LONDON — MAC Cosmetics is painting the town, and it’s opting for black rather than red.
To mark its 40th anniversary, the number-one prestige makeup brand globally is taking its super-pigmented lipstick to the next level. It’s collaborating with the home interior brand Lick on a limited-edition lipstick in a jet black, with black undertones.
The MAC Black 40 is now available at Lick’s website, and at select MAC Cosmetics stores priced at 25 pounds.
“MAC approached Lick initially, and we saw an excellent opportunity for telling an interesting story about color. It was a clear, shared moment around black being a daunting color in both the beauty and design worlds,” said Joanna Moura, marketing director at Lick.
Oli Douglas
The two brands worked on a series of images that depicted the MAC Black 40 shade, from a bathroom painted black to a silver-haired model wearing the Gothic shade.
Dom Skinner, director of makeup artistry at MAC Cosmetics, said “black is at the heart of MAC’s DNA. What has been the most exciting part of this collaboration with Lick has been exploring the versatility of black. Showing how it can be harnessed in multiple ways from fierce rebellion to clean minimalist, from a simple sheer sweep to dynamic overdrawn intensity, black can go from cool to chic and proves why it’s a must for any trendsetter.”
The color black is synonymous with MAC Cosmetics as a brand. On the shop floor, all staff are required to dress in head-to-toe black to match its counters and store interiors.
The MAC Black 40 from MAC Cosmetics’ collaboration with Lick.
Benjamin Madgwick
In addition to celebrating its 40th anniversary, the brand is also marking 30 years of MAC Cosmetics’ Viva Glam charity campaign.
The Viva Glam campaign has raised $525 million to date for organizations that fight AIDS, support the LGBTQIA+ community, and benefit organizations that more broadly support gender, racial and environmental equality.
