It was only going to be a matter of time before Rihanna made her bid for world domination! Not content with a Grammy-winning music career and a successfully launched fashion collection with high street brand, River Island, the singer has now announced a long-standing deal with MAC Cosmetics.
And we can’t say we’re all that surprised, especially after that Instagram image, which sparked a whole host of rumours as to whether the singer was the new face of Chanel beauty – you can’t blame us for being hawkeyed! It’s the ultimate collaboration for both RiRi whose approach to make up and beauty is as fearless as everything else in her life, and MAC, for whom the “no-brainer” deal is unprecedented, as it will see multiple colour cosmetics collections roll out later this year.
The first line to launch will be entitled RiRi Woo, Rihanna’s take on the much-loved MAC red lipstick, Ruby Woo, and will coincide with her Diamonds Tour on the 4th and 5th of May in New York. On the first night of which, MAC will open up a pop-up shop to showcase the line.
The Barbadian singer explained to WWD, “When you think of makeup, the brand that pops into your mind — for something legit — is MAC. Whatever colour you want, it’s like ‘Let’s go to MAC.’ I’ve been using MAC on tour for such a long time it was a natural fit for me. I have always loved makeup, and I always said that if I do it, I want to do it with a credible brand.”
For Rihanna the process of creating makeup is no different to that of making music, or indeed clothing, ““Being creative is something that I love, so I can put that into different outlets. Music happens to be the first thing that I gravitated to, and now music opens doors to just so many different opportunities, and they all tie in. My makeup looks, my fashion looks…they help me to express myself as an artist. I think it helps people to understand me or my mood, my story.”
MAC are no strangers to a collaboration, having worked with myriad brands and celebrities in the past. From Disney villains and Archie Comics to singers such as Beth Ditto, Nicky Minaj and Lady Gaga to French fashion stylist Carine Roitfeld, and yet there is clearly something special about Rihanna for MAC, as this is the first time the brand has signed a deal that lasts longer than a single collaboration.
“We always say that MAC likes to go on a date but doesn’t really want to go into a relationship,” said John Demsey, group president of the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., MAC’s parent company. “This relationship with Rihanna is a long-term one that involves the development of four distinct color initiatives.” said John Dempsey, group president of the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. And it’s a first when it comes to relationships for the brand because Rihanna is no collaborator for the project, but rather a “creative partner” to the brand.
“This was not a front,” said Dempsey, “This is a true, organic collaboration based on mutual admiration and respect. These four collections are like four tracks on a Rihanna compilation. Each one has its own vibe, look, special makeup packaging and flavor. This is really the convergence of pop culture, fast fashion, and iconic style and makeup,” he said, adding that he had been closely following the singer — with an eye to a potential deal — since she released her first single in 2005. “She’s a star. The world follows her look — how she wears her hair, her nails, her clothing, how she styles herself.”
“I really got to play,” Rihanna said. “There’s so much to choose from, and you can mix different textures with different colours and different greens in different eye shadows. I learned so much about the detail of makeup and what makes things look different. What makes it apply different is really important. Every little detail is important.”
What we love of those details are the rose-gold packaging which will be used for her winter collection, and the beautiful pearly white compacts with pink accents that will form the special holiday collection.
Rihanna exclaimed, “The package that we designed and the product that we created, to see it sitting there in your hand was kind of scary. It was like, ‘This cannot be real,’”
But real it is. And we can barely contain our excitement. . .