M.A.C Cosmetics
While I believe that the best beauty a woman can wear is her strong, kind, and fearless personality, I do also love good makeup. The first makeup I ever wore was M.A.C powder. Ten years later and it’s still my favorite powder. It has caused me to also fall in love with other M.A.C products such as their lipsticks. MAC cosmetics is an acronym for Makeup Art Cosmetics which was founded in Toronto in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. In 1996, M.A.C opened its headquarters in New York after becoming a subsidiary of Estee Lauder. Mac is now famous worldwide for not only the quality of its products but also for its beliefs which is stated in one of its slogans, “Since 1984, M.A.C cosmetics has established itself as the ultimate color authority with artistry at our roots, inclusion, and diversity at our core, and a commitment to conscious beauty and social responsibility at the top of our minds. With products sold in over 120 countries, it’s no wonder why makeup lovers always return Back-to-M.A.C”
Another famous slogan of theirs is, “All Ages, All Races, All Genders”. Their purpose goes beyond the products that they sell to the communities they serve and the planet we live on. They are ambitious about creating an impact, promoting acceptance, and inspiring change towards a better future. They have proven this by showing great philanthropy through the sales of their products. One such example is the sale of their VIVA GLAM Lipstick. The total cost of the lipstick when purchased ($19 dollars), will be donated to support women and girls, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. They have already raised $500,000,000 and counting from global sales. They have also donated over $20 million to programs in 57 countries, including South Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States. M.A.C’s non-profit AIDS fund program has now fallen into the third largest corporate donor to AIDS-related causes and is funded entirely by the sales of M.A.C’s Viva Glam lip products.
Viva Glam uses celebrity faces based on their ties to the cause. Since popular Baywatch star actress, Pamela Anderson, opened up publicly about hepatitis, their sales from VIVA Glam have had the biggest success. She said “I have hepatitis. No one should be ashamed of getting an illness” The company has given over $128 million to various STD-related projects, including $4.5 million for a prevention and treatment initiative in the Caribbean. The commitment to the cause keeps the company’s customers coming back for more MAC products and their employees from leaving the company. This is also a great strategy through a good cause to gain frequent customers and motivate employees to work.
M.A.C has also pledged to do good for our planet by continuing to improve the sustainability of its packaging. They are doing so through their program called Back-To-M.A.C. This program is dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of their packaging by helping to reduce the amount of plastic in landfills. Upon returning six empty M.A.C makeup containers to a participating M.A.C counter or sending via mail, consumers can choose a standard M.A.C lipstick of their choosing as a thank you. This way the company can be able to reuse containers rather than have them go to waste.
Ethics are the moral principle or values that govern the conduct of an individual or a group. They are the rules and guidelines coupled with customs, principles, and traditions that guide a person or group to make the right decisions. M.A.C cosmetics has displayed ethics through various guidelines that they follow. They have proven their position on corporate and social responsibility by making sure their products are not tested on animals and ensuring that the packaging of their products is recyclable and mainly made from glass.
Ingredients used in M.A.C cosmetics undergo rigorous review to ensure that it is safe for customers. Not only are the ingredients safe but M.A.C is also transparent about the ingredients that are not included in their products. Some of these ingredients include Phthalates, Parabens, and more. This way the customers know for sure that their safety is important to MAC and will encourage them to continue to purchase their products.
M.A.C has proven that they are strong believers against cruelty and are big on treating their employees well. They also have high expectations which they make clear to their suppliers. “Our suppliers must comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct. The Code outlines our expectations on quality, health and safety, environment, labor conditions and human rights including our zero-tolerance policy regarding prisoners, slave labor and human trafficking.” They also have an ongoing audit process that includes the independent third-party assessment.
M.A.C is also strong in its beliefs towards racial equality. They believe in creating an equitable playing field for all races. Starting with their employees, the communities they live and work in, and through their makeup. They have created makeup shades for all skin tones, and they continue to work towards creating more varieties for people to choose from by partnering with creators from all races.
M.A.C talks about ethics and has defined it in many ways, they have fully shown social responsibility which is why many persons will continue to be a customer at M.A.C cosmetics.
However, just like every business, there is always space for growth and development. Finding the right shade of foundation and powder to match your skin is a task. You must know what your skin’s undertone color is to ensure you find the right color. The regular customer will not know this therefore picking out a shade online may be difficult. This causes a lot of people to guess and eventually lose interest in the product. Fenty beauty allows persons to arrange a virtual meeting on their website to speak to one of their representatives, who will guide you in finding the right shade. M.A.C does not have this option. Instead, they have pictures of the different shades of colors you must look at to choose from. This may not be accurate because the way a picture looks may not be the identical color of the actual shade. The time and process to guess what shade suits you which can end up being costly and inaccurate can discourage people from purchasing that product. They will eventually choose a product that is easier to purchase, especially those who may not have a store nearby and are purchasing online. I recommend that M.A.C start a similar process to help their customers or develop another strategy such as a video tutorial that shows various skin tones matched with different shades, in sunlight and at other times of the day. This may project a more realistic image of what the colour may look like on your skin.
