"I'm having fun. I'm being myself. I'm doing what I love. That's all that matters." — James Charles

You've watched him transform faces with a brush, break barriers in the beauty industry, and survive cancellation attempts that would have buried most careers. But what drives James Charles—really? Behind the flawless makeup tutorials and the multi-million dollar brand lies a psychology that explains both his meteoric rise and his spectacular falls.

James Charles isn't just a makeup artist who got lucky. He's a textbook example of how the Enneagram Type 3 personality—"The Achiever"—operates when ambition meets opportunity, and what happens when that same drive collides with public scrutiny.

TL;DR: Why James Charles is an Enneagram Type 3
  • Image-Conscious Pioneer: Became the first male CoverGirl ambassador at 17, demonstrating Type 3's drive to break records and achieve "firsts" that validate their worth.
  • Adaptive Reinvention: After devastating cancellation, he didn't disappear—he launched his own brand (Painted), pivoted to music, and rebuilt his image, showing classic Type 3 resilience and shape-shifting ability.
  • Success as Identity: His 23+ million YouTube subscribers, multiple awards, and collaborations with Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner reflect Type 3's need to accumulate achievements that prove they matter.
  • Vulnerability Under Pressure: His candid 2023 confession about suicidal thoughts after allegations reveals how Type 3s can crumble when their carefully constructed image is threatened.

What is James Charles' Personality Type?

James Charles is an Enneagram Type 3 (The Achiever)

Enneagram Type 3s are driven by a core need to feel valuable and worthwhile. They achieve this through success, accomplishment, and maintaining an image that others admire. At their best, they're inspiring, efficient, and genuinely accomplished. At their worst, they can become image-obsessed, deceptive, and disconnected from their authentic selves.

The Type 3's childhood wound typically involves feeling that love was conditional on performance. They learned early that being praised required doing something impressive—getting good grades, winning competitions, or standing out in some way.

For James Charles, this manifests in an almost compulsive need to be "first," "biggest," and "best"—from becoming the youngest and first male CoverGirl ambassador to hosting his own YouTube competition series to launching a makeup brand despite industry headwinds.

James Charles' Upbringing: Building an Achiever

James Charles Dickinson was born on May 23, 1999, in Bethlehem, New York—a small town in Albany County with a population of about 35,000. His father, Skip, was a contractor; his mother, Christine, supported his unconventional interests from an early age.

The Dickinson household seems to have been supportive but perhaps unusually focused on James's pursuits. When his career started gaining traction, his father—who had dreamed of his son becoming an architect or interior designer—gave up his basement office so James could build a glam room for filming tutorials.

James came out as gay to his parents at age 12. Their acceptance was apparently complete, which allowed him to pursue makeup without the internal conflict many LGBTQ+ youth face. But one can imagine how this early experience of needing acceptance might have reinforced Type 3 patterns—the sense that being loved requires presenting yourself in a certain way.

Before beauty, young James showed other interests that hinted at his Type 3 tendencies. He started a YouTube channel called "JaysCoding" in 2010, making song covers and videos about competitive Mario Kart Wii modding. Even at 11, he was seeking an audience, a platform, validation through content.

Rise to Fame: The First Male CoverGirl

In 2015, 16-year-old James started posting makeup tutorials from his bedroom. He was good—talented, even—but so were thousands of other aspiring beauty influencers. What set him apart was pure Type 3 instinct: finding the angle that would make people notice.

In 2016, James retook his senior yearbook photo. But this time, he brought a ring light and applied full glam makeup, complete with glossy highlighter that made his cheekbones pop. When a friend tweeted the before-and-after, it went viral.

Within months, CoverGirl came calling. At 17, James Charles became the first male brand ambassador in the company's history. He shot commercials alongside Katy Perry. He appeared on Ellen. He was a millionaire before graduating high school.

This wasn't luck. It was strategic positioning—a Type 3 specialty. James understood that being a skilled makeup artist wasn't enough. He needed a narrative, a "first," a record to break. And breaking barriers in an industry traditionally focused on women gave him exactly that.

Personality Quirks and Mental Patterns

The Image Perfectionist

James's commitment to his visual brand borders on obsessive. His early Instagram posts showed carefully constructed eye shadow designs that took hours to create. Even his "casual" content is meticulously planned.

This isn't vanity—it's Type 3 survival strategy. When your worth is tied to how others perceive you, every photo, every video, every public appearance becomes a performance that must be optimized.

The Collaborator Collector

Look at James's collaboration history: Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Kesha, JoJo Siwa, Charli D'Amelio, Addison Rae, Bretman Rock. This isn't random networking—it's strategic association with successful people.

Type 3s understand that proximity to achievement signals achievement. Each collaboration reinforces James's status as someone who belongs in rooms with other famous, successful people.

The Adaptive Chameleon

One of Type 3's defining characteristics is adaptability. They can read a room and become whatever that room needs. James has demonstrated this repeatedly—shifting from beauty guru to competition show host to brand CEO to aspiring pop star.

His critics might call this lack of authenticity. A Type 3 might call it survival. When one path closes, you find another. When one image stops working, you construct a new one.

Major Accomplishments and Industry Impact

Breaking Beauty's Glass Ceiling

Being CoverGirl's first male spokesperson wasn't just a personal achievement—it shifted industry norms. Writing for the Irish Independent, Caitlin McBride noted that James "spearheaded a makeup revolution among men." The Guardian's Amelia Tait called his platform "arguably revolutionary."

Before James, men in makeup existed largely in drag or theatrical contexts. He normalized the idea that a teenage boy could simply enjoy cosmetics as a form of self-expression.

Building a Media Empire

James's YouTube channel grew to over 23 million subscribers. His collaborations with Morphe Cosmetics produced two sold-out "Artistry Palettes" with over 60 combined eyeshadow shades. In 2020, he hosted, directed, and co-produced "Instant Influencer," a YouTube Originals competition series that won Show of the Year at the 10th Streamy Awards.

The awards accumulated: two People's Choice Awards, three Streamy Awards, a Shorty Award, a Teen Choice Award. For a Type 3, each trophy is evidence. Proof that the performance is working. Validation that they matter.

Painted: Building Something Independent

After his business relationships with Morphe dissolved following the 2021 allegations, James did what Type 3s do under pressure: he pivoted. In 2023, he launched Painted, his own self-funded, vegan, cruelty-free makeup brand.

The products—priced affordably ($15 per paint, $8 per brush)—showed he'd learned from past criticisms about influencer brands being overpriced cash grabs. When professional makeup artists used Painted products on Beyoncé during her Renaissance World Tour, it validated what James had been building.

Drama, Controversies, and the Psychology of Cancellation

The Tati Westbrook Feud (2019)

The first major test of James's public image came in May 2019 when Tati Westbrook, his former mentor, posted a 43-minute video titled "BYE SISTER."

The immediate trigger was business: James had promoted SugarBearHair, a competitor to Tati's own vitamin brand, in exchange for Coachella passes. But Tati's video went further, alleging predatory behavior and manipulation.

James lost over one million subscribers in 24 hours—a record at the time. For a Type 3, this wasn't just embarrassing. It was existential. Their entire sense of worth is built on how others perceive them, and suddenly millions of people were declaring him worthless.

But James fought back. His 41-minute response video, "No More Lies," presented evidence refuting many of Tati's claims. Subscribers returned. His image recovered.

A year later, Tati herself apologized, claiming she'd been manipulated by Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star into making the original video. The vindication must have been sweet—but it also reinforced a dangerous lesson for a Type 3: you can construct your way out of anything.

The 2021 Allegations

In February 2021, a 16-year-old named Isaiyah alleged on TikTok that James had groomed him by sending nude photos and pressuring him to sext despite knowing his age. More accusers emerged. Eventually, over 15 men and boys accused James of sexual misconduct.

The consequences were severe. Morphe cut ties. YouTube temporarily demonetized his channel. James was removed as host of Instant Influencer's second season. His carefully constructed empire was crumbling.

The Dark Night of the Type 3 Soul

In a 2023 Cosmopolitan interview, James revealed what those allegations did to him internally:

"I can't even begin to explain to you how bad that week of my life was. I was crying myself to sleep every single night. I was sitting there in bed staring at my phone. I wanted to kill myself. I wasn't talking to anybody."

He described his usual coping mechanisms failing: "With this situation, it was really scary because my coping mechanisms weren't coping. It was the first time where I was like, Oh, fuck. I actually don't know what to do here."

This is the Type 3 nightmare made real. Their identity depends on success and admiration. When the world decides you're a villain, who are you? If no one values you, do you have value?

The estrangement from his brother Ian made it worse. For two years, they didn't speak. (They've since reconciled—Ian commented "love you endlessly" on a 2024 video.)

The Complicated Truth

James has maintained that screenshots from accusers were faked and that he was misled about ages. In the Cosmopolitan interview, he said one initial accuser had falsely claimed to be 18 and later privately apologized.

"I've never been more disgusted in my life than when I found out that that kid was 16 years old," James said. "I was mortified, absolutely mortified."

The allegations remain contested. What's clearer is how a Type 3 processes this kind of crisis: not as a moral reckoning, but as an image problem to be managed, a narrative to be corrected, a comeback to be engineered.

James Charles' Legacy and Current Reinvention

By 2024, James was attempting yet another transformation: pop star. He released his debut single "Call Me Back" in February and teased another track, "Can We Just Be Friends," at Coachella.

The reception was mixed. Some fans were excited about this new direction. Others reminded him—and everyone else—about the unresolved allegations. But James kept pushing forward, debuting Painted products at Coachella, maintaining his presence, refusing to disappear.

His net worth has climbed to an estimated $22 million. His social media following remains massive: 23+ million on YouTube, 21+ million on Instagram, 38 million on TikTok. He's survived what would have ended most careers.

In April 2025, he faced more controversy when accusations emerged connecting him to an associate who pleaded guilty to domestic assault. James claimed he was unaware of the behavior. The pattern continues: allegation, denial, pivot, persist.

The Achiever's Mirror

What makes James Charles fascinating isn't his talent—though he's undeniably skilled—or his controversies—though they're numerous. It's the pure, undiluted Type 3 energy that drives everything he does.

He sees life as a series of achievements to unlock, images to construct, comebacks to engineer. His failures don't make him question his approach; they make him refine his strategy. His successes don't satisfy him; they fuel his appetite for more.

Is this admirable resilience or troubling disconnection from authentic self-reflection? Perhaps both. Type 3s at their healthiest can channel their drive into genuine contribution. At their unhealthiest, they become shells performing success without substance.

James Charles is still young—just 25. His story isn't finished. The question isn't whether he'll keep reinventing himself. It's whether any of those reinventions will lead him to something beyond the endless pursuit of external validation.

What do you think drives someone to keep building an empire after it's crumbled around them? Is it courage, delusion, or something else entirely?

Disclaimer: This analysis of James Charles's Enneagram type is speculative, based on publicly available information, and may not reflect his actual personality type.