If we still had to prove that facial care and make-up are not just a women's affair, beauty boys and their rise to power at the start of 2017, drive the point home. A look at three beauty influencers who deserve to be (even better) known. James Charles, Winslegue, Jeffree Star... These three men with very different profiles have one thing in common:beauty.
In the era of make-up tutorials and beauty routines illustrated through millions of videos posted on the Internet, these gentlemen, claimed beauty addicts, are not left out. And claim, too, their legitimacy - and their pleasure - in a universe hitherto rather reserved for women.
James Charles Dickinson, 17, is a makeup artist with a promising future.
In just one year, the young man has managed to count 1.2 million subscribers on his Instagram account @Jcharlesbeauty and more than 500,000 on his Youtube channel.
In October 2016, he was thrust into the limelight by becoming the first male ambassador for American cosmetics brand CoverGirl.
Responsible for promoting “So Lashy” mascara, the young man then expressed his joy via his Instagram account:“I am so excited and overwhelmed and happy and amazed and of course, SHOCKED, to announce that I am the new face by @covergirl. First male ambassador for the brand and I am so honored and excited to work with such an iconic brand (…) I really hope this demonstrates that anyone can wear makeup and can do anything if you work hard” .
On the brand's side, we assume this unconventional choice:"All our CoverGirls models are limit breakers, who are not afraid to express themselves, to stand up for what they believe in, and to redefine the concept of beauty,” explained CoverGirl in a press release. In short, a new vision of beauty, its representations and an opening to a wider audience.
Video of the day:Passionate and self-taught, James Charles learned to apply makeup on his own, watching numerous beauty tutorials. He then begins to post his creations - from simple freckles to Drag Queen-inspired makeup, to breathtaking Halloween makeup - worthy of the greatest makeup artists.
A career choice that was not without raising many questions in the entourage of the young man.
“My parents started questioning me about whether I was transgender, whether or not I was trying to be female. It was a great topic of discussion (…) It took a lot of in-depth conversations to explain to them that it is simply an art form for me. I'm still confident as a boy and I'll always be a boy. I can be confident with bare skin and with a made-up face,” he confided to Marie Claire US in May 2016.
Ultimate proof of his growing success, the talk show host Ellen De Generes invited him in December 2016 on the set of her show "The Ellen De Generes Show".
Since then, two other men have had the privilege of becoming the muses of major cosmetics brands:Manny Gutierrez, alias Manny Mua for Maybelline, and Hari Nef, transgender model for L' Oreal Paris. Boys Power!
At 35, Wesley is the beard specialist for beauty youtubers in France.
Only two years after the opening of his channel, "Les tutos de Winslegue", he can boast of counting more than 45,000 subscribers. An honorable figure for a 100% masculine French beauty channel.
Tips for trimming, maintaining, growing your beard, product tests and tutorials for having beautiful skin or reducing dark circles... Wesley gives his advice to all men (hipsters or not) who like to take care of themselves.
He does not hesitate to diversify by sharing his fashion favorites, his sports training and even goes so far as to explain "how to make love to a woman well" to his followers. For once the subject is raised in this sense, we cannot complain
From an early age, Jeffree Star, real name Jeffrey Steininger, was drawn to the world of beauty.
“I discovered makeup when I was 13 and have been obsessed with it ever since. I copied models from fashion advertisements spotted in my mother's Cosmopolitan magazine and stole her eye shadows,” he explains in his blog post, “Jeffreystarcosmetics.com.”
Proud of his ten years of experience, the one who wears pink hair and fake nails every day now hosts make-up masterclasses and has even launched his own brand of vegan cosmetics and not tested on animals.
His dream? "Making the lightest matte lipstick on the market!". So ambitious.
His Youtube channel is a real hit:3,455,717 subscribers for 311,678,499 views. We understand better why he drives in a luxury car (pink Barbie).
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