Empire Stars join MAC’s Viva Glam Campaign

RuPaul was the first to do it. Followed by Elton, Christina, Pamela, Miley, Nicki and Gaga. And now add to that, Taraji and Jussie. Why am I not mentioning their full names? Well, because for one thing, some of these celebs don’t use one, but also because these stars are so famous, you don’t need to know their full names to know who I’m talking about. That’s the power of celebrity. And that’s the power that MAC Cosmetics has been utilizing to fuel their Viva Glam Campaign for over twenty years.

Viva Glam is a charity campaign which benefits the MAC AIDS Fund—and every cent of every Viva Glam products sold goes to the fund, which helps women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Started by the founders of the company, Frank Angelo and Frank Toskan, in 1994, the MAC AIDS Fund’s mission to bring help and support to the most marginalized and neglected people and communities affected by HIV. The fund provides things like safer sex products, therapy sessions, HIV-testing kits and homemade meals.

The most recent Viva Glam campaign features the two aforementioned stars of FOX network’s hit T.V. show, Empire, Taraji P. Henson and Jussie Smollett. The ‘90s-themed campaign ad features Henson and Smollett, dressed in matching outfits, dancing around adorably to Salt-N-Pepa’s 1993 hit single, “Shoop.”

Smollett has long been an outspoken activist and advocate for those living with HIV, and was happy to join in and help the cause. “One lipstick literally provides one rapid oral HIV test, 14 HIV tests for pregnant mothers, [or] 254 condoms to prevent HIV infection,” Smollett told Teen Vogue about the MAC AIDS Fund last month in an interview.

In another cute promo for the campaign, in which Smollett is interviewing Henson, she says of the company, “MAC is all races, all ages, all sexes, all sizes, all people.” Henson continues, “I think the best part of the Viva Glam campaign is that all of the money, when you buy this [lipstick], helps someone living with HIV and AIDS have a better life.”