If your early-2000s makeup bag had a tube of shimmery lipstick rolling around in it, consider this your sign to dig it back out, or better yet, upgrade. MAC Cosmetics is officially giving the Y2K frosted lip a major comeback, and it tapped the perfect person to lead it.
Celebrity makeup artist Erin Parsons has been a diehard MAC Frost Lipstick ($24) fan for years, championing the iconic finish long before nostalgia made it cool again. Now, in a very full-circle moment, she’s the face of the brand’s new campaign, which celebrates the return of frosted lips for a new generation (though we have very fond memories of Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian wearing it well).
MAC’s Frost Lipstick Is the Beauty Revival We Didn’t Know We Needed
The formula is the same cult-classic fans remember, which was intentional. It glides on weightlessly with a semilustrous, high-pearl finish that gives lips that signature frosted dimension, minus the gritty feel of glitter. The coverage is medium and buildable, so you can keep it to a sheer wash of shimmer or layer it up for full Y2K impact. Surprisingly for a shimmer finish, the formula is actually moisturizing. According to MAC’s testing, 100 percent of panelists saw an immediate improvement in lip moisture.
As for shades, three of the OGs are back (thankfully), and there are 10 new hues. Longtime fans will be thrilled to see Chintz, a warm brown with gold pearl; Jet, a frosted black; and Spanish Fly, a medium brown with a blue flip. New shades include everything from Teddy Metal, a light, dusty neutral nude, to Sugar Baby, a blue-mauve pink.
“MAC is one of the most-collected brands in my archive because it means so much to me,” says Parsons. “I worked with the brand for many years, and it has a special place in my heart—not only because it has the coolest makeup, but because MAC changed my life as an artist.”
“I started working for MAC in 2000, and that’s where I got into makeup and became a makeup artist,” Parsons continues. “I really treasure that time. Fast-forward to today: I’m at the MAC offices, and they tell me, ‘We’re bringing back some Frost shades.’ I’m like, ‘What? Oh my God—let me see!’”
“They started showing me the shades, and I said, ‘You’re bringing back Spanish Fly, right?’ It was the most-liked comment on TikTok. I told them, ‘You have to bring back Spanish Fly—all the fans are going to want it.’ I think I’m the reason that shade came back, so you’re welcome.”
