How MAC Cosmetics Got its Groove Back
Hi friends, Sorry for the delayed post, but this one was a bit of a doozy. I will return to a regular posting schedule on Wednesdays and every second Friday of the month. I hope you enjoy this one—it was a labour of love. Sending a big welcome to new subscribers - it’s lovely to have you here!
In the ‘90s and 2000s, I worshipped at the altar of Fashion Television. I wanted to be fashion journalist Jeanne Bekker and get a glimpse of the backstage goings-on at the shows, where the OG supermodels Cindy, Christy, and, of course, Linda Evangelista, would provide breathy, bite-sized quips about their endless Vogue covers or the fabulousness of Karl or Gianni’s collections. They would, of course, often do their own makeup backstage, and more often than not, at least a few of the products used would be from MAC Cosmetics.1
MAC’s iconic Spice Lip Pencil2 was Evangelista’s favourite. The brand’s nude lip shades and frosted lipstick became synonymous with the supermodel makeup look created by the top artists of the time, including Kevyn Aucoin and Francois Nars.
Since its inception in 1985 in Toronto, Canada, MAC Cosmetics (the first true “artist” brand) has excelled at driving trends and inserting itself into the cultural conversation. From driving backstage beauty trends and products to executing exciting collaborations and partnerships - the first and perhaps most iconic being in 1994 with Rupaul for its Viva Glam Lipstick, which raised funds for AIDS/HIV programs, MAC led the charge in beauty. Later makeup collaborations with Selena, Rihanna, and Barbie, and out-of-the-box fashion and music personalities like Iris Apfel, Daphne Guinness, Beth Ditto, and Lorde became seminal moments in beauty history, cementing MAC as being at the forefront of culture.
However, sometime in the 2010s, MAC seemingly lost its way. When I worked as a fashion and beauty editor in Canada during that time, I saw endless MAC collabs and makeup collection launches—some of which were great (cue: the Proenza Schouler collection), while others were just “meh” or worse due to weird alignment (Did we really need the ‘Sharon & Kelly Osbourne Collection’? ). At this point, it seemed like MAC was grasping, and the brand that started the collab had collaborated with just about everyone and everything in popular culture.
Not only that, but the endless collections never offered anything new or innovative from a product standpoint (a hallmark of the beauty industry)—they were just the same makeup products in new (albeit sometimes chic) packaging.
Fast forward to the 2020s, and some in the beauty world have lately been asking, “Where did it all go wrong for MAC Cosmetics?” claiming that the brand has struggled amidst the rise of “clean beauty,” ingredient-driven products and celebrity-driven makeup brands like Rare, Rhode, and Fenty. Let’s face it: It’s hard to compete against the likes of Selena, Hailey, and Rihanna, along with all the makeup artist brands that have arisen in the last decade, from Charlotte Tilbury to Patrick Ta and Mario Dedivanovic’s Makeup by Mario.
But it seems that stories of MAC’s impending demise have been grossly exaggerated.
Let’s start with some metrics because I think the proof is in the numbers: In a sea of viral products from Rhode, Patrick Starr, E.l.f. Cosmetics and more, you might be surprised to know that MAC came out on top as the most-talked-about brand on social media of 2023. According to Launchmetrics, MAC generated $471 million in Media Impact Value (that means media chatter), up 21 percent from the previous year, primarily driven by influencer partnerships. In terms of sales, the brand experienced double-digit growth last year, mainly due to new face, lip, and eye product launches. Let’s hear it for innovation!
In their 40th year of existence, MAC Cosmetics has been doing a lot of things right lately, and these are just a few:
#1: MAC has (finally!) embraced newness and innovation. Case in point: MAC Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation, launched last fall (its first foundation launch in years), is a hybrid skincare-makeup product comprising 80% serum and gives a radiant finish. With its hybrid formula, MAC is tapping into the “skinification” of makeup trend, according to WWD, and it’s one that Gen Z is particularly attuned to. I haven’t tried the product (MAC, hit me up!) but I would liken this more to a skin tint, where you can still see skin shining through versus that old-school mask-like effect.
On the colour front, MAC has always been known for its amazing matte lipsticks and extensive shade range (Ruby Woo, anyone?). Earlier this year, the brand launched Macximal Matte Lipsticks, an update on its signature mattes, amped up with 12-hour colour payoff and moisture-boosting ingredients cocoa, shea butter, and coconut oil. It’s another sign that the brand is returning to its roots and what it’s been known for—bold glamour synonymous with lipstick—and updating the formulas for today’s beauty consumer.
Following in the vein of its new foundation, MAC recently launched the Glowplay Lip Balm and Cushiony Blush, with multi-use and hybrid skincare-meets-makeup formulas. Both lip balms/tints and blush are having major beauty moments, so this is MAC’s “play” for Gen Z love, giving consumers sheer, natural formulas that can compete with the Rare Beauty and Rhode of the cosmetics world.
#2: Newness is one thing, but another facet of MAC’s strategy is rooted in nostalgia, and this is playing out in its 40th anniversary year. Earlier this year, MAC re-released a roster of favourite products from its best-selling Disney makeup collections (a few items are still available, but most have sold out). And for National Lipstick Day, the brand recently released “Mac 40 Lipstick Bringbacks” - 8 iconic shades fans asked the brand to bring back, from Fleshpot to Bubbles and Up The Amp. In Canada, the lineup sold out within hours of launch, and the brand released a second batch to keep up with demand. (I would love to see a MAC Spice makeup collection complete with the OG formula lip pencil. MAC, if you’re listening, please make this happen and don’t let other, lesser brands get in on the Spice dupe love).
Rather than introducing a revolving door of makeup collections and collaborations, MAC has returned to its essence as a brand based on creativity and artistry.
MAC is also driving cultural relevance through its purpose-led mission, a pillar of which is the Viva Glam campaign. Now in its 30th year, the campaign is led by transgender artist Kim Petras. In tandem, the brand launched the 40 Shades of Pride Eyeshadow Vault, consisting of 40 new and “bringback” shades with 100% of proceeds going to M·A·C VIVA GLAM, cementing its commitment to inclusivity and support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
#3: Driving the conversation through cultural relevance and storytelling. According to group creative director Drew Elliot, MAC was relatively late to the social media game. However, it’s still driving the conversation as a culture-first brand that sets the trends. MAC was the first beauty brand to partner with TikTok sensation “Tube Girl” Sabrina Bahsoon, just as the viral subway dancing queen was breaking out. And just this week, MAC released a lip-kit collab with girl of the moment Gabbriette. (Thanks to
of for the tip).
On the content side, for its 40th anniversary, MAC tapped its in-house trendspotter, Cat Quinn, to play makeup historian/archivist; she visited the MAC archives to tell the backstories of the iconic eight “Bringback” lipsticks and offered up suggested lip pencil pairings. I’ve loved Cat since her days as a beauty editor at Allure (though we never crossed paths), but her storytelling has been key to keeping the brand relevant.
MAC’s ties to pop culture also remain strong: MAC’s products will soon be on display on the face of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in the new Joker movie Folie a Deux. Meanwhile, a little over a year ago, MAC sent fans into a frenzy for its Nightmoth Lip Pencil, when it was revealed as the go-to lip colour of Jenna Ortega’s goth-girl Wednesday character (roving beauty reporter Cat Quinn broke that news). There’s no shortage of cultural moments linked to the brand - whether it’s the go-to green face paint of Elphaba in the stage production of Wicked or the story of Russian Red lipstick, Madonna’s go-to lipstick to last through a full concert performance on her Blond Ambition tour.
Interestingly, these moments are taking on new life on social media courtesy of content creators like makeup artist Erin Parsons. Parsons is perhaps best known as the Internet’s makeup historian, dissecting iconic makeup products and looks from the likes of Marilyn Monroe to Amy Winehouse. She has been an ardent MAC fan and supporter, and content like hers has pushed MAC back into the beauty and culture trend cycle and further into the ranks of icon status.
Further, regarding icon status, I wanted to talk a bit about MAC’s social media, particularly its Instagram in Canada, which inspired this post. Through a keen understanding of its audience, the team has successfully realized a vision of MAC as an icon in the beauty industry, while also elevating MAC products to icon status.
Leveraging meme-style content highlighting its storied roster of products, from Studio Fix Foundation to Prep + Prime Fix+ Setting Spray or Shroom Eyeshadow, the team has created a visual and textual language that immediately speaks to MAC fans everywhere.
Final thoughts: If you’re a legacy brand like MAC Cosmetics, you go back to basics and reassert what you're known for: creativity and artistry, and bold and sometimes subversive glamour, and own your icon status in the beauty world. Add a major dose of nostalgia and game-changing innovation, and you're well on the way to maintaining your Gen X fans while courting the all-important Gen Z market. I can’t wait to see what they do next!
P.S.: I haven’t even scratched the surface of everything MAC is doing right - I didn’t mention its army of amazing artists and the re-launch of MAC Pro. Plus, all the other things its doing on social. But that’s a post for another day. If I missed something major, please sound off in the comments.
What do you think?
Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
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Kristen
Sadly, we don’t seem to have much video evidence of this. Fashion Television, please upload your archives to YouTube.
The shade is different now and skews more orangey than the cool-toned nude it was in the ‘90s, thanks to makeup artist and historian Erin Parsons’ savvy sleuthing.
MAC still dominates my lipstick and eye shadow drawers - this is partly because for years they were the only brand with pigments strong enough to actually show up on my skin the way they looked in the tube/pan even if I preferred a sheer/undone look for skin.
I personally think it helps that they still deliver good product at lower prices than most big-name cosmetic brands/'designer doing makeup' lines+ are in a LOT of countries with their own stores = it's easy to buy and renew supplies, way more than say Fenty or Rhode or 'cooler' brands with more limited distribution or which are only available in Sephora etc.
I think if they can pull the YSL tinted balms with their glow play, it can do really well with gen z and younger millennials. My first blushes and lipsticks were MAC back when it was really cool and I definitely traded them in for glossier bc full face make up looks went out of style and it was just easier to manage haha