Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: M·A·C Dawns a Deliciously Decadent New Era
There are few milestones ghastlier than the big “Four-Oh!” Just saying the two accursed digits aloud provokes an instinctual shushing like no other. And let’s face it, with blurring vision that begets outré specs and silvery strands that multiply by the glance, it can feel anything but glamorous—but a hard swallow doesn’t always have to follow the highly anticipated, under-appreciated “Four-Oh!” Take M·A·C for instance. The makeup magnum is dawning its 40th bigger, “badder,” and bolder than ever. The secret?
Just ask around, and you’ll discover the ultimate ritual of reinvention is the makeover. It and all its montaged glory is a rite of passage that shall be reserved for special occasions only. A Ruby Jubilee is, without a doubt, a special occasion. It heralds a whole new era, and everyone knows that the best eras are brought in with a bang. That’s why M·A·C has a little celebration in store. Glancing back at 40 years of innovation, the makeup monolith revives some of its most iconic looks with a sleek update.
If you’re yearning for a little recontextualization in matters of age, you’ll first need to check a few party essentials off your list. And while it all may sound incredibly hectic—don’t trip. M·A·C has got you covered. Sit back and take notes. This is how the pros do it.
What’s a birthday without a cake? The sweeter, the better, or so it’s said. No, we’re not talking sugar and carbs (although that does sound sweet as sin). We’re talking cake, as in where, oh, a little Birthday Suit is concerned. When the batter of this icon was first whipped together, the steez and spice of the aughts’ pop goddesses set the flavor. Now, in the heat of the beauty arbiter’s 40th anniversary, it rises in the shape of Ama, the luscious birthday siren. Low on modesty, high on sparkle, Ama can be found at the party perched up high on a pedestal, soaking up the limelight. Baked to a matte finish, this delicacy saves the shine for the eyes. With three creamy layers of Triennial Wave eyeshadow, the Birthday Suit, unlike your standard confetti cake, doesn’t spoil. Instead, it endlessly remains a sweet treat for the eye and camera alike.
To turn the night into a true scorcher, you’ll need to score some candles and a flame to spark them. Hotheads and hotshots, step aside. Princess Gollum, AKA Solar Return, is here to bring the heat. Burning up the bash, she’s busting up thermostats and setting alarms into full panic mode. Delectably dramatic and unabashedly fierce, her sharp gaze recalls beauty’s darker proclivities (think reverse cat eyes, smokey eyes, and vampy lips). With eyeliner so sharp you could cut your gaze on it, she won’t go soft where the party is concerned, so it’s best to steer mild-tempered gestures out of her way. Generous on lashes, scarce on brows, she’s only for the hardcore partygoers. She’s the most anticipated part of the bash (there’s even a countdown heralding her arrival)—but when the flame blows out, the party goes with her, all up in smoke.
Balloons, while exciting at first glance, can quickly deflate, leaving a lame sinking energy in their wake. Instead of opting for balloons of the humdrum variety, shift your sights to the High-Spirited. Be it on the lash, or on the cheek, you’ll find only the brightest of hues on this look to keep the vibe soaring sky-high. In the '80s, this beauty legend first blew up with cobalt lashes and teal waterlines pulsing underneath strobe lights. But it wasn’t until the 2010s that it inflated to icon status as club kids cranked up the chroma of their palettes to levels so high they might as well have required seizure warnings. Now, the makeup megastar materializes in Parker, our High-Spirited heroine. As suggested by the prismatic hues shadowing their eyes, they’re all about having some lighthearted fun. But make no mistake. They’re no airhead. Per the primer beneath their kaleidoscope eyes, they’re all about championing the night and ending it on a high note—crease-free. Whether bouncing on the dancefloor or in a mighty pour, the High-Spirited Heroine knows all the tricks to turn a celebration into a sheer rager. And so, when they emerge on the scene, there’s only one direction the party will head—and that’s up!
Now that you’ve got the essentials revamped and dashed off your list, you can sign off that face card with some unapologetic, capital G-Glamour. And while some may retain the originals reign supreme, it’s M·A·C’s 40th birthday party. They’ll reinvent themselves if they want to!
Up for an afterparty? Read the exclusive interview with M·A·C beauty master Chantel Miller and muses Ama Elsesser, Parker Kit Hill, and Princess Gollum below.
Chantel Miller: What's amazing about makeup is that it always evolves on its own, especially when you look at the human being that's in your chair. The first step in this creative process for me was really just doing the research. Even though I have been with M·A·C for 28 years, sitting down and taking a moment to go through every campaign M·A·C has ever done was a really powerful journey for me. I enjoyed the process of taking all of those campaigns, narrowing them down based on the message we wanted to [covey], and then, of course, trying to figure out how to channel them into a story. As a brand, we are historically known for wearing black, so much to the point that we [coined] the [phrase] “M·A·C Black.” I felt that one of the characters we bring to life should distinctly show pride in the hue of black. That was where we went with Princess Gollum's character “Solar Return,” which just seemed like a really natural space for her.
Princess Gollum: This might have been a strange coincidence, but the look that was created for “Solar Return” couldn’t have aligned with me more. Both aesthetically but also astrologically. [Prior] to the shoot, I had just gotten my first reading. We went pretty deep into how 2024’s solar return will affect me, and how it will impact me a lot. Super grateful to have been able to fully embody myself [for this project], it feels like the stars aligned creatively.
CM: Wow! That’s [amazing!] In terms of the construction of the look, we really tried to lean into the goth trend that's happening now. That’s where the M·A·C feline pencil came in [clutch]. It’s the darkest of black pencils, super dense but yet blendable. So, the majority of the look for the character “Solar Return” is really just done with unset pencil and then shined up with M·A·C Lipglass. In the spirit of tapping into the heritage of M·A·C, we used some of our heritage products on the lip, featuring a pencil called Stone. It’s interesting because Stone was the ultimate '90s gray lip pencil, and it has just made an enormous comeback in the industry over the last year. So that also felt like a full-circle moment for the brand.
On the other end of the [spectrum] of the darker palettes, there’s this [juxtaposition] where M·A·C has also always been about vibrancy. In my research, I found so many influences and inspiration points—from graphism to blended and bright pastels. Parker, your energy and face just lend themselves to the character of “High-Spirted.” Your face just screamed; “Yes, put it here,” which was wonderful. It kind of guided me in the process.
Parker Kit Hill: Thank you Chantel! I really enjoyed the creation process of sitting in the makeup chair and talking with you and the whole creative team. We sort of just started building more of what the character [of] “High-Spirted” would look and feel like from there. There’s this magical moment that happens when collaborating on a set where you are tinkering with everything up until that first flash of the camera.
CM: I [couldn’t agree] more. I love that part of the collaboration where you are present in [that] particular [moment], working as a unit to bring something to life. When creating the beauty look for our “High-Spirted” Parker, I used one of my new favorite combinations. It’s the M·A·C Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation mixed with a new product called Strobe Dewy Tint—which is a bit of a glossier tinted moisturizer. I really wanted to give you that flawless, glowy, but also effortless skin that is still a bit of a beat.
And my thought process for you, Parker, was, “Why not focus on the eyes?” You know that saying, "You get to bring all your crayons to work that day." (Laughs) Parker just has so much eye space that I was like, "Yes, I can finally use everything! I can actually use every color I could possibly think of." So, I just leaned into heritage eyeshadows that we've had in oranges, hot pinks, plums, and violets. Once [applied], I really focused on the blend-ability and the technique of brushwork and creating something that felt more discotheque-ish.
PKH: It was such a great experience, I’m still in [awe]! A few years back, I [starred] in a Viva Glam campaign, so doing this project with this amazing team…felt like going home. Through these [experiences] with M·A·C, I’ve been able to get deeper into makeup. It’s helped me understand what it is and why it's being used. Makeup is there to accentuate you and help you be the person you want to be.
CM: We explored the darker [expressions] and the vibrancy of M·A·C in the other characters. To round out our [trifecta], it was only appropriate that the final look and character paid homage to glamour. M·A·C defines glam, M·A·C is an originator of glam. For me, just looking at Ama, I knew this Birthday Suit character was begging for us to reference the original Pamela Anderson half-body painting we did for Viva Glam. In the [reimagined take] brought to life on Ama, I took cues from what is really happening now in the beauty space. Shades of blue are just as huge now as bronzes and metallics were when Pam posed for us. And so we did a quick little color swap out but made sure it felt '90s, but what ‘90s would feel like today.
Ama Elsesser: I just have to start by saying how excited I was when I found out I was going to be naked. (Laughs) When I saw the creative for this shoot, I was just like, "Wow, if this isn't a dip inside of my fantasies." The cake, the rhinestones, the bold blue eyeshadow. This character was so on the mark for me because I’ve always wanted to bleach or shave off my brows, which I thought I’d never be able to do. I loved every aspect of it. The challenge in my mind was bringing a modern take on a classic image. I mean, come on, that image of Pam is iconic. I won’t be able to fill those shoes, but I will be able to fit in my own, I guess.
CM: Definitely, and you [delivered]! So much [intention] went into this look and thank you for being so open. We hand-crystalized the M·A·C logo with Swarovski crystals as a throwback to the original, which was also created with Swarovski crystals. For the skin, I used a new foundation that is about to launch soon. It's the new version of the M·A·C Studio Fix Fluid, which is a really high-quality lightweight M·A·C foundation. Ama has flawless skin, I'm not going to lie, so this foundation just gave a beautiful silky treatment to her already amazing skin. And then I dialed in on a little bit of our brand new eyebrow styler pencil to do that really skinny brow on top of a glued-down eyebrow.
This was a very classic glam moment with classic glam products. Even the brow highlight. We used a shade specifically called Nylon, and Nylon was the biggest brow highlight one could get in the '90s.
AE: Honestly, I left the experience feeling so warm! I felt so seen. I think what I learned through this experience, and what I hope people take away from the images, is that you can create whatever you want, and you can be whatever you want to be—especially through the [power] of makeup. When it comes to beauty, it’s something that should be played with. You don’t have to [subscribe] to a certain style or [conform] to anyone’s beauty standard. I’m sure people have never expected to see me with no eyebrows, but I felt beautiful. I felt like I was in my [truest] form.
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