What the Marc Jacobs Beauty Revival Is All About
The Marc Jacobs Beauty revival is the relaunch of the designer’s cult makeup line as a fresh, color‑driven collection that prioritizes playful textures, expressive eyes, and joyful everyday artistry while intentionally breaking from the original formulas, packaging, and ownership structure that defined its 2010s identity. After the brand’s unexpected closure in 2021, anticipation has been intense among beauty fans who hoarded their last Highliner eyeliners and Dew Drops, treating them like liquid gold. Now under Coty, the new Marc Jacobs makeup collection arrives with a clear message: this is a reimagining, not a reboot. Everything from the rounded, balloon‑topped packaging to the expanded shade range signals a move toward whimsy and experimentation while still nodding to the past era that helped shape YouTube‑era beauty culture.
Inside the New Marc Jacobs Makeup Collection
The launch line-up is tight but targeted: eyes, cheeks, and lips with an unmistakable tilt toward color. Drawn This Way Eyeliner is a waterproof gel pencil that behaves like kajal and arrives in 21 shades across matte, metallic, and glittering or duochrome “magical” finishes. Flashes Mascara comes in black, brown, and a statement blue, while Born Star single eyeshadows offer 14 powder shades in the same three texture families. Complexion gets a playful lift through Joystick Blush Sticks (10 multiuse balms for lips and cheeks), Legally Bronze Bronzer in eight buildable powder shades, and Money Shot Highlighter Gel, a single hue with pink and blue reflects. Heart On Lipsticks finish the line with 15 colors spanning neutrals, classic reds, purples, and punchy trend tones like Barbie pink and electric purple, anchoring the beauty brand comeback in versatility.
Highliner Eyeliner Comparison: Can Drawn This Way Compete?
For many OG fans, the question is simple: can anything match the glide and grip of the original Highliner? Officially, no product here is a reformulation, and Coty positions the range as entirely new. Unofficially, Drawn This Way feels like the spiritual successor. The creamy, kajal‑like texture is built to smoke out before setting, and the waterproof claim is targeted at the same long‑wear, high‑impact crowd who once swore by Highliner. According to Allure, editors who still own original Highliners were “eager to dig into how these products look, feel, and perform” side‑by‑side. Their verdict: Drawn This Way is different, but it hits the same core brief—intense payoff, smooth application, and commitment to color—while widening the spectrum with more finishes and bolder experimental shades that fit current eye‑makeup trends.
Nostalgia vs. Now: What OG Fans and Beauty Editors Say
Among longtime users, the biggest surprise is how deliberately the brand refuses to be a museum piece. Allure reports that Coty emphasises “this is not a reissue of the original line; everything has been reimagined,” and OG fans who tested the relaunch mostly agree that it should be judged as new work. They miss specific heroes—the exact Highliner formula, Omega Bronzer—but praise the richer shade ranges, creamier textures, and eye‑first focus that still feels true to Marc Jacobs’ own fixation on eyes. Vogue frames the comeback as a makeover, noting that the line returns “with a noticeably different point of view.” Across editor reviews, the consensus is that the Marc Jacobs Beauty revival counts as a rare beauty brand comeback that earns its buzz: more playful, more color‑driven, and better aligned with current consumer expectations around self‑expression.