Beauty
Everything You Need To Know About The Marc Jacobs Beauty Relaunch
We have never been so back.
Marc Jacobs has always spoken to the outcasts, weirdos, and fashion freaks that can take a literal and figurative journey away from reality with his era-defining vision of beauty. While his runways and fragrances are constants, we’ve seen the makeup business come and go — until now. After a five-year hiatus, Marc Jacobs Beauty is back and better than ever.
The much-beloved line of makeup was trusted by casual beauty fans and professionals alike. Friends of mine have favorites of the past they still talk about, like the bronzer and mascara, and this new era of Marc Jacobs Beauty promises to deliver on our wishlists and then some. “There’s certain qualities that are necessary, but I think it’s about expression and the aesthetic desire— these are things we want and enjoy,” Jacobs said during a press preview. Through hit products like his perfume Daisy and his whimsical runway shows, Jacobs has always pursued beauty: “Joy and pleasure is hugely important, especially when there’s so much stuff in the day that isn’t playful or joyous.”
The joy is evident not only in the campaign photos, but in the cheeky packaging and hilarious shade names. Makeup doesn’t have to be boring and all-black on the outside; consider it like a piece of candy you can reach into your bag to enjoy again and again. Below, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the upcoming launch.
The Visuals
Jacobs is obviously someone who works visually, so the first re-introductory campaign images were important. “You have things that have a certain formula, smell, delivery of color, etc., and those things are a given, but the messaging and the storytelling is part of what creates the desire or interest,” Jacobs explains. “Part of that storytelling comes from the packaging and the imagery. That’s what the invitation is.”
The first invitation is an unbridled expression of joy, featuring two models showing off the metallic eye, lip, and face products. Whether with an intentionally overdone blush or swipe-and-go eyeshadow, the buildability of the products is integral to the brand. Makeup can be fussy, but it can also be a moment of pure personal expression done within minutes.
The Packaging
Say goodbye to the classic black packaging of Marc Jacobs Beauty past. The new trio of products for face, eye, and lip all have different geometric shapes in bright bursts of pastels. “A lot has changed. In the time that we first did packaging and now, there were lipsticks in the shape of a penis and anything weird,” says Jacobs. “Those different packages felt more like a fetish object or something covetable, rather than another beauty product.” After conversations with the Coty team, Jacobs was inspired to match a shape to a product category. “I gave these things emoji-like qualities that represented something in beauty. That was a way to combine things we’ve always played with, but also give them a meaning.”
The eyes received the star, the face is paired with a daisy (an important motif for the brand), and the lip products are heart-shaped. It’s a fun way to identify a product in your already crowded makeup bag and a chance for a small moment of joy when, say, reapplying your lipstick on a crowded, sweaty subway train.
The Eyes
The eyes “have the most opportunity of experimentation and expression. It’s what I look at first when I see someone. The eyes have all that possibility,” Jacobs gushed. No wonder, then, that the eyes get the most product for this introductory launch. The Drawn This Way eyeliner ($26) is smudge-proof, sweat-proof, all-the-proofs, and comes in 21 shades of matte, duochrome, glitter, and metallic finishes. Our personal standouts are the metallic teal “BooBoo,” the creamy “So Tea” duochrome bronze, the seductive burgundy “Facts,” and the classic “No Shade” black.
The Born Star Eyeshadow ($29) is equally unmovable as the eyeliners and comes in a cream-to-powder formula that strikes hot on the first application. Build it up or swipe and go, and with 14 shades across metallics, mattes, glitters, and duochromes, there is something for everyone. We’re enchanted by “Mood Swing,” the blue-and-purple duochrome, and “Hater,” a matte chocolate brown. For the daredevils, “That’s Cute” is a metallic pink that packs a hot punch.
Finally, no eye look is complete without a swipe of mascara, and the Flashes Mascara ($29) promises to coat even the most finicky of lashes with a 14-hour-wear formula. The adorable lilac tube comes in three shades; we’re after the classic Onyx black and Indigo, a scintillating blue that will play well with complementary Born Star shades.
The Face
Every great makeup line has a blush that goes a long way, and the daisy-shaped Joystick Blush Stick ($35) is a multipurpose tool that delivers instant and refreshing color anywhere you place it. The long-wear formula has hyaluronic acid and daisy flower oil (there’s that daisy again!), so whether you are blush draping or topping your lid with one of the ten shades, there will be no drying to speak of. Our favorite shades are the pitch-perfect pink “Hot Flush” and the deep, rich plum “Freaks & Cheeks.”
The Marc Jacobs Beauty bronzer was a holy grail in many makeup artists’ kits, and with the Legally Bronze Bronzer ($42), they’re hoping to bring back the magic. The eight shades in the range cover all manner of skin tones to either sculpt out cheekbones or give an all-over freshly vacationed glow.
The Lips
In Marc Jacobs’ universe, a classic lipstick won’t do, which is where the Heart On Lipstick ($34) comes in. The formula leans half-balm, half-lipstick with a dewy finish that is the antithesis of stuffy, powdery lip products. With cherry oil and and more hyaluronic acid, this lightweight formula comes in clutch for long wear. The 15 shades span all notes of light beige, purple, and brown; we’re feeling the maroon-y “Booty Call,” the deep brown “Burning Up,” the pinky “Love Drunk,” and the intense “On Red.”
When & Where Can I Buy It All?
The Marc Jacobs Beauty relaunch will be available exclusively on sephora.com on June 1, with a special Sephora App Preview on May 31. Happy shopping, beauty lovers!
