James Charles admits he made 'mistakes'

James Charles has admitted he has made "mistakes".

The beauty influencer reflected on his early successes and failures as he prepared to reinvent his personal brand.

"Nobody's perfect. I think that when you do grow up in the spotlight, it is a blessing and a curse," James, 25, told Us Weekly.

"You get so many incredible opportunities and are able to take advantage of so many incredible, fun things that most people wouldn't have the privilege of experiencing in their lives, but you're also growing up in the spotlight. So with that does come mistakes."

The YouTuber added that he has spent the past two years "rediscovering" himself and "kind of reimagining what the James Charles brand to the public eye really is".

He went on to explain he felt he had presented a persona since he first achieved fame online in 2015.

"I've been doing social media since I was a little kid and it's been the biggest blessing," he said. "But I also feel like for such a long time I was putting on - I don't want to say a character because that makes it seem fake - but it was just a really hyper version of myself. Whereas now I'm just worrying about being authentic and telling my truth and my stories and being able to let people see me for who I really am when the cameras are off."

James was embroiled in a number of public controversies since he first began publishing makeup content. In February 2021, he denied claims he had groomed an underage boy online. In 2019, he was embroiled in an online feud with fellow make-up influencer Tati Westbrook.