Winnie Harlow Channels Ru Paul For MAC's New Viva Glam 25th Anniversary Campaign

Before I developed a love for all things beauty, I spent hours (Maybe never that long, but it felt like it!) hanging around the MAC Cosmetics counter while my mom stocked up on her favorite products during our mall trips. As a kid, I wasn't interested in makeup that perfected or smoothed — it was color and pigment that caught my eye, and I was always getting yelled at for swatching all the messy pigments, the myriad of rainbow eyeshadows, and of course, the lipsticks. Their lipsticks are nothing short of iconic, and when I heard MAC's New Viva Glam Lipstick shade was being released in honor of Viva Glam's 25th Anniversary, I couldn't wait to see what gorgeous hue the MAC team had dreamed up to celebrate such an occasion. Spoiler alert, it's a classic, much like the brand itself.

If you aren't familiar with MAC's Viva Glam line, know that the company has raised $500 million for 1,800 organizations that help people affected by HIV/AIDS. 25 years ago, MAC debuted their first Viva Glam Lipstick with Ru Paul as spokesman, and made a vow to donate 100 percent of the profits, via the MAC Aids Fund. Since then, they've grown to become the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical HIV/AIDS funder, and have worked with 28 celebrity spokespeople to promote the lipsticks and raise awareness.

When I say all your faves have taken part in Viva Glam, I mean it:

Sia, Elton John, Dita von Teese, Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Eve, Lil' Kim, Christina Aguilera, and Ariana Grande are just a ~few~ of the celebs who have teamed up with MAC in the past.

It all started with Ru Paul's iconic original campaign:

So this year, MAC decided to recreate it with Winnie Harlow:

So major, right? Harlow went full Ru Paul in a blonde wig, sky-high red boots, and a red bustier, and the result is a near-perfect replication. And rather than debut a new shade to commemorate 25 years, MAC decided to continue the theme of paying homage to when it all started, by re-releasing the original Viva Glam shade, a brownish-blue red, to be sold alongside Viva Glam II and Viva Glam III. Shoppers can snag it on the MAC Cosmetics site as well as in select locations when it drops on May 1, 2019.

It comes in special, sparkly 25 Anniversary packaging, natch:

The shade range may not technically be expanding, but MAC's mission in giving back certainly is. This year, they plan to rename the MAC AIDS Fund to the MAC Viva Glam Fund, in hopes to focus not only on solving HIV/AIDS, but also helping women, girls, and LGBTQ people in general. The Viva Glam Fund will also honor 10 of their original heritage grantees with $25,000 each, and plans to create three grants to support Planned Parenthood, GLAAD, and Girls, Inc. as well. All this will add up to an impress $1.3 million dollars invested in improving the lives of women and LGBTQ communities.

And in addition to the lippie, on May 1 the brand will announce a whole new roster of MACtivists, or spokespeople who want to raise awareness alongside the MAC Viva Glam Fund, so you just might see some of your faves in the lineup once again:

If you want to do your part in supporting MAC's charitable mission, be sure to pick up the 25 Anniversary Edition Viva Glam lipstick when it drops on May 1. The only thing better than looking fab in a bold lip is knowing that your purchase made a difference to improve someone else's life, so shout out to MAC for helping us do good and look good, too.