CoverGirl is set to release a Star Wars themed makeup line in September—giving fans a few months to master their looks before the December release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The brainchild of makeup designer Pat McGrath, the limited edition makeup line is comprised of three nail polishes, six lipsticks and 10 mascaras--all of which sport names that double as lines from the iconic series. In my opinion, makeup application reaches a whole new level when your mascara is dubbed, "Do. Or do not. There is no try." Regardless, the makeup line will likely be a major hit among avid Star Wars fans with a penchant for products.
With the launch of the makeup line, however, CoverGirl isn't really embarking into uncharted territory. In 2013, the company released its "Capitol Couture" makeup line in conjunction with the Hunger Games: Catching Fire release. CoverGirl is also not the only brand to have tried to capitalize on the intersection between nerdom and beauty.
Most notably, MAC Cosmetics has delved into this space with a series of similarly themed makeup collections. Take for example, MAC's Wonder Woman collection that it launched back in spring of 2011 or its dark Hello Kitty collection introduced two years earlier. MAC also partnered with Disney (the studio behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens) for its Venomous Villains Collection. L'Oreal Paris also jumped on the beauty-geek bandwagon with the release of its "Miss Manga Mascara." Not to mention that Yves Saint Laurent also came out with its own line of Star Wars themed makeup back in 1999.
The fact that these companies are trying to capitalize on what has traditionally been deemed "geek culture" is not all that surprising. Over the past several years, nerdom has gone from niche to mainstream. Take for instance Marvel's Avengers franchise, which has raked in the cash. Both The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron cracked the top five for highest grossing box office hits. Or the fact that the San Diego Comic-Con is expected to generate an economic impact of $488.4 million between 2013 and 2015.
