MAC Cosmetics Partners with Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate on Limited-Edition Line

MAC Cosmetics has joined forces with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s family and estate for its latest limited-edition collaboration, inspired by the late artist’s creative signatures.

Debuting direct-to-consumer and in select MAC stores, the six-piece collection ranges in price from $29 for loose powder pigments in three shimmering gold, taupe, and white shades to $120 for a four-piece set of Basquiat Artist Brushes. The brush shapes and sizes take inspiration from the actual paintbrushes Basquiat used for his artwork.

“Basquiat took ordinary things and put his spin on them, and that’s very similar to what we do here at MAC,” said Nicola Formichetti, global creative director at MAC Cosmetics. “This collection was almost like writing a love letter to him and his work.”

The focal point of the collection is MAC’s Macximal Silky Matte Basquiat Lipstick, which adds Basquiat’s signature crown motif to the lid of MAC’s iconic lipstick bullet. The product is available in shades Ruby Woo-ster and Bowery Brown, paying tribute to the artist's New York heritage.

“Ruby Woo-ster is kind of a more vivid version of Ruby Woo, inspired by Basquiat’s use of bright colors, and Bowery Brown is a little bit of a dirty Teddy,” Formichetti explained.

The release arrives ahead of Netflix’s upcoming “Jean-Michel Basquiat” documentary later this year. While an official air date has not been announced, the film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and chronicles Basquiat’s upbringing and rise as a neo-expressionist street artist and painter in the 1980s.

Gold tones and vivid blues, frequently featured in Basquiat’s artwork, are prominent throughout the line. The lineup also includes a multipurpose Eye + Face Chalk and an Oil Effect Eye Paint ($30 each), alongside a pro-inspired Famous Bag ($50) designed to hold the collection.

The launch follows MAC’s June unveiling of its 2026 Viva Glam campaign featuring ambassador Chappell Roan, as well as its inaugural launch into Sephora this spring—a retail expansion that mirrors how beauty brands continue to leverage key brick-and-mortar retail environments, much like how new entrants target Sephora debuts to scale their presence.

The partnership underscores how heritage cosmetics brands use cultural licensing to drive product novelty alongside other strategies, such as cross-brand limited-edition collections.

“Collaborations are in MAC’s DNA,” Formichetti added. “We’ve dedicated this collection to pro artists; you can create incredible art with it, but it’s fun, too, and everyone can try it.”