Suzette Quintanilla Spills the Deets on MAC Cosmetics Second Selena Collection

Last Tuesday, March 31 marked the 25th anniversary of Selena Quintanilla’s death. She’s been gone for longer than she was alive and yet the Queen of Tejano music continues to remain relevant today. It’s for this reason her older sister Suzette Quintanilla thought it was time for a second MAC cosmetics Selena collection, to honor her legacy and the sweet memories she has of her. For anyone familiar with the first capsule collection inspired by Selena, it launched after an online petition signed by more than 37,000 fans urged MAC to create the collection and sold out minutes after going on sale. The MAC Selena La Reina Collection will be available on April 21 and it’s honestly exactly what we need during these challenging times.

“I’m blown away,” Suzette says regarding Selena’s very loyal fanbase and her relevancy even today in 2020. “It’s phenomenal where her legacy is 25 years later… people still play her music in quinceañeras. I’m so happy that she’s being remembered. She lived such a short life but she left a very powerful one to look up to and so many people look to Selena for different reasons.”

“They’re inspired by Selena, they want to be like her, or better yet, it’s what she represents as a Latina on so many levels, as a businesswoman, as a person who cared about children, as a person who truly cared about her fans, and who she was as a person — she kept it real.”

Suzette confirms that Selena’s signature look was definitely red lipstick and while the first capsule channeled that side of the Mexican singer, the second capsule is going to be totally different. It celebrates Selena beyond the stage artist while honoring her Latinidad. 

“I truly believe Selena represents who we are as Latinas… that’s the one thing that people can look at Selena for — they look at her and go ‘She’s me!’ She’s got the dark hair, she’s got the curves, she’s got the darker skin. She’s a good representation and she was a good person. She was a great role model and I can go on about why I feel her legacy is still alive,” Suzette says. That’s part of the reason why the new capsule embodies more of Selena’s natural, off-stage look and the way Suzette remembers her as just her sister.

“I would say Selena’s red lip [was] definitely her signature go-to but then again… I also saw the other side of Selena where she always wore her hair pulled back with very soft makeup and a very light lip,” she says. “As an artist it was definitely the red lip, the darker bolder look. But Selena, my sister, was more of the natural lip gloss, soft lip [look] whenever she was running around.” 

It’s the side of Selena we don’t talk about enough. “If you go online, you’ll find [photos] of her with her hair pulled in a low bun, slicked back, lighter makeup, a white T-shirt, baggy jeans but still had the rhinestone belt that was her dress down,” Suzette says. “Her Reebok tennis shoes, the double strap ones that go up — that was her signature look. It was more of a toned-down normal, everyday look, that’s what she’d normally wear and that’s very much what this new line is all about.” 

Suzette and her mother worked with MAC to pick colors and curate a palette that was reflective of Selena’s casual style. There’s a bubblegum pink gloss that features a silver pearl finish that’s named after Selena’s 1994 hit single, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” There’s an eye shadow palette that features natural matte and metallic shades called “Me Siento Muy Excited,” inspired by a real interview Selena did where she struggled with responding in full Spanish. The case cover is black and includes a rhinestone design inspired by Selena’s fashion that you’ll also see on some of the other packages and on a makeup bag that’s included in the collection. There’s a more brown-based lip gloss inspired by her natural lip with the cutest name ever — “Hey Dad Pizza!” There’s an entirely clear gloss with some shimmer called “The Washing Machine” and a few lip liners including a red one called “Selenaville” and a more natural brown-toned one named “Entre a Mi Mundo” along with a selection of pink, brown and nude lipsticks with a few bold reds. One product that’s bound to get loyal fans excited though is the specialty powder that resembles a champagne-colored flower. It’s called “La Leyenda” and the packaging is everything. 

“I’m grateful that MAC understood and embraced what Selena represents on so many levels,” Suzette adds. “That’s why we’ve been able to work together to create this beautiful collection to honor somebody that truly deserves it.”