Why I am Loving James Charles’ Talent Show ‘Instant Influencer’ & You Will Too
YouTube Reading Time: 3 minutes
James Charles became a heavy lifter in the beauty industry soon after high school and although the drama last year with Tati Westbrook, his star appeal has been unprecedented and unstoppable. Let’s just say he had the perfect UNO reverse card and the message was clear to the beauty industry — he is untouchable. Now he’s giving back with a first influencer competition that has 6 contestants competing to win it all in his YouTube original series called Instant Influencer. Let’s talk about it.
What Do You Get When You Win ‘Instant Influencer’?
You win $10,000 worth of video and lighting studio equipment and a chance to collaborate with James Charles on his YouTube channel with 18.2 million subscribers. Since he is the biggest Beauty Channel on YouTube and has had stars like Kylie Jenner on it, it is a huge platform and the kind of introduction you want in the YouTube world if you plan to make it big.
And the winner also gets $50,000, which is just the cherry on an already mouthwatering cake.
Who Are The Judges?
So the permanent judge on the panel will be President and Creative Director of Anastasia Beverly Hills, Norvina — born Claudia Soare. The third judge on the pannel will change every week.
For this week, the celebrity guest was Paris Hilton. Now that’s hot! We do know that Manny MUA is set to do an appearance and so is Nikita Dragun but we don’t have official confirmation yet.
“Remember to Blend But Don’t Blend In,” James Charles Is So Ready To Give Back
He walks in like a boss and for a make-up junkie and beauty enthusiast, the show is just the fix I need during the quarantine. The show began with contestants coming in with the first look that reflects their personality.
After this, they had to create a marketing campaign surrounding the product they chose from the Ulta Beauty lab. One contestant who wasn’t up to par was gently let go. Was I expecting more drama? Heck yes.
But was I disappointed with the first show? Kinda.
The content is fresh and different, which is something we’ve come to expect from James. The contestants are diverse. The show is well filmed and produced. The attachment to the contestants is there because of their sob stories. So is it really a talent show? It can be, maybe. I am not sure just yet.
Like any talent show, the show has its own fair share of emotion sprinkled in, while Norvina comes off ass standoff-ish, James is friendly and likable. We haven’t seen Norvina’s personality much, so maybe she is a closed-off person, regardless she’s at best meh.
You do feel instant love for the contestants though, which is ultimately what talent shows are all about. Paris Hilton’s dog was the highlight but when are dogs not?
Norvina on the other hand surprised me with her criticism. Did she come off blunt? Yes but also well educated, which isn’t surprising one bit. Is the show ready to be on TV like America’s Got Talent or even American Idol? I wouldn’t hold my breath on that but given James’ cult-like following, it can’t be ruled out.
I wish there was more about the selection process, behind the scenes, and just more drama but when you are quarantined and sick at home, is it perfect to give you a boost? Absolutely.
Obviously, James did not plan this kind of thing but the show is perfectly timed for an audience that is dying for fresh content. While the show isn’t for professional makeup artists, the younger demographic that likes to experiment with make-up, free-spirited teens, and general make-up lovers would definitely enjoy it.
