Nicki Minaj is no stranger to a good collaboration. For the second year in a row, the outspoken MC and "American Idol" judge has hooked up with famed makeup brand MAC to serve as the spokeswoman for their HIV/AIDS charity campaign, MAC Viva Glam. And this time, Minaj wanted to set trends, not follow them.
"I have a new Viva Glam lipstick. I did a pink and I did a new one, which is a lavender [shade]. This is Viva Glam 'Nicki 2.' It's just about changing with the times. I wanted to have something that was, I don't know, futuristic, felt more like what was happening now 'cause I already have my classic pink," she told. "And I wanted to just have something new to try, and MAC wanted to come out with lavender shades. I tried this on and I loved it."
She was first re-upped by MAC last year, and now Barbz can go out and purchase the purple-hued "Nicki 2" lipstick and Lipglass for themselves. And if you're wondering how to pull off the shade, just use Nicki as your model.
"I wouldn't say there was something that was missing, but there wasn't a custom Nicki color, so I think it's just fresh and exciting and it's fun," she explained. "A lot of times when you go to wear lipsticks, you don't get the chance to see how they look on TV, pictures, regular just day-to-day shots. [Since] my fans get to see me wear my lipstick all the time, they can kind of decide, they use me sort of like their way of gauging how every outfit will look with this particular lipstick. So that's what we'll be doing from here on out with the lavender."
Before Minaj's two-year run (which she previously shared with Ricky Martin) with the campaign, a number of other A-listers also worked with MAC to raise money for the MAC AIDS Fund through the sale of lipstick. Lady Gaga (a fellow two-time spokeswoman), Fergie, Christina Aguilera, Eve, Mary J. Blige and Lil' Kim have all helped sell the lipstick line, which MAC started in 1994, donating every dollar of its sales to help men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.