Doja Cat Wishes All Lipsticks Were Edible

Doja Cat is a self-proclaimed leaker. The rapper (born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini) knows she can be a troll when it comes to teasing new music, but now that we’re one week out from the release of her fifth studio album Vie, she’s ready to put the antics behind her and let the record speak for itself. “I’m so excited and I can't wait for it to come out,” she tells NYLON. “I think my fans are pretty much over me leaking things and giving snippets, and I think it's time to let it go, let it ride.”

Despite Vie’s vibrant homage to the ‘80s, Doja Cat’s debut campaign as MAC Cosmetics’ Global Brand Ambassador is surprisingly subdued. Ditching her usual neon color palette and broad-shouldered attire, pop music’s biggest provocateur poses for the black-and-white campaign photos wearing nothing but her Studio Fix Fluid Foundation — and an ‘80s-style blowout, of course. “I was able to do my own makeup for the campaign shoot, and I was very, very strong when it came to that,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that was part of what we were doing.”

In honor of the “Say So” singer’s new campaign and album, out Sept. 26, we caught up with Doja Cat over Zoom to talk all things beauty and ‘80s icons.

Congrats on the new campaign and the partnership with MAC. What was it like working with [MAC’s new Global Creative Director] Nicola Formichetti to bring this campaign to life?

I always love working with Nicola. He's so sweet and he gets me. He is very open-minded and he wants me to be happy, so it was fun. I remember playing dress up when I was like eight years old with my friends. That's how I feel when I work with Nicola.

You alluded to playing dress up as a kid, and I was wondering if you had any core memories of playing around with MAC products when you were younger?

I spent a lot of time fishing through my mom's makeup bag. Obviously she used a lot of things, but I think one of my biggest mistakes [and] most defining moments was when I used a MAC lipstick that was a too plum-y and too deep for me. I think that's how I learned I didn't really love to wear darker shades of lipstick, but she looks absolutely incredible in that color.

You've taken your music in a very ‘80s direction recently. What inspired the new sound?

There's so many things about the ‘80s that has always inspired me. I think the ‘70s is where it sort of started, I love the architecture from the ‘70s to the ‘80s. I think that was a really rich time for creators, artists, architects and things like that. And Mugler was such a massive face of the ‘80s. I think they really helped define that era. Brett, my creative director, and I love playing with the ‘80s vintage look and Mugler really helped define what we see as ‘80s glam and ‘80s vibes.

There was a lot of experimentation with makeup back then, too. Blush was such a big deal, and it was just the most punk time to express yourself with makeup. I see myself as somebody who likes to do stuff like that.

What's your favorite ‘80s beauty trend?

They were doing eyeshadow in such an incredible way, but my favorite thing they did was take the blush and marry it into the eyeshadow. It's almost like everything was one thing. They would kind of travel up the cheekbone and into the brow bone and just break the rules and take the eyeshadow past the eyebrow into the forehead. It’s just magical.

Which MAC products are you planning to bring on your upcoming tour?

I need my Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara, because I have the tiniest little eyelashes on my bottom row, and that's the only mascara that I can really build with without destroying my lid and getting it everywhere. It's just very good for detail. And my Lady Danger lipstick as well. There's so many beautiful reds that MAC has, I'll definitely have a big basket of [those].

We won't be seeing any plums, I'm sure. We saw you eating a fake lipstick at the VMAs a few weeks ago. What are the odds we'll see you and MAC collaborating on an edible lipstick in the future?

That's something of my dreams. In a perfect world, that would become reality. But the chef that we worked with is absolutely incredible. When I tell you anybody could have put chocolate in a lipstick tube — I could have done it — but nobody could have done it the way that he did it. It was a raspberry ganache with a white chocolate shell, and it was the most delicious thing. I ate almost all of them, and I did my best to try to give them out to people. I mean, we made a lot. I'd love to do more on that side.

Who is your ultimate ‘80s icon?

I would have to say Grace Jones is probably my ultimate ‘80s icon, aside from Billy Idol. Gary Numan is a big one for me.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.