mac

“The first product to launch will be RiRi Woo, a lipstick inspired by her favorite MAC red, Ruby Woo. Its release will coincide with Rihanna’s Diamonds Tour concerts on May 4 and 5 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where MAC will open a pop-up shop on the first night to showcase the line.”

“Although MAC has collaborated with myriad brands and celebrities in the past, this is the first time the brand has worked with a famous person for more than just a one-off project. “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.

The four collections, to be known as RiRi [Hearts] MAC, will break throughout 2013, and current plans call for 31 stockkeeping units. In another first, MAC is calling Rihanna, who turns 25 years old today, a “creative partner” rather than a collaborator. Her name will appear on the packaging, and her signature will be embossed on the RiRi Woo lipstick case and on the bullets of the summer lipsticks, as well as several of the fall and holiday pieces. 

RiRi Woo will be sold at the Rihanna concerts and online, and a summer collection will follow, which will also be sold online. A third will land in brick-and-mortar stores for fall, and there will be an on-counter holiday collection.  

The signature piece of the lineup, RiRi Woo, will be sold with all four collections. The summer collection also includes two additional lipsticks, a Lustre Drops shade and a powder blush duo. Fall’s 16 sku’s include four lipsticks, a deeply pigmented Lipglass version of RiRi Woo, two multishade eye shadow palettes and false lashes. (“She likes to wear two pairs at a time,” said Jennifer Balbier, MAC’s senior vice president of global product development, in an aside.) Holiday will bring another 10 items, including nail polish, a makeup bag and additional lipsticks.”