MAC Cosmetics x Teyana Taylor Collection

It's been almost four years since Teyana Taylor danced showing her incredibly well-toned body in Kanye West's Fade video. Since then, this talented woman who was born in 1990 in Harlem has become one of the most interesting contemporary artists. Grown up in the spotlight, between music and reality shows, when she was only 15 years old she signed her first major contract with Pharrel Williams, worked as a model, dancer and choreographer (also for Ring the Alarm by Beyoncé) until her meeting with Kanye and her GOOD Music made her an it-girl.

Teyana just presented few days ago her make-up collection together with MAC Cosmetics inspired by the singer's love for 90s style and the beauty of stars like Naomi Campbell, Grace Jones, Tyra Banks, Nia Long ed Aaliyah.

I created the line based around the fact that, for me, less is more and for all my girls who love the ’90s. I’ll always be a 90’s girl at heart!..I like that super-simple '90s look because it reminds me of my mother and all the women I admire. I’m so excited to finally share my @maccosmetics collection with you guys! I’ve been a fan of MAC ever since I was 15 years old and started experimenting with makeup, it was the first brand that made me like makeup.  

The 13 limited edition products reflect the aesthetics of Teyana, who prefers to leave the skin naked and focus on the lips:

I realized that the power was really within my lips, my big fluffy lips, and that colors look great on it. Sometimes we get discouraged as Black women to feel like we can’t touch specific colors like red or nude, but I wanted to create colors that work for everyone, but most importantly, when that Black girl puts on that lipstick or lip gloss, she feels beautiful. The colors in the collection can be worn with or without a liner. The lipstick can be worn with or without makeup.

Among the four lip glosses, four lipsticks, four lip pencils and a gold illuminant, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish is Taylor's favorite piece:

I love it because it’s something that you can wear with or without makeup. Whenever I want to do a simple makeup look, I literally just moisturize my face, throw my Mineralize on, throw on a nude lip and that right there makes me feel beautiful and glowing. And I love that you can apply it with a brush or your finger.

The bright neon packaging is a tribute not only to the star's quirky style, but also to the LGBTQIA+ community.

MAC Cosmetics x Teyana Taylor collection, which will be available online from July 14th on the website of MAC and on Macy’s website, comes a few weeks after former employee Karla Quiñonez Leon accused the brand of discrimination and is particularly important right now when the relationship between the beauty industry and the black community is under the spotlight.

But Teyana just released also her third record, named The Album. Her new album, released on the occasion of Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the last American state (Texas), focuses on the current problems of the Afro-American community struggling with the protests against racism, but it's also a musical journey full of private moments. Among the 23 tracks, the presence of her husband's voice, the NBA player Iman Shumpert, who asks her to marry him; the 911 call when he gave birth in 2015 to his daughter on the floor of the bathroom at home; the duet with her myth Erykah Badu in Lowkey. Even the visual is powerful and full of reference, starting from the cover that pays tribute to Grace Jones and the video of We Got Love, soul-funk track featuring Lauryn Hill with a video clip inspired by The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson.