With its new serum meter, MAC's getting hyper-real about serious skincare

One might assume a model’s runway makeup prep starts with some concealer or foundation—maybe a dollop of powder. Not so: “Today’s skin has to be flawless,” makeup artist Michaela Bosch declared backstage at Christopher John Rogers’ resort show, splashing out dramatic contours of hot pink, burgundy and bright cherry on the runway. Bosch is busy giving Nepali model Varsha Thapa a facial massage with MAC’s Hyper Real Serumizer, a new multitasking liquid that’s officially launching this month. While no one is going to confuse the behind-the-scenes chaos of Fashion Week with a spa, the comparison is for the making: Even among the edgiest makeup brands, there’s a new emphasis on what’s underneath that counts.

After the lockdown led to a surge in complexion care, makeup upstarts (Jones Road, Merit, Kosas), fashion empire builders (Jenni Kayne) and even Dollar General entered the surging skincare market, to is estimated to be worth nearly $ billion dollars. But of all those hopefuls, MAC has a legitimate claim to the category. “We have to have skincare that complements makeup with ,” insists Global Creative Director Drew Elliott. “Performance-based skin care just completes the kit.”

MAC’s first foray into skincare the way it used to be before makeup. (You’d be hard-pressed to find a makeup artist’s bag without the brand’s Shine Cream or Prep + Prime Fix+ Setting Spray.) But Serumizer, a gel-like hybrid treatment, benefits skin with or without makeup: It hydrates Added Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide to refine pores, Ceramides to strengthen skin’s moisture barrier and proprietary Japanese Peony Extract to enhance radiance. “This combination provides a powerful drive to address multiple skin concerns at once,” confirms New York dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, of the first drop in the Hyper Real line, which also includes a cleansing oil and moisturizer. That could be good news for Tapa. When the Rodgers show wrapped up and attendees entered the balmy summer evening, the model was spotted heading to a dinner with her makeup intact — and still impressive — the highest compliment.