MAC Tapped 10 of Your Favorite Influencers For an Incredible New Collaboration
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Ask any beauty junkie to rattle off his or her favorite products and you're bound to hear an immediate mention of an item from MAC Cosmetics. That's no small feat for a brand that's been around since 1984. Due to its high-quality formulations, savvy celebrity collaborations, covetable limited-edition packaging, and (perhaps most importantly) the fact that its leaders embrace change, MAC has secured its spot as a dominating force in the industry.
Case in point: MAC was one of the first brands to launch collaborations with influencers. All the way back in 2011, MAC teamed up with 10 popular beauty bloggers to release a collection of eye shadows and glosses designed by the writers. POPSUGAR is excited to exclusively reveal that in 2017, the brand is reviving this concept for the current social media climate. Ten Instagram beauty influencers from across the globe will debut their own custom MAC lipstick shades this April.
Famous names include American artists Gabriel Zamora and Laura Lee, Kuwaiti influencer TheRealFouz, and Glamour UK Beauty Director Alessandra Steinherr. Each shade will be named after a hashtag inspired by each participant, e.g. #MACxGabrielZamora.
"We've partnered with icons from the worlds of fashion, pop culture, celebrity, music, and art to bring to life their point of view on beauty," said MAC Senior Vice President of Global Communications Catherine Bomboy Dougherty. "While each collaborator has a unique vision, they all share authenticity in their partnership with the brand. We bring this authenticity now to a new type of influencer specifically in the beauty space. These beauty influencers are models, photographers, experts, editors, and artists all in one and we admire their makeup artistry talent, point of view, and love they inspire from their fans."
Each collaborator has their own sense of style, cult following, and flair for color. While the exact lipstick hues are still under wraps for now, stay tuned! We'll have more information as the launch gets even closer. In the meantime, read on to discover all 10 influencers and learn more about them.
Laura Lee
This Los Angeles-based influencer has been sharing fun and informative YouTube tutorials with her 2 million fans since 2013. She's no stranger to beauty collaborations, as she teamed up with Violet Voss last Summer to create her own palette. She's especially excited to mix up her own lipstick for MAC, as she's been shopping the brand long before she decided to become a beauty vlogger. Her first memory of the brand is a special one — saving up to buy items from the Barbie collection with her friends.
Gabriel Zamora
Gabriel is the only beauty boy chosen for this collection, but the MAC team picked wisely. The influencer (who lives in Los Angeles) is fun, bubbly, and unafraid to be honest in his videos, making him one of those people that you want to hang out with IRL. Collaborating with MAC is special to him because at the start of his career, he wanted to work at a counter but was too nervous to apply! "To be able to come out with my own lipstick is such a huge honor because I still get to work with MAC but in a different way," he shared via email.
Fleur Bell, aka Fleur DeForce
Fashion and beauty vlogger Fleur, who is based in the UK, has published two books — The Glam Guide and The Luxe Life — and cites this opportunity as a dream come true. If you're a fan, there's a good chance you already know which lipstick shade she'll be mixing up. (Our bets are on a soft neutral or bold red!) "I'm confident it will be a flattering color and comfortable texture for everyone to wear day to day," she revealed.
Alessandra Steinherr
As the beauty director of Glamour UK, Alessandra is a true product junkie and recalls shopping some of MAC's first launches, including '90s essentials Spice lip pencil and Twig lipstick. "I felt like Cindy Crawford or Christy Turlington wearing [them]," she confessed. She was meticulous throughout the development process, declaring that her shade is "like that favorite pair of jeans — superwearable and suitable for all occasions."
Nikkia Joy
Along with sharing incredible long-wear makeup tips and application hacks, Nikkia is a pro at close-up lip shots. This has us even more excited to see her bespoke shade, which she designed to flatter all skin tones. "I wanted to create something that takes away the problem of not being sure if a lipstick will look good with your natural coloring," the Aussie explained.
Victoria Ceridono
Because MAC Cosmetics didn't have its own store in her country until 2002, this Vogue Brazil beauty editor's first experience shopping the line in person was in London, where she bought C-Thru Lipglass and Fleshpot Lipstick. These two nude lip shades were the beginning of a long relationship with the brand. "It's almost unbelievable that I'll have my very own MAC lipstick," she gushed.
Samantha Ravndahl
If you're well acquainted with the beauty influencer scene, you're definitely familiar with this Vancouver-based makeup artist. Also known as ssssamanthaa, she has over 2.5 million followers who follow her feed closely to see her makeup choices, rainbow hair changes, and Halloween beauty masterpieces. "My lipstick will be quick, effortless, and gorgeous," she said of her shade. "The perfect everyday (and night) lipstick."
Caroline Daur
Follow this lifestyle blogger and you're bound to get travel envy. The Germany-based writer shares street style, workouts, and makeup looks all with international backdrops. Caro shared that her sister, "the biggest MAC fan on earth," turned her on to the brand when she started experimenting with makeup, "infecting" her with a passion for MAC.
Marie Lopez aka Enjoy Phoenix
Marie boasts over 3.5 million followers on Instagram and 2.6 million subscribers on YouTube, where she documents hair tutorials, beauty DIYs, and shopping hauls. Her first lipstick from MAC (which she still buys whenever she uses up a tube) was Jubilee, a creamy, natural beige. There's a good chance this shade inspired her custom color, which she declares as "easy to wear and elegant, for all ages and for all styles."
Fouz AlFahad aka The Real Fouz
This Kuwaiti makeup artist is a celebrity in her own right, recently appearing on the cover of Grazia Qatar. Follow this influencer for street style, makeup tutorials, and inspiration. She compares her first time walking into a MAC store like walking into a candy shop. "You don't know where to start," she explained. "Ever since that day, I’ve been hooked." If you're looking for clues for her custom shade, Fouz leaves you with three words: "feminine," "classy," and "powerful," or مرهف، راقي، و قوي in Arabic.