MAC is a promotional partner of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Season 4 may be over, but Stranger Things isn’t going anywhere. As part of a new collaboration with MAC Cosmetics, you can get dolled up with a variety of Hawkins-themed products — or choose the dark side with a more subversive line of Upside Down looks. Are you more of an Eleven, or do you think Vecna made some points? No judgments here, just great shades. 

The brighter hues of Hawkins and the deep reds of the Upside Down are available right now from MAC, and you can even take a personality quiz that determines where you’ll fit in. But for superfans of the Duffer brothers series, the line is also chock-full of inside references. “We know how devoted the fanbase for the show is and wanted to make sure we got every detail just right,” says MAC’s executive director of global trends, Cat Quinn. “Amy [Forsythe, Stranger Things makeup department head] would give us a sneak peak of the shades and colors being used on set as well as the looks for each character, and the [Stranger Things] production teams would fill us in on the major locations and themes of the season. We layered these into the collection and worked through every formula with Amy and our Netflix partners to make sure it felt authentic to the show.” Quinn filled Tudum in on the makeup collection’s hidden Easter eggs, as well as a few exclusive full-look combos that will leave you feeling ready to hit the Rink-O-Mania after school. 

The Lipglasses are all named after characters in the show. Could we get some insight into why each color is associated with each character, or where that inspiration came from? We were super lucky, because Netflix and Amy gave us the inside track on the newest season, which became the inspiration for our collection. We were very inspired by the female leads of the show and decided to name our glosses after them. There’s “Wild Wheeler,” “Marvelous Max,” “Eerie El,” “Excellent Erica” and “Rockin’ Robin” — and they each reflect their personalities and sense of style. For instance, Rockin’ Robin is a bright-red shade inspired by Robin’s passionate personality and spunky attitude. 

Let’s talk about the yellow Marvelous Max Lipglass. Why yellow? And, inquiring minds want to know: How do you wear it?  The Lipglass in the shade Marvelous Max is a really cool acid-yellow-green shade reminiscent of the ’80s. It goes on super sheer, leaving the slightest subtle golden sheen. Max, as a character, wears very minimal makeup, and the natural look of the shade suits her personality. Line your lips in your favorite nude or brown — I love MAC Lip Pencil in Stripdown — and glide this onto the center of the lips for an on-trend honey-nude lip.

Don’t sleep on the black Lipglass in the shade Skull Rock either! Like a sheer topcoat for nails, this translucent Lipglass creates the coolest dark wash of color that deepens any existing shade on your lips. I like wearing it over a rich blue-red lipstick like Ruby Woo or creating a vinyl-like finish on top of MAC’s Retro Matte Liquid Lip Color in Caviar (a true black). For a fresh Black Cherry summer trend, try lining your lips in Cherry Lip Pencil, top with Ruby Woo and tap Skull Rock Lipglass onto the center of your lips.

What was the inspiration behind the brushes and ombre bristles? In keeping with the themes and elements of the show, the brushes either match the Upside Down or the human world. For example, the bristles for the Face Brush reflect the ombre and red environment of the Upside Down, and the bristles for the Eyeshadow Brush reflect the green school colors of Hawkins High.

Do you have any tips or tricks for how to get the Cali look versus the Hawkins look? There are two distinct color palettes between the California kids and the Hawkins kids. Because trends mostly moved through magazines and malls in the ’80s (as opposed to the lightning-fast social media movements we have today), the kids in the coastal cities were ahead of the Midwest in terms of makeup and fashion. In the show, the California kids wore bright and flashy pastels of blues, pinks and mints, while the Hawkins kids wore more of a fall palette of dark reds, browns and greens. To copy the Cali look, go for the brightest pastel shades in the collection, like Melvald’s General Store (a shimmery light blue) and Starcourt Mall (bubblegum pink) from the 1986 Palette, Lipglass in Wild Wheeler (bright fuchsia), and the blush in Friends Don’t Lie (pastel pink). For a Hawkins look, temper your brighter shades with Lipglass in Skull Rock; reach for the deeper, warmer shades like Demo Bat and Code Red from The Void Eye palette; and finish with the ruddy red powder blush in He Likes It Cold.

...and what’s up with the nose blush?  Blush on the nose gives the impression of a subtle sun-kissed look. It imitates the pinky flush you’d get from staying out riding your bike all day like the Hawkins kids — or driving through the desert like the California kids. I like adding a touch of blush on the bridge of my nose for the effect (bonus points for some faux freckles) — too much on the end of your nose can look like you’ve been making out and your foundation lifted from your nose, which is another trend called #MAKEOUTLIPS! 

Could we curate a few gloss/eye/cheek combinations inspired by the show, exclusively for Tudum?

1. Wild Wheeler: If you look closely, Karen and Nancy Wheeler are always subtly twinning when it comes to their perms and makeup. Karen keeps up with the trends, and Nancy is borrowing her magazines and taking cues from her mom when it comes to makeup. (Forsythe told me she believes the mother-daughter duo go to the same salon!). As a result, they’re almost always in purple and pink color ways, which go well with their ’80s wardrobes. Pair the eyeshadow in Palace Arcade (a shimmery plum) and Starcourt Mall (a bubblegum pink) from the Hawkins Class of 1986 palette with blush in Friends Don’t Lie (a bright pink) and the Lipglass in Wild Wheeler (a vibrant fuchsia).
2. Rockin’ Robin: Robin is finding her personal style after mostly wearing her Scoops Ahoy costume last season. Now, she has an alternative, sloppy-teenager vibe. Her makeup looks like she applied it in the car on the way to school — because she did! In the show, she wears green eyeshadow, which is super on trend today. Smudge the eyeshadow in Hawkins High from the Hawkins Class of 1986 palette into your lash line and crease, and subtly smudge the red Lipglass in Rockin’ Robin on your lips for a just-bitten stain.
3. Sweet Chrissy: Chrissy didn’t have as much screen time this season, but her sweet ’80s cheerleader look is one of my favorites in the show. Pair the Melville’s General Store shadow (a soft shimmery blue) from the 1986 palette with the nude-pink Lipglass Eerie El. Finish with the powder blush in Friend Don’t Lie and a big ol’ green scrunchie! Just don’t go wandering in the woods after class… 

What is your favorite product and why? I use the Lipglass in Eerie El every single day. It is the perfect pinky-nude gloss I’ve been looking for, and I love that it’s named for a hero! I also find myself reaching for the blush in Friends Don’t Lie every morning. It creates the perfect rosy glow that instantly wakes up my face for Zoom meetings or TikTok videos. It’s been compared to another viral sold-out TikTok blush, and in my opinion, it’s better!