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Leigh Lezark, Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet, and Zoe Lister-Jones.
Photo: Getty
When we walked into the Alice + Olivia and M.A.C. makeup collection launch party last night at Beauty Bar in New York, we expected to get slammed with funky neon colors everywhere. Why? Because FUNKY is the feeling of the new makeup she designed for M.A.C. — yellow and nude lip glosses, teal and purple nail polishes, and pigments in punchy summer hues. After all, the makeup had to represent the label — designed by Stacey Bendet — which is known for its fun party dresses, especially ones overloaded with sequins. (One of its biggest fans is AnnaLynne McCord, who wears A + O clothes ALL THE TIME ... we'd guess one out of every three red carpets.)
But the party was no Neon Nation. Instead, guests leaned more towards black, white, and red. Leigh Lezark of The Misshapes wore a white blouse and black bottoms (leather bike shorts?), while actress Zoe Lister-Jones also wore black shorts, and paired it with a red blouse that exposed her periwinkle bra. But someone had to bring the sequins and it was none other than Bendet. Yes, girl. SPARKLE. She also rocked red lips and some serious cat-eyes like only a real diva can.
We caught up with Bendet at the party — where there were ladies lined up for free turquiose manis like tweens at a Bieber concert — to chat about her new makeup collection for M.A.C. She also spilled about sharing her closet with AnnaLynne McCord (we knew AnnaLynne had to have the hookup!) and what she loves and hates about this summer's beauty trends. Spoiler: this fair-skinned beauty has strong feelings about Jersey Shore tans. Read on.
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How did you choose the colors for your new M.A.C. makeup collection?
Stacey Bendet: "The colors were meant to be really Alice + Olivia. The quintessential black and white, plus a little crazy, a little cool."
AnnaLynne McCord wears a lot of your clothes! How does she represent the A + O girl?
"She's so cute. I love her. She's a really inspiring person. She's such a do-gooder. She's a true winner, a celebrity who's truly engaged in philanthropic work and not just showing up at an event. Like, if you listened to her and talked to her about the projects she's doing, you'd be amazed."
Have you custom made outfits for her?
"It's so funny — she's my size, so every once in a while, she'll be like 'I need something tomorrow!' and I'll be like, 'I got you.' She's worn a lot of custom stuff that I've custom made for myself. I haven't designed anything specifically for her, but she's worn stuff that I've worn."
What's your favorite summer beauty trend?
"Color! I love color. For summer — it's really really bright pops of color and gold or neutrals. It could go one way or the other. And we tried to do that with the M.A.C makeup, like with bright colors and we also have some neutrals like the lip gloss."
One of your glosses is yellow. Does it go on yellow?
"No. And that's why I love it. It's really cool. I was like YELLOW! And then when we played with it, it just gives you a little glow."
Are there any beauty trends you hate?
"Ohmygod, I think the fake tan should be eliminated from the face of the earth. It is HORRIFIC."
What about the Jersey Shore kids?
"I'm not judging them. I just hate fake tans. I love a pale face."
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Photo: Courtesy of M.A.C.
The collection is in M.A.C. stores now. Most of it is already sold out online.