverage TikTok alongside other platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
James Charles Joins TikTok
James Charles joined TikTok in November 2019, launching his account @jamescharles (https://www.tiktok.com/@jamescharles?lang=en). His first few videos featured makeup tutorials, reactions, and comedic sketches. With his massive following from YouTube and Instagram, James Charles quickly amassed millions of followers on TikTok as well.
Within his first month on TikTok, James hit 1 million followers. By January 2020, just two months after joining, he had over 10 million TikTok followers. As of August 2022, James Charles has over 38 million followers and over 1.2 billion likes on TikTok, making him one of the most popular influencers on the platform.
His rapid growth on TikTok demonstrates the power of cross-platform influence, as his existing fanbase on other sites migrated with him to the new platform. His makeup artistry and charismatic personality that made him famous continued to captivate fans on TikTok.
Types of Content on His TikTok
James Charles posts a wide variety of content on his TikTok account, which currently has over 1.2 billion likes. Some of the most popular types of videos include:
Beauty and Makeup Tutorials: As a professional makeup artist, many of James’ videos showcase his skills through makeup tutorials and reviews. He creates fun looks while teaching tips and tricks, like this ocean-inspired makeup tutorial: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamescharles/video/7056607824450344962. James also tests out new makeup products and brands, providing honest reviews for his audience.
Lifestyle Vlogs: Followers get a behind-the-scenes look at James’ life through his vlogs. He shares his travel adventures, days in the life, home renovations, and more. This gives fans a more personal connection with the internet star. For example, this vlog documents James’ trip to Coachella: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamescharles/video/7084046105802177026.
Collaborations: James often films videos with other top creators and influencers. These collabs allow him to connect with new audiences while creating fun content with friends. A popular collab was this dance video with Charli D’Amelio: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamescharles/video/6895939925191548933.
Trending Challenges: Like many top TikTokers, James participates in viral challenges and trends. This keeps his content engaging and allows fans to see his creative take on popular hashtag challenges. For instance, he did the popular Silhouette Challenge showcasing his makeup skills: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamescharles/video/6923208197366630149.
James Charles’ TikTok Stats
James Charles has quickly amassed a huge following on TikTok. As of February 2023, his main TikTok account, @jamescharles, has over 38 million followers and receives over 2 billion views per month. His secondary makeup-focused account, @jcharlesmakeup, has over 15 million likes and 540,000 followers.
On his main account, James posts a variety of content including makeup tutorials, comedy sketches, behind-the-scenes vlogs, and collaborations with other top creators. His videos regularly receive millions of views and likes. One of his most popular videos titled “I did Lizzo’s makeup for the 2022 VMAs” has over 27 million views and 5 million likes.
The high engagement and viewership on James’ TikTok accounts demonstrate his popularity and influence on the platform. As one of TikTok’s top creators, James Charles has leveraged the app to grow his audience and expand his personal brand beyond YouTube and Instagram.
The Impact of TikTok for James Charles
TikTok has had a significant impact on James Charles’ career and opportunities. Most notably, the platform has helped him grow his audience and reach new demographics. As one of the most popular influencers on TikTok with over 27 million followers, James Charles has been able to expand his fanbase beyond YouTube and Instagram.
According to a study about TikTok influencer marketing, the platform provides access to younger audiences who are very active on TikTok but may not use other social platforms as much [1]. This gives influencers a way to reach new potential subscribers. For James Charles, transitioning to TikTok has allowed him to connect with Gen Z viewers who are driving much of TikTok’s growth.
Additionally, TikTok has opened up new creative opportunities for James Charles to showcase his talents. The short-form vertical videos allow him to experiment with makeup tutorials, challenges, reactions, and comedy sketches. This different format gives him a way to produce new styles of content that feel native to the TikTok platform.
Finally, TikTok provides significant revenue opportunities through sponsorships, brand partnerships, and the TikTok Creator Fund. According to estimates, mid-tier influencers with around 50,000 followers can earn approximately $100 per sponsored post [2]. With tens of millions of followers, experts say the earning potential for mega influencers like James Charles is even higher.
In summary, TikTok has been transformative for expanding James Charles’ audience reach, creativity, and earning potential as an influencer.
