It’s been nearly 25 years since Selena Quintanilla’s untimely death, but her older sister, Suzette Quintanilla, is still regularly reminded of small, sweet moments with her little sister. “If I was missing something, it was always in her makeup case,” Suzette says about the late Tejano superstar’s affinity for borrowing her makeup. It’s those everyday memories between siblings that makes today’s announcement feel especially full circle.
Four years after MAC launched its first capsule collection inspired by Selena, a second is finally set to launch this April. “I’m just extremely excited that I finally get to talk about this launch,” Suzette says about the secret she’s kept for two years. “For us Latinas, it’s super hard to keep a secret!”
While MAC’s first Selena collection channeled the icon’s signature look with red lipstick, pink eyeshadow, and beige blush, this second round is different. “It’s more of a celebration of her legacy,” Suzette says, “And it’s a celebration of us as Latinas.”
Just like the first collection, Suzette worked with MAC to ensure it was true to what Selena would have wanted. Namely, that it honored her Latinidad, something that Suzette says is one of her sister’s greatest contributions. “Selena has made an impact in the beauty space by representing Latinas,” she says. “That’s what makes me happy, that she represents so many of us. I don’t want to make it a Latina thing, but it is.”
Suzette says it’s a stark change from their childhood. She recalls watching TV together, but never seeing anyone who looked quite like them. “Even though there were Latinas on TV, they had blonde hair and blue eyes,” Suzette says. “There was never that representation of who we were, with darker hair and being fuller on the hips.”
“I don’t want to make it a Latina thing, but it is.”
Suzette Quintanilla
Of course, knowing the depth of Selena’s fandom, it’s hard to imagine MAC not rolling out a second collection. As a reminder, the star’s first collection started with an online petition — signed by more than 37,000 fans — that urged MAC to create the collection, then it sold out in mere minutes.
“Fans want to celebrate her,” Suzette says. “They want the representation of not just her as an artist, but her as a Latina.” While it took time to come together, Suzette says she knew the night of its launch there would eventually be a second collection. “MAC understands what Selena represents to the world and her fans,” she says. “I loved working with them the first time, and I cannot wait to show the world what this new launch will be. I’m very proud that MAC can help us celebrate her on this very important year, which is 25 years later.”
While exact details haven’t been revealed just yet, one product is confirmed: Bidi Bidi Bom Bom Lipglass, a bubblegum pink gloss with a silver pearl finish that was named after the 1994 hit.
With the release date fast approaching, Suzette is excited to keep working towards her sister’s dreams. “When Selena passed away, one of the three things she was working on was her clothing line, a makeup line, and a perfume line,” she says. “I promised myself that by the time I leave this world, I will accomplish what she started; what she held dear to her heart.”
For Suzette, collabs like this are about more than representation and Tejano music — it’s about keeping her family’s legacy alive. “She means so much to us,” she says. “She’s definitely not going away.”
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