With New York Fashion Week in full swing, Marc Jacobs is celebrating the Spring/Summer 2027 season with the return of Marc Jacobs Beauty. You heard that right: For the first time since 2021, the designer’s eponymous makeup line is back on shelves.
To celebrate the relaunch of the cult cool-girl brand, Jacobs invited Patrick Ta, Romy Mars, and more friends to play with swatches of his Born Star eyeshadow and Joystick blush at an exclusive soiree at Sartiano’s. In the midst of the madness, Jacobs took a pause to sit down with CULTURED and chat about the beauty rules he relishes breaking and what fans can expect from Marc Jacobs Beauty’s second chapter.
Marc Jacobs Beauty is officially making its return. What did you want to do differently this time?
I wanted to start fresh. After speaking and reflecting on what it was, we’re going forward with a new outlook and a new attitude.
While still paying a little bit of homage to what made people fall in love with the line in the first place?
Yes! The most important thing about the past was that it was our first foray into the world of beauty. I felt very fortunate—there aren’t many American designers, or many living designers—who are a part of their beauty brand. It’s more normal for makeup artists to go into beauty. So, it always felt like such a privilege for me when we did it the first go-around.
The fact that it was so beloved made me think, I do belong in this space. I do believe that beauty and fashion go hand-in-hand. It’s a playground I love to play in.
It helps, too, that you’re very into makeup yourself.
I don’t really wear much, but I do once in a while play with a makeup look. I love to get made up. But, I don’t do my own makeup, or anything like that typically. I absolutely love working on makeup looks for the show, and now with [Marc Jacobs’s makeup artist] Thomas [de Kluyver], it’s been so great.
Like I said, beauty is such a big, important part of fashion for me. The two go together, they’re not one or the other. They’re part of this whole storytelling and self-expression that I love. Like, Who am I? What do I look like? What do I want the world to see me as? The real joy in the ritual of getting dressed, of doing your makeup, of choosing your fragrance—that’s what luxury is. It’s the freedom to make those choices, and to really enjoy it.
What convinced you this was the right time to come back?
We were in talks with Coty after the last time. Because we’ve done fragrance with them, we thought they would make a great partner in doing beauty, and they were into it. So, we found a way to get started, and pursue this idea of Marc Jacobs Beauty with them. I was very into it, and I continue to be very into it.
I love that you’re talking about the fragrance, too, because people have very specific memories with Marc Jacobs Daisy.
I love fragrance, I love beauty, and I love fashion. Again, it’s such a luxury. It’s not a necessity. It’s pure desire, and it’s so wonderful to indulge. What you see, what you smell, what you touch, all those things are sensory, and they make the world a more beautiful place. They make it fun to be alive in this world.
What is a beauty rule you love to break?
I love when people do things that are outside the box. It’s a simple thing, but I like the idea of using something that was meant for one purpose, for another purpose. The idea of using lipstick on your eyelids, or using eyeshadow on the bow of your lip, whatever. So, it’s little rule-breaking things, and also when someone completely thinks differently and expresses themselves that way, that’s always exciting.
Is there a scent, texture, or finish in this line that you love the most?
I really love the eyeshadows. I’m very happy with the entire range, and I think they’ve done a really great job in creating the formulas and putting together the colors. It’s the Born Star product that I love the most, because I just love eyes, and I love how the eyelid is such a great canvas for self-expression.
Who is the first person you tested this line on outside of your own team? What did their reaction tell you?
I think the first person I saw outside of our team was Rachel Sennott, who we went to the Met [Gala] with. She had a full eye of Marc Jacobs Beauty. She was the first person who was publicly wearing this new iteration of of the brand.
What did you think?
First of all, she has gorgeous eyes. She looked great. I think she felt great.
She does love a dramatic eye.
Well, she knows it looks good on her.
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