MAC Cosmetics: All Ages, All Races, All Sexes Collection

When I first heard that MAC Cosmetics was launching a collection of cosmetics dubbed “All Ages, All Races, All Sexes,” I was equal parts intrigued and apprehensive.
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On the one hand, I’ve always appreciated MAC’s commitment to providing a broad range of makeup (particularly foundations, concealers and powders) to suit the needs of its diverse clientele. Ask any woman of color (myself included) and, until recently, there were very few other lines that provided high-quality makeup that actually matched our skin tones. On the other hand, I was a bit queasy by the United Colors of Benetton-esque vibe of the collection’s name, and the overly simplistic “Ebony And Ivory” tone of it all. I could almost picture the advertisements, which I knew would feature a black woman and a white woman in some sort of embrace or friendly stance. Sure enough, that’s precisely how the dominant ad looks: two models in draped ensembles matching their particular flesh tones and matching beanie hats covering their tresses, with the white model wrapping her arms around the black model’s shoulders. As soon as I looked at the image, I wondered, “What happened to the all races part?”

As a Latina, I’m always perplexed and perturbed by the way any racial discourse in this country is condensed into a white vs. black dialogue, thereby practically negating the experience of all other racial groups (Asian, Latino, Pacific Islander and Native American). Had they featured an Asian model and a Mexican model, for example, I would’ve been a happy camper — it would’ve been refreshing to finally see a shift in the paradigm.

But enough about the campaign and the collection’s unfortunate choice of name. What’s the scoop on the products?

Well, as you might imagine, the lipsticks, shadows, powders, and blushes offered are earthy tones in a variety of shades so as to complement all skin tones. I actually really enjoyed all the products I tried and found them to be quite flattering.

Here, a look at the products in the collection:

LIPSTICKS

The lipsticks in this collection sound words that would be engraved into some monument at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.: there’s Equality, a lustrous pale mauve hue; Myself, a creamy pale nude shade with yellow undertones; Empowered, a coppery brown; and 5N, a Fudgsicle-colored sheer brown hue with plum undertones. I had the chance to try the “Myself” and “5N” shades, and I really liked both of them. The “Myself” lipstick is perfect for my complexion, since I have some yellow undertones to my skin, and it’s a lipstick I can wear when I want to cancel out the lips and draw attention to the eyes. The “5N” hue, meanwhile, makes more of a statement on my lips, but it’s still sheer enough to feel right for regular use.

Check out the swatches and photos below:

MAC Lipstick in Myself, Equality, Empowered, and 5N, $14 each. Visit MACcosmetics.com

Peep the rest at SickaThanAverage.com!