black and white mac cosmetics logo

Company Name

MAC Cosmetics - Make-up Art Cosmetics

Founders

Frank Angelo - Beauty Salon Owner

Frank Toskan - Make up Artist and Photographer

Motto

“All ages. All Races. All sexes.”

Owned by:

Estee Lauder Companies.

Origin:

Toronto, Ontario.

When MAC Cosmetics launched:

1984

Packaging:

MAC is known for their sleek, black acrylic packaging and bold white print. Their tapered lipstick tubes are shaped reminiscently like an over sized bullet.

Known For:

MAC Cosmetics has always promoted individuality and artistic freedom within their brand. The company offers a sense of accessibility to their products and to anyone who enjoys the art of make up, hence their motto “All ages. All Sexes. All races.” With the creation of the company in the eighties, MAC created the Viva Glam campaigns which have helped to raise $250 million worldwide for their MAC AIDS Fund. Numerous celebrities have taken noticed and have become poster models for the campaign such as Dita Von Teese, Boy George, Ru Paul, Pamela Anderson and even Fergie.

Brief History

MAC Cosmetics was founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1984 by Frank Angelo, a beauty salon owner and Frank Toskan a fashion photographer and make-up artist. The brand was created to help fill the gap in the industry for high performing products that could proved versatility, as well as withstand the hot studio lights on set. MAC quickly gained popularity among industry professionals and eventually became available to the public, spreading to the U.S. market where it opened its first stand alone store in Greenwich Village, New York in 1991.

In 1994, MAC became one of the leading cosmetic brands to promote education and awareness of HIV and AIDS through their Viva Glam program, where a %100 of the proceeds from all Viva Glam products are donated to the MAC AIDS Fund. During the holiday season MAC also hosts the Kids Helping Kids campaign where they sell holiday cards that are created by children living with HIV and AIDS. With the help of these campaigns, the MAC AIDS Fund has raised more than $250 million for AIDS awareness, education worldwide and helped to support patients living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

As the popularity of the brand beginning to rise and exceed Frank Toskan and Frank Angelos initial expectations, William Lauder of Estee Lauder companies bought 51% of for $38 million dollars in 1995, with the intent to purchase the remaining share. With the untimely death of Frank Angelo in 1997 from a heart attack, Frank Toskan sold the remaining 49% share to Estee Lauder and resigned from his position and Estee Lauder Companies completed their acquisition of the company in 1998. Presently, MAC Cosmetics is sold in over 1500 locations and 78 countries worldwide.

My Top Picks

  • Russian Red Lipstick
  • Cherry Lip Pencil
  • #217 Brush
  • Iridescent Powder in Silver Dusk
  • Peachtwist Blush
  • Shy Girl Lipstick
  • Ramblin Rose Lipstick
  • Graphblack eye liner
  • Vanilla Pigment
  • Duo Lash Adhesive
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