Harlem, stand up! Homegrown honey Teyana Taylor, already the owner of Junie Bee Nails in the historic New York City enclave, is presenting another beauty-based tribute to her hood, this time in the form of a limited-edition makeup launch in collaboration with M·A·C Cosmetics.
Per a release sent to The Glow Up:
M·A·C x Teyana Taylor collection has been over a year in the making, born out of a partnership between M·A·C and Teyana stemming from her authentic love for the brand and its artistry. As a powerful, creative artist, Teyana taps into the spirit of individuality, is a trendsetter and a true embodiment of M·A·C’s creative compass. Inspired by her love for classic 90’s fashion and beauty, Teyana worked alongside M·A·C to create her exclusive, multi-product collection—from the products, packaging, product names and even the photo shoot.
“I was inspired by the 90s and the heart & soul of Harlem and wanted to show that through the shades and packaging,” added Taylor, explaining that she is a longtime fan of the beauty brand.
“I’m very excited to be partnering with a company like M•A•C who I’ve watched collaborate with strong women of color over the years,” she said in a statement. “I’ve been a fan of M•A•C ever since I was 15 years old and started experimenting with makeup, it was the first brand that made me like makeup. I’m so grateful and excited to be sharing this beautiful collection I created with the M•A•C team but also hoping to inspire other young women that anything and everything is possible.”
Details about the launch are limited at this time, but the collection is due to drop in July, and will reportedly include the lacquered red lip color Taylor sports in the campaign teaser. Notably, it will be the second of three big deliveries the entertainer is expecting this summer: her next musical release, The Album, is due out on G.O.O.D. Music this Friday—also known as “Juneteeth”—and as revealed in the music video for her most recent single, “Wake Up Love,” Taylor is expecting her second daughter with husband Iman Shumpert in September (h/t People).
According to an Instagram post from Taylor, it’s nostalgia for her own girlhood that inspired the products in this upcoming collection.
Wow yo! I remember walking by the Mac store on 125th street coming from school, amazed at all the dope campaign ads spread across floor to ceiling windows & on other major department stores. MAC Cosmetics really inspired me because they were one of the first mainstream companies to fearlessly and unapologetically embrace woman of color and the LGBTQ Community. That was big for me being a young black girl from Harlem telling myself that one day that would be me plastered in that window! Long story short, and by the grace of God, here I am with my own up and coming capsule collection for M•A•C!!!!! 😩...I’m so grateful and excited to be sharing this beautiful collection I created with the MAC team and so happy the cat’s finally out the bag!! But most importantly, I’m hoping to inspire other young black women that anything and everything is possible & that our black is STUNNING!!!
Global Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for M•A•C Cosmetics, Ukonwa Ojo has her own words of praise for the brand’s collaboration with the multifaceted artist, via a statement:
“As a longtime friend of the brand, we’ve grown to know and love Teyana for having a style unlike anyone else. She’s fierce, bold and unapologetically herself, no matter what she’s wearing—all qualities we stand for at M•A•C, and are so excited to bring to life through this new collaboration,” says Ojo. “As a dancer, choreographer, actress, model, fitness aficionado, songwriter, producer, director and now M·A·C’s newest collaborator, Teyana embodies artistry boldly, originally and without boundaries.”
Hopefully, we’ll have more info about M·A·C x Teyana Taylor in the coming weeks (maybe we’ll even get to test-drive it if we’re lucky)—stay tuned!