7 Most Iconic Brand Collabs in the Beauty Industry

What’s better than an iconic beauty brand? Two iconic beauty brands, of course. Collaborations between reputable brands are a great way to give consumers something fresh and bold, while potentially bringing in revenue from two different markets.

Collabs are some of the internet’s favorite things to explore and buy, but even before YouTube hauls were filled with more and more collabs, beauty brands (and even non-beauty brands) have been working together to bring customers a fresh spin on familiar products.

Below, we take a walk down memory lane to reminisce some of the most iconic collaborations in beauty history.

M.A.C. Cosmetics x Selena

MAC is a great case study on how collaborations could elevate one’s brand, especially when they’re done right. Amidst numerous celebrity partnerships, one collection became MAC’s biggest hit: their collab with late pop superstar Selena Quintanilla.

Released in 2016, the collection actually sold out within a matter of minutes, with fans of the singer eager to get their hands on the 13 products. These included three lipsticks and five eye shadows, along with a bronzer, liquid eyeliner, lip gloss, mascara, and powder brush, all of which were named after Selena’s biggest hits.

MAC is no stranger to partnering up with famous artists. Their second biggest collaboration was with Mariah Carey. RiRi Hearts MAC was another huge collection that eventually became one of the best-selling collaborations the makeup brand has ever done. It seems like Rihanna has always meant to be a makeup mogul way before Fenty was in the works. How’s that for foreshadowing?

Pantone x Sephora

Back in the 2010’s, Pantone would team up with Sephora each year to create a make-up palette based on the Pantone color of the year. In 2016, the “world-renowned authority on color” named two colors of the year, namely Serenity and Rose Quartz.

The baby blue and pink were perfect for creating the ethereal makeup palette, which featured the soft hues in all sorts of products, from eyeshadow to lipsticks.

NARS x Andy Warhol

Art and makeup are two sides of the same coin, so a collaboration between pop artist Andy Warhol and NARS was no surprise. Francois Nars had been inspired by Warhol’s colorful images and artwork ever since he had moved to New York decades prior.

The limited-edition collection consisted of various makeup sets inspired by and named after Warhol’s most notable muses. The Debby Harry Eye & Cheek Palette featured four bold shimmers in black, white, purple, and icy blue, while the Beautiful Darling Gift Set (after drag queen Candy Darling) added a hot pink lip gloss and nail polish to the mint green eyeshadow.

Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat

Another huge makeup and artist collaboration was the Urban Decay partnership with Jean-Michele Basquiat. Basquiat, who coincidentally came up alongside Warhol in the ’80s, is known for his out-of-the-box art style that appealed to Urban Decay’s sensibilities.

Released in 2017, the limited edition launch consisted of 12 brand-new beauty products from Urban Decay, all of which were heavily inspired by the Manhattanite’s milieu. Notable products include the two ultra-pigmented eyeshadow palettes called Gold Griot, which features bold neutrals, and the more colorful Tenant which houses shades like Graffiti (metallic green shimmer) and 1960 (bright pink matte).

“From his informal graffiti work and the way he mixed mediums and colors to the way he spoke out against social injustice, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect fit for our brand,” an Urban Decay spokesperson once said of the collab.

Karl Lagerfeld x Shu Uemura

Could you imagine life as one of the world’s most well-known fashion icon’s pets? Choupette, the late Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved Siamese cat, is famously regarded as one of the most pampered animals in the world. And after the former Chanel creative director teamed out with beauty brand Shu Uemura, the cat is now also the face of a product line called Shupette.

The collection featured a cleansing oil, an eye-and-lip palette, a 3-color eyeshadow, and an iconic Shu Uemura eyelash curler with Choupette’s face.

This also isn’t the first time KL and Shu Uemura have collaborated. In 2012, the two teamed up to create a holiday beauty collection that featured the quirky muse Mon Shu Girl.

Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder

Victoria Beckham and Estee Lauder’s collection is the classy palette of our dreams. The eyeshadow featured six beautiful colors that are perfect for transitioning from a light daytime look to a sultry night out.

The collection combined smokey neutrals with pops of color with each shade representing one of Beckham’s favorite cities in the world. The darker shades alongside the golden tones represent London; the bronze for spirited Los Angeles; nude, sapphire, and grey are reminiscent of fast-paced New York; and the red lip colors are a tribute to Paris.

Bretman Rock x Colourpop

Nowadays, collaborations have been all but overdone, thanks to beauty brands discovering unlimited potential through brand deals with YouTubers and TikTok influencers. But these collabs aren’t always the best when it came to quality, which makes the good ones even more special.

The Bretman Rock x Colourpop Wet Palette is an eyeshadow palette that featured eight hyperpigmented shades inspired by the Hawaii native’s hometown. The palette has not one, not two, but six different shades of blue, two of them matte and the rest metallic. There are also two additional warm-toned shades for transition purposes.

Overall, this is one of those palettes where you get the most value for your money. The colors were pigmented without falling out and they stayed for up to six hours without fading.

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Final Note

Collaborations are a great way for brands to produce something new and exciting as they offer limited-edition products that collectors, fans, and beauty enthusiasts will love.

Did we miss your favorite collab? Comment it below and let’s get a discussion going!