We interrupt your regularly scheduled Kylie Jenner Lip Kit news to bring you this late-breaking Kardashian-Jenner update: Caitlyn Jenner is also stepping into the beauty business with a brand new (and much speculated) collaboration with MAC. Jenner will launch a lipstick, named Finally Free, and it will be available exclusively online at maccosmetics.com on April 7th. 100 percent of the price of each lipstick, which a soft rosy pink shade, will go to the MAC AIDS Fund Transgender Initiative to further its work in support of transgender communities.
"I wanted a name that I use, and which represents the community," Jenner said in an interview for MAC's culture blog. "This is who I am: Finally Free. I wanted a lipstick that would be universal, suited to more people, and was an everyday lipstick, not just a high-glam, once-in-a-while kind of lipstick."
This news comes at a big time for gender and race relations: MAC recently made headlines after posting a photo of a model's lips that received hateful comments—which then sparked an empowering movement on Instagram: #PrettyLipsPeriod. In response, MAC released the following statement: "MAC stands for and respects All Ages, All Races, All Sexes."
For more best bits from Jenner's interview, read on below!
On partnering with MAC:
"MAC was the first to come to me, and a company, I realized, would really make a big commitment. I knew the VIVA GLAM campaigns; I saw that the proceeds were going, in those cases, mainly to AIDS and HIV causes, and I was wondering if they were interested in doing something specifically geared toward trans issues because we need funding. MAC is a global company. It's in places around the world where not just trans issues, but women's issues, are a major subject that you have to talk about.
Before I came out, the impression I had of MAC was, “That's quality; that's the good stuff.” Not only is it the good stuff, but MAC also has the willingness corporately to use its reach to make a difference, to change people's minds. To help raise funds for HIV and AIDS, and in our case, for trans issues.
And honestly, my ultimate fantasy—I never thought in a million years that it would ever happen—was to get involved with a makeup company. When you're going through all of this, that's just like never going to happen, but wouldn't it be something to be involved in a project like that? Boy, watch out what you wish for, because it came true."
On helping the transgender community grow:
"What I have learned over the last nine months is that we certainly have a lot of issues here in the United States, and a lot of things we need to work on, but we are so much further ahead of the rest of the world. It’s unbelievable. I met with Samantha Power, our Ambassador to the United Nations, on this issue and on all LGBT rights. There are still far too many countries where if you’re anywhere in the L, the G, the B or the T spectrum, it’s a criminal offense. You can go to jail for being anywhere in there. You can get decapitated. Take Russia. In Russia, if you are anywhere in the L, the G, the B or the T, you are considered to have a mental illness. And people with mental illnesses cannot get driver’s licenses. This happens in our world today. MAC has a global reach. We can start here, but I would also like to take it on a worldwide basis—the big picture. For right now we need to figure out trans issues and get some help here, but on a global scale, it’s women’s issues."
On what role beauty plays in transformation:
"For me, the beauty side of it was important from the beginning: to try to do fashion right, to try to do beauty right. I worked on it all my life, but nobody knew it. I made a statement where I said if I was going through this, I didn’t want to look—me, personally—like a man in a dress. I wanted to do it with style, with grace. Looking good was important to me. Well, I got in all kinds of trouble with the community because they said, “Well, what about all the people who don’t care about that or don’t have the resources to do that?” I’m talking about in my case. I grew up in a family where, with the girls, presentation was very important to them, too. I have been around a long time, and I told my kids as they were growing up that the way they act, the way they dress, the way they speak — if you want to get ahead in life, it’s important. I know that for some people in the trans community it is not that important, but for the majority it is.
As a guy, I never took presentation as that important, because I didn’t care. I didn’t care about clothes; didn’t like guys’ clothes, never really bought clothes. I’d have my wife buy my clothes—if I was married at the time. But now, it’s just the opposite. I really enjoy the whole process. I had to do it in the closet for so many years, now I can actually do it and go out.
Some say beauty—makeup, skincare, hair—is superficial; it’s frivolous. But beauty can be incredibly empowering. If you can stand taller because you feel good about yourself, you’re going to face the world
In a totally different way, I totally agree with that. If I walk into a room now, with a great outfit on, the makeup’s working, the hair’s working, and I walk in and the first person turns around and says, “Oh my God, you look great!” that is a great start to the night."
On how the women in her life have inspired her beauty and fashion:
"One is that they take their appearance very seriously. They always look good. They always do their makeup well. They really understand how to dress, even if it’s everyday stuff. And to me that’s inspiring, because it’s a lot of work. And I realize everybody can’t do it. They have the resources. I always look at it as being a celebrity and being in the public eye: It’s a business. If you treat the business properly and take it seriously, it’s a good business. And these girls have been extraordinarily good at business. They’ve built incredible businesses for themselves on this side of the industry. They’ve been smart; they’re hardworking and they get it. Kim has been great at giving me advice, just by saying, “Ok, if you’re going to do this, you’ve got to rock it. You cannot go out the door unless you’re put together. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, but you’ve got to take it seriously because, if you get that one bad photo, they’re going to use it forever. So don’t give them that ammunition.” And I’ve had that, boy have I had that."
Related: Don't Miss Caitlyn Jenner's Glamour Women of the Year Awards Speech:
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