MAC Cosmetics

The Freak Show Goes A-List

Imagine that the Rocky Horror Picture show collided with New York Fashion week. Go ahead… picture it:

The result, as we know it, is MAC Cosmetics. Originally branded as “Makeup Artist Cosmetics,” MAC became the first high-fashion makeup line sold to the greater public in everyday department stores. The implications of this have been monumental. MAC is now the most sold non-drug store brand of makeup in the world. Its fabulously garish shades of lipstick, nail color, eye shadow — and the list goes on — are now available in over 70 countries worldwide, with over 12,000 makeup artists currently employed by the illustrious brand. Indeed MAC is everywhere but you don’t have to be a Kardashian or a Victoria’s Secret model to appreciate the beauty and everyday luxury of the brand. MAC is the fun, indulgent experience that make-up buying should be.

Picture being in Nordstrom — or even your neighborhood Macy’s — and perusing the Elizabeth Arden, Clinique, and Shiseido counters for that perfect shade of summer bronzer.

The models in the ads you see near the checkout station are stereotypically “white-girl” pretty, and the makeup colors themselves are a little boring, not to mention fairly expensive. A standard tube of lipstick at Shiseido will run you about $25 — which is enough to buy you about seven Big Macs at McDonald’s. Then suddenly, you hear a loud, pulsating bass and for a minute you think you’re in a club on a Saturday night. All that’s missing is your $15 Red Bull-in-vodka. Then you notice stark black makeup counters filled with a wide array of rainbow-like colors. There are wild ads all over the place and the makeup artists, also dressed in black, are as painted-up as the extras in Moulin Rouge! This is the MAC experience…

While some customers may bristle at the idea of such an over-the-top brand — after all, we’ve always been taught to believe that ladies should wear subtle make-up, right? — others may feel right at home experimenting with eye shadow bases, called “paints,” that go on creamy and dry to a powder finish — or loose color powders, called “pigment,” that range from black kohl to pure white and every color in between. Paints and Pigment cost $20 and $21 respectively. You’ll recall that’s still $4-5 less than that Shiseido lipstick! MAC lipstick generally will run you about $16. And with names like “Pure Heroine” — a vibrant blue-purple, and “Chatterbox” — a bubbly pink — the shades are a lot more fun than the stale matte rouge your grandmother would buy from those other boring competitors.

MAC excels at selling a fantasy. There’s an embrace of artificiality, or theatricality. That isn’t to say that authenticity isn’t important — of course, it is. MAC customer don’t change who they are on the inside, but for once they can play around with how they look on the outside. Any MAC consumer can create for herself any look or any persona she wants. The thought of have the power to change or improve oneself is only empowering — it’s fun!

The collections, like MAC’s 2007 Barbie campaign are designed with a lightheartedness where women can enjoy playing “dress-up” again — a frivolity thought to be reserved for little girls. Even darker-hued collections, like the recent Maleficent line, is just as fun because women can paint themselves up like the famous Disney villain, while claiming a bit of the exotic appeal of the film’s star, Angelina Jolie.

What’s more, not only is MAC touted by the most glamorously fashion-forward celebrities — Fergie, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and even Cyndi Lauper, to name a few — the line is a proud advocate of the LGBT community, with many openly gay artists — like Adam Lambert, Ricky Martin, and Boy George — collaborating with the brand to create products that appeal to men, as well as the “typical” female client base. In fact, MAC’s donates 100% of the proceeds from its Viva Glam lipstick line to the MAC AIDS Fund in an effort to support HIV and AIDS patients worldwide.

The true beauty of MAC lies in its embrace of the notion that everyone is beautiful, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation. This is a healthy message that all consumers can willingly buy into. Outsiders and social outcasts are made to feel like they belong, while housewives and professionals alike are given that little piece of the New York runway to incorporate into their everyday lives. The result is clients that feel happier, sexier, sassier and more confident. The brand is accessible and affordable without being “common” or “cheap.” Finally the products — which also include fragrances and skin care — are high quality and perform well enough to keep customers coming back again and again. And they’re their friends to do the same. MAC has enjoyed 20 years of longevity in the fashion world and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.