Does the New Marc Jacobs Beauty Live Up to the Original? 5 OG Fans Think So

28.05.2026, 19:55 allure.com

So far, 2026 has been a year of long-awaited comebacks. Hillary Duff hits the stage after 18 years, Ariana Grande after seven. Fans waited five years for Euphoria season three to air on HBO and two decades for The Devil Wears Prada 2 to arrive in theaters this May. For makeup lovers, it’s felt like ages waiting for the return of Marc Jacobs Beauty, the fashion designer’s beloved makeup brand that shuttered unexpectedly in 2021. News broke of the reboot last year, but it’s been a slow crawl to launch day. I’m not sure about you, but for us beauty editors, the press rollout has felt like 84 years of blind items, occasional red-carpet and runway spottings, and teasers of teasers of teasers.

They say patience is a virtue, and with Marc Jacobs Beauty finally arriving at Sephora on June 1, 2026 (and today on MarcJacobs.com)—I'm feeling particularly virtuous …and, eager to dig into how these products look, feel, and perform. For many beauty editors at Allure, we remember the initial launch fondly, some of us holding onto our Highliners and bottles of Dew Drops despite being fully aware of how expiration dates work.

Now, it’s important to note that Coty, the brand’s parent company, has been very adamant that this new Marc Jacobs Beauty has nothing to do with the original. As Allure contributor Marci Robin noted last week, the press release “would have you believe that the Marc Jacobs Beauty you're about to meet is the first installment.” That being said, at the launch event in New York City, Jacobs admitted that “we looked at obviously what Marc Jacobs Beauty was before,” when rethinking this new iteration.

For those of us who coveted the brand in the 2010s, part of our excitement around the launch is powered by nostalgia—in my case, for the gel liner and the Omega Bronzer—and we couldn’t help but feel curious about how they compare. So in the name of beauty journalism, I asked my fellow Allure editors, regular contributors, and makeup artists who were fans of the OG Marc Jacobs Beauty—all who still own original items—to try out the new range and get their thoughts. But first, a little bit more about the collection in general.

No. And I should reiterate that Coty—the same company that creates Marc Jacobs fragrances—promotes this as an entirely new line, completely separate from the original (which was owned by LVMH's Kendo). “This is not a reissue of the original line; everything has been reimagined: the formulas, the textures, the performance,” a representative of the brand specified over email. And while the product names have a similar cheekiness to them (Gagged, Heart & Fast, Money Shot, to name a few), you won't see reformulations of the old formulas. The packaging also looks completely different.

One similarity? A heavy focus on eye makeup, which seems to come directly from Jacobs' personal preferences. When Allure interviewed him about the first Marc Jacobs Beauty launch in 2013, he told us, “I’ve always been very drawn to the eyes,” and it seems that still holds. “It's the eyes for me,” he told preview guests earlier this month. “I think it's the place where there's the most opportunity for experimentation, for expression. It's what I look at first when I see someone. So, I think the eyes just have all that possibility.”

The initial June 1 drop introduces seven products, including the Flashes Mascara, available in black, brown, and blue; Drawn This Way Eyeliner, a waterproof gel formula that's creamy as a kajal and comes in 21 colors and four finishes: matte, metallic, and “magical” (the latter includes glitter and duochromes); Born Star Eyeshadow, 14 individual powder shadows also broken up into matte, metallic, and magical textures; Joystick Blush Stick, a multi-use balms for lips and cheeks that comes in 10 shades; Legally Bronze Bronzer, a buildable powder bronzer in eight shades that range from fair to deep; Money Shot Highlighter Gel, which comes in just one hue with pink and blue reflects; and finally, the Heart On Lipstick, a hybrid lipstick balm in 15 neutral, pink, red, purple, and “trendy” hues, like electric purple and Barbie pink.

At the press preview, Jacobs explained that back in 2013, he felt strongly that the packaging should be black. “I did feel that it should be simple,” he explained, noting that it felt more in line with how he felt sophisticated beauty brands were packaged at the time.

For Marc Jacobs Beauty 2.0, the aesthetic couldn't be further from simple. “I remember the conversations being, ‘we want to do something that’s more disruptive and different,'” he noted. Presented with loads of options (including penis-shaped lipstick tubes), Jacobs went home and started sketching ideas. He landed on three shapes—stars (to represent the eyes), daisies (the innocence of which, reminded him of skin), and hearts (which look like lips). Eventually, he came up with the idea of giving the shapes a party balloon-like quality, adding an element of fun and playfulness that the designer wanted to get across.

This is where I got help from my fellow MJ Beauty fans, including Allure editors, contributors, and professional makeup artists. It's hard to offer a true comparison as many of the products from the original line we all own have either dried up or gone in the trash after Marie Kondo-esque clean outs (I recently tossed the most perfect red-brown metallic Omega Gel-Powder Eyeshadow that I threw out in recent type-A cleaning rage). Anyway, we did our best,

Keep scrolling to see how Allure editors tested Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Sophie with the new Legally Bronzer Pressed Powder Bronzer.

Sophie applying the new Legally Bronzer Pressed Powder Bronzer.

How I loved the original Omega Bronzer. It's been a long time since I've used or seen one in real life, but I remember the texture being silky smooth and super blendable. Upon first glance, the new Legally Bronze Bronzer is nothing like the original. For one, the size. The Omega Bronzer compact was comically large (makeup artist Dick Page once joked to me it was big enough to bronze a horse), but the idea was that you could use it over your body, too (which, I'll admit, I never did). Second, is the smell. The original powder had a tropical, coconut-y scent that you'd get a whiff of with every swipe. The Legally Bronze Bronzer is normal-sized and has no discernible smell.

The Omega Bronzer was top tier in 2014, but probably wouldn't hold up in 2026, most notably because it only came in one shade (boo). Legally Bronze Bronzer comes in 10 (I'm Light Medium Plus), and in general, I'm really impressed by the formula. I prefer cream bronzers these days, but Legally Bronze buffs on as seamlessly as a cream. Blending with a fluffy brush—I use the Smith 118 Powder Brush—takes little to no effort.

Kara wearing the new Drawn This Way Eyeliner in You Up?

Sadly, the original MJB liners I have in my makeup archive have long dried up, but this new formula definitely lives up to my memory of them. They are so creamy and pigmented; I actually gasped when I tried them for the first time. If you want to use the liner for a smoky look, you'll have to smudge it out quickly because the pigment sets almost immediately—and then stays set. I applied You Up? at 3 p.m. on a Friday, then went to dinner and out dancing after. When I got home around 11 p.m., my base makeup had totally melted off, but the liner was almost perfectly intact.

Kara wearing the new Drawn This Way Eyeliner in You Wish.

Kara applying the new Drawn This Way Eyeliner in You Wish.

Marc Jacobs Beauty was a powerhouse from the beginning! Their original lineup was unlike any other "fashion" brand I had experienced at the time—beautiful skin was at the center, while the colors and textures of the shadows, liners, and glosses felt sleek and sexy. The new lineup feels like a more playful, bold, and youthful story! It's so exciting to see an array of colorful eye shadows and eyeliners, especially since the OG MJB liners were my absolute favorite ever! Despite their differences, both the original and current launches inspire you to play up your natural beauty with an unexpected twist.

Cass wearing the new Drawn This Way Long-Wear Waterproof Gel Eyeliner and Born Star Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadow.

I put Drawn This Way Long-Wear Waterproof Gel Eyeliner and Born Star Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadow to the ultimate test! There is no better feeling than creating a high-impact look with minimal effort; the liner and eye shadow do just that! While I was already infatuated with the stellar new packaging, the quality did not disappoint with the intense color, buttery glide, and flawless blendability. I've missed my Marc Jacobs Beauty eyeliner for years, and I'm happy to say... she is new, improved, and ready to play! I can't wait to try the rest of the lineup and experiment with all of the beautiful colors and textures.

Kara holding the new Bold Star Eye Shadow in Mood Swing.

Kara wearing the new Bold Star Eye Shadow in Mood Swing.

While I'm completely in love with the new MJB eyeliners, I wasn't quite as smitten with the eye shadows beyond the very cute packaging. The new ones feel similar to the old versions: They're both very silky and soft to the touch. This could have been specific to the shade I tested—Mood Swing, a very pretty blue-purple duochrome—but I found the formula to be quite messy without enough payoff or staying power to make the cleanup worth it. I'd definitely recommend applying with just your fingers; the formula glided on a bit better when I went that route.

Kara applying the Born Star Eye Shadow in Mood Swing.

It's also not an office-to-dinner option: I first applied the shadow around 1:30 p.m., and by the time I finished work at 6:30, the shadow seemed to have slid from my eyelids to my temples and cheeks.

Cass creating a look with some of her favorite

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