This Is How You Can Get Selena's Amor Prohíbido Look Using Her MAC Collection

POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone
POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone
Every editorial product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn commission.

When I heard MAC had partnered with Suzette Quintanilla to launch a collection inspired by Selena's most iconic beauty looks, I could barely contain my excitement. All I could think about was re-creating her gorgeous brows and superpigmented lips from the Amor Prohíbido album cover — my favorite Selena album as a child — and a few days before all 13 products in the highly anticipated collection hit maccosmetics.com on Oct. 1, I got the chance to do it.

The MAC team allowed me to try the products ahead of the launch and sent its senior artist Chantel Miller to coach me through the whole thing. Straight ahead, you'll find the step-by-step that'll allow you to create Selena's beautiful makeup if you got your hands on the products, too. If you didn't, don't worry — we got a list of shades that will serve as replacements.

The Base
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Base

Selena was, of course, naturally gorgeous, but it was matte powder (so popular in the early '90s) that gave her that flawless look on and off stage. To re-create that perfectly even finish, we used a light liquid foundation, then layered Studio Fix Perfecting Powder ($27) to both set the base and absorb oil from the skin.

"The main thing to remember here is that the '90s were not about contouring heavily; this era is about matte skin and keeping features natural, more round and full," Chantel said.

The Brows
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Brows

You might have been surprised when you saw no brow products made it into the MAC x Selena collection, but that's because the brown and black eye shadows in it can play double duty.

"Selena's brows were well-defined, so you want to go for the darkest possible shade, even if you're blond," Chantel said. Use a small angled brush to gently create short strokes on your brows with Is It the Beat Eye Shadow ($17), the black shade, making sure to exaggerate your arch a little bit. "Then, go over with No Me Queda Mas Eye Shadow ($17), a brown powder, to soften the color a bit," Chantel said.

If you didn't get your hands on the MAC x Selena collection, try Carbon Eye Shadow ($16) and Charcoal Brown Eye Shadow ($16).

The Eye Shadow
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Eye Shadow

Selena's Amor Prohíbido peachy pink eye shadow might look simple, but it involves at least three products. Start by creating a base with Missing My Baby Eye Shadow ($17), a soft peach color, from the lash line all the way to the brow bone (and we mean that, all the way to the brow).

"You want to get the most opacity you can out of the shadow, so use a dense eye shadow brush and a tapping motion instead of swiping back and forth," said Chantel, who also recommends the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25).

If you didn't get your hands on the MAC x Selena collection, try Grain Eye Shadow ($16).

POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

Go over the soft pink shade only on the crease of your eyelid with Fotos y Recuerdos Eye Shadow ($17), a baby-pink hue, with a small crease brush (like MAC 217 Blending Brush ($25)), and using a windshield wiping motion.

"You are not looking to create a lot of contrast between the base eye shadow and the crease; you're looking to see just a slight change in tint on the crease," Chantel said.

If you didn't get your hands on the MAC x Selena collection, try Paradisco Eye Shadow ($16).

POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

Using the soft brown shadow in the MAC x Selena collection, No Me Queda Mas Eye Shadow ($17), and a pencil brush, draw a tiny triangle on the outer corner of your eye — from your crease to the top of your lash line. "Be generous with the product; again, you don't want to create a heavy contrast, but you definitely want to see that change of color into brown in the corner," Chantel said.

If you didn't get your hands on the MAC x Selena collection, try Charcoal Brown Eye Shadow ($16).

The Kitten Eyeliner
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Kitten Eyeliner

Selena's cat eye was more of a kitten liner — meaning the wing at the outer edge was small and straight instead of angled up. Chantel recommends applying Boot Black Liquid Eye Liner ($21) straight from the packaging and with the brush provided but having a clean liner brush nearby to fix any skips or smudges while the formula is still wet. "And always do the wing with your eyes opened, that way you can really see what you're doing," Chantel said.

The Lashes
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Lashes

"Selena's curl was not a doll, heavy curl; it was more of a bend. You might not need to curl at all, but if you do, just do the very ends," Chantel said.

Swipe a light coat of mascara on your top lashes using a wiggle motion to separate them and elongate them. We used the Optimum Black Opulash Mascara ($18), available in a limited-edition Selena packaging as part of the singer's collection.

The Bottom Lash Line
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Bottom Lash Line

Reach for Is It the Beat Eye Shadow ($17) again with a flat eyeliner brush. "You want to make sure you're getting the bristles right into the roots of the lower lash line, pressing and wiggling starting at the outer corner and going into the inner one," Chantel said. "Three presses should be good; wherever that ends, let it end."

If you didn't get your hands on the MAC x Selena collection, try Carbon Eye Shadow ($16).

The Contour
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Contour

Swirl the Powder and Blush Brush ($35) over both shades of the Techno Cumbia Blunt and Ven Conmigo Blush and Bronzer Compact ($29), then very gently swipe the color right on the bone of your cheekbones. "If you look straight ahead in the mirror, you want to stop your blush right in line with the iris of your eye; don't go closer to your nose" Chantel said. "It's very much an angle, a combination of a light contour and blush."

If you're blond, blend a little of the blush and bronzer into the roots of your hair on your temples so you can't see a clear stop to the color.

If you didn't get your hands on the MAC x Selena collection, try Blunt Powder Blush ($23) and Well Dressed Powder Blush ($23).

The Lips
POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The Lips

The staple of Selena's '90s red lip look was using a darker shade of lip liner. "Make sure your lips aren't super dry or the lip color will highlight creases and flakes, but avoid applying lip balm right before, too, or the color will run," Chantel said.

Use the side of the pencil tip to draw the edge of your lips — we used MAC Lip Liner in Chestnut ($18) — "that'll give you a thicker line with blended edges so when you apply the red lipstick (Como La Flor Lipstick ($18)) over it, it will blend more seamlessly and create an ombré look."

If you didn't get your hands on the MAC x Selena collection, try Lipstick in Dare You ($17).

POPSUGAR Photography / Benjamin Stone

The trick behind Selena's perfectly drawn pouty lips is a bit of highlighter around the lip edges for extra definition. Chantel suggests using the same Studio Fix powder you applied on your face, swiping it on with an eye shadow brush for precision and extra payoff.