Painted launched four years in the making with a Beyoncé cosign — James Charles's vegan Create Paints brought professional-grade artistry to a $15 price point, converting his YouTube legacy into a standalone beauty brand.
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See all ads on AdLibrary →Painted is a Los Angeles-based vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics brand launched in August 2023 by beauty YouTuber and makeup artist James Charles. The brand's hero product — Create Paints, a multi-use cream-to-matte formula available in 10 vivid shades at $15 each — was developed over four years with an emphasis on professional-quality performance at an accessible price point. The launch generated significant media attention when it was revealed that Beyoncé's makeup artist used the black shade 'Ink' on the singer's Renaissance tour. Painted sells exclusively DTC through painted.co and targets makeup artists, enthusiasts, and Charles's existing YouTube and Instagram community.
Painted's advertising relies heavily on James Charles's existing platform rather than paid acquisition. His YouTube channel — one of the most-subscribed beauty channels globally — served as the primary launch vehicle, with dedicated tutorials demonstrating Create Paints' versatility driving both awareness and direct traffic to the DTC site. The Beyoncé Renaissance tour endorsement generated earned media coverage that no paid campaign could have purchased, creating cultural legitimacy beyond the influencer beauty category. When paid ads run, they leverage Charles's direct-to-camera tutorial style, showing product application techniques that demonstrate the unique multi-use formula. Browse Painted's ad activity at AdLibrary.
Instagram is Painted's primary social platform, where James Charles has tens of millions of followers. The brand account posts editorial makeup artistry content featuring Create Paints in complex, colorful looks — establishing professional credibility while demonstrating product versatility. TikTok has been a secondary discovery channel for younger makeup consumers who encounter the brand through tutorial content. Facebook serves a retargeting function for website visitors and cart abandoners. The brand's DTC-only model means all paid media ultimately drives to painted.co, with social channels functioning as both awareness and conversion tools.
Painted's copy centers on artistry democratization: 'pro-quality paint for everyone,' 'multi-use formula — eyes, lips, face,' and 'vegan, cruelty-free, affordable.' The brand leans into the painterly metaphor throughout — products are called 'paints,' the brand is called Painted, and color names have an artistic rather than cosmetic register (Blueprint, Turning Violet, Cold Brew). James Charles's personal voice is present in all brand communications, maintaining the authentic YouTube personality his community trusts. Affordability is called out directly in copy — Charles has been explicit about the price point being a deliberate decision, which becomes a copy asset that differentiates from premium artistry brands.
Painted shows that a four-year development cycle can be a marketing asset rather than a liability when the founder communicates the journey transparently. Charles's ongoing updates to his community during development created anticipation that made the launch feel like a culmination rather than a cold announcement. The brand also demonstrates the conversion value of celebrity adjacency: the Beyoncé-tour endorsement (organic, not paid) gave Painted mainstream credibility that expanded its addressable audience beyond Charles's existing fanbase. For beauty marketers, Painted's launch illustrates how pro-endorsement at an accessible price point creates a 'democratizing luxury' narrative that drives both aspiration and purchase.
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