MAC Selena La Reina Collection: Everything You Need to Know

When I think about famous musicians and rockstars immortalized through untimely and tragic death, the list of legends rattles off. But there’s one that feels like they’re in a tier on their own; one that’s more personal to me than all the rest, and that’s Selena Quintanilla-Perez, better known simply as Selena.

 It isn’t easy to describe my love for Selena because I lack all objectivity when I think or talk about her. I wasn’t even 5 years-old when she died, but I know exactly where I was on the day that the world found out (at my piano lesson), precisely what I was wearing (a black and white polka dot dress with white tights), and how hard my older sister cried while she blasted Selena’s CD that night on our parents’ sound system in memoriam.

Selena is like fuel to me; I don’t know if it’s because I’ve listened to her music since my early formative years, because I love wearing bras as tops, or because I feel a fierce warmth for Mexico and for Latin American culture, but nothing lifts my spirits quite like watching her live performances on YouTube.

Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga and Selena Quintanilla–Perez

It’s difficult to be epic on command the way Selena was. Her style still inspires the world’s biggest celebrities and musicians today: Cardi B modeled her “Please Me” video look after an iconic Selena outfit. Drake once posted a photo of himself wearing an airbrushed Selena shirt on his Instagram. There’s even an entireWikipedia page dedicated to celebrities influenced by Selena.

And like the legendary singer, Selena’s posthumous MAC Cosmetics collection has become a legend itself. The original collection was born from an online change.org petition signed by tens of thousands of fans demanding that MAC release a line honoring the singer 20 years after her death. The people were heard. MAC heeded fans’ call and worked closely with Selena’s sister and family to put out a line that would appropriately celebrate her epochal style. 

Since its release in 2016, the collection has widely been reported as the best-selling makeup collaboration of all time. Yes, of all time. When the dreamy ‘90’s-inspired vault collection was released and briefly re-released, it sold-out in minutes, and individual pieces were subsequently selling for upwards of $300 on auction and secondary market sites.

Now, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the singer’s passing, MAC is rolling out a brand new sequel line aptly named Selena La Reina. In close collaboration with the Queen of Tejano music’s family, the new line features 4 lipsticks, 3 Lipglass lip glosses (1 old favorite ‘Bidi Bidi Bom Bom’ is back), 2 lip pencils, 3 retro matte liquid lip colours, 1 Skinfinish, an 8-shadow eye palette, and a black bedazzled makeup bag that looks just like one of the star’s signature bras. 

“This collection is so special to me because it celebrates Selena’s 25-year legacy and I wanted the packaging to be fun and memorable”, said the singer’s sister, Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga, about the amazing rhinestone bra-inspired components. 

Personally, I have my eye on the pinks and neutrals in the eyeshadow palette, and the Skinfinish looks like it could be my new favorite powder highlighter. But I’m the most excited about a new lipstick in the shade La Reina; if you like ‘90s browns as much as I do, make sure to add it to your cart (if you can).

The Selena La Reina collection will be available this afternoon for the day at 1PM EST exclusively through the brand’s Instagram. If you miss your chance, don’t worry. The entire line will later be available for purchase on MAC Cosmetics’ website starting April 21st. Set your alarms, mark your calendars, and long live the queen.

Scroll to see all the products in the collection!

MAC Selena La Reina Lip Products