Tanning salons and lip enhancements may be all the rage, but when it comes to the real deal… it appears many take issue with it. In case you missed it, MAC Cosmetics recently shared a snap of a beautiful Black woman (Aamito Stacie Lagum) rocking a lovely dark lippie via Instagram. Soon after, the image was bombarded with hateful comments about the models naturally full lips.
“Wtf r these lips,” commented one user.
“Holy shit I thought this was Jay Z,” wrote another user under the image, snapped behind-the-scenes at the Ohne Titel show during New York Fashion Week.
What happens when MAC posts a photo of a beautiful black woman’s NATURAL lips on Instagram pic.twitter.com/4bGoT7xiN9
— Ashley Alese Edwards (@AshleyAlese) February 18, 2016
While this was just another day for the retailer, known to push the boundaries on beauty by sharing epic images highlighting an array of women in bold, beautiful and at times outlandish looks, the comments didn’t stop there.
“Ni**a lips,” read one comment. “Them fish lips,” read another. Meanwhile, other users came to the models defense, writing, “It amazes(sic) how these people can turn a post that was simply advertising lipstick into a whole race issue,” another added. “Her lips make a perfect heart,” one user writes. “Beautiful.”
Now, following the backlash, MAC Cosmetics has released the following statement saying, “MAC stands for and respects All Ages, All Races, All Sexes. We do not tolerate any abusive comments in our community,” reports Digiday. The brand’s Instagram bio too reflects the same stance: “The Official M∙A∙C Cosmetics Instagram. All Ages, All Races, All Sexes.”
Maryse Kye, 19, who worked the very show, where this image was taken also had a few words for the racist Twitter trolls, “As I read the comments below this picture Felt so insecure and a bit embarrassed as I just wrapped up fashion week a time period that is tough on Black models especially Black models as we encounter the harsh reality of the fashion world,” she said. Adding “But I kept reading (not sure why tbh) and saw so much love and support from strangers that made me smile :).”
