What Reddit Actually Thinks About the Marc Jacobs Beauty Relaunch

Marc Jacobs Beauty is back — and the packaging alone has divided the internet. The people who love it really love it. The people who don’t think it looks like something from a middle school craft store. The formulas are a separate conversation entirely, and that conversation is very mixed depending on which product you’re looking at.

We went through the early discussions to find out what’s worth buying and what to skip.

The Good

The Packaging Has People Genuinely Excited

The most upvoted comment in the whole thread isn’t about a product — it’s about the vibe “The people clowning this packaging — this is what I thought makeup would look like when I was little. So now I need it for my younger self.” (947 upvotes)
For anyone exhausted by minimalist beige everything, this is a deliberate antidote “I’m so bored of clean/sad beige stuff. Decade after decade we are literally losing colour in our lives.” (470 upvotes)

The Lipstick Is the Clear Standout

The most consistently praised formula across all threads — the one thing almost everyone agrees on “The lipstick is really nice. It’s glossy and sheer but still has a lot of pigment. It dries down to a soft matte. It’s really pretty.” (62 upvotes) “Starts a little glossy but not sticky and dries down to a sheer soft matte. I absolutely love it. My new favorite.” (6 upvotes) “Got the purple lipstick and the formula is sooo smooth and buttery.” (4 upvotes)

The Eyeshadow Has Real Momentum

Sold out quickly and generated some of the most enthusiastic early reactions “They ate with this packaging. I ordered a shadow cause I need that star in my life.” (159 upvotes)

The Mascara Has Early Fans “Not trying to hijack — but agree the mascara is that bish.” (45 upvotes)

The Blush Is Buildable When You Work With It “I got Hot Flush and Self Centered. Very creamy and easy to blend out. Buildable for sure.” (5 upvotes)

The Not So Good

The Highlighter Is a Near-Universal Miss

The most consistent negative reaction and the product that keeps coming up as the reason to skip the relaunch “If anyone is interested, here is this…abomination. I think middle schoolers may love this, to be fair.” (27 upvotes) “I was going to say this looks like the glitter gel I bought for under $5 in middle school.” (25 upvotes) “I wouldn’t put this near my face. Or body.” (26 upvotes) “The highlighter is giving ColourPop — I know I have that exact glitter gel formula from them.” (14 upvotes)

The Blush Fades Faster Than It Should “I got the blush in Hot Flush and while the color is pretty the staying power is not quite there. It fades on me after a few hours.” (6 upvotes) “The blushes had minimal payoff as did the lippies. I’m returning it.” (7 upvotes)

The Eyeliner Has Early Red Flags

Breakage reported across multiple users and creators before the product even gets used “I watched 2 YouTube creators separately experience breakage with the eyeliner pencils and one watched it continue to break upon sharpening. I suspect there’s a formulation problem.” (8 upvotes)

The Packaging Feels Less Luxurious Than the Price Suggests

The whimsy reads differently in hand than in photos for some buyers “I bought a few items and none of it feels luxury in your hand. It all has a light plastic feel.” (10 upvotes)
And fans of the original line feel it even more sharply “The mascara and lipstick have a silicon feel to them that feels tackier by the minute. It does not help that my makeup stash still consists of several OG MJ products and the quality in comparison…hard to even compete.” (9 upvotes)

Other Concerns Worth Knowing

Eyeshadow creases on hooded eyes — flagged after actual wear testing “I have hooded eyes and unfortunately it creased on me during my wear test today.” (8 upvotes)
Silicone packaging attracts dust and lint and is hard to wipe clean
Bulky packaging is not stackable or travel-friendly — owning multiples becomes impractical fast
Canadian pricing is a barrier “I was excited until I saw the CAD price.” (13 upvotes)

How It Compares

Original Marc Jacobs Beauty (Kendo) — effectively a different brand; beloved formulas didn’t carry over; the original packaging was considered more premium despite being technically closer to stock packaging; longtime fans are the most conflicted group
Rhode cream blushes — preferred over MJ blush for color payoff with less effort
ColourPop / Half Magic — the glitter highlighter comparison that keeps coming up; same formula at a fraction of the price
Charlotte Tilbury — the packaging comparison Reddit reaches for; both tap into a nostalgic “childhood dream makeup” aesthetic with more success on the formula side from CT

Tips from Reddit

Don’t panic about sweating lipstick bullets — beading on the surface is a temperature and transport issue, not a quality defect; only a concern if there’s an unusual smell
Layer the blush for better payoff — the buildable formula rewards patience; one heavy application doesn’t work as well as building gradually
Try the eyeliner in the waterline or inner corner rather than the top lid — better payoff and less breakage risk
If the eyeliner tip breaks, use a small liner brush to apply the product instead
Swatch in person before buying — promotional imagery looks different on very fair and very deep skin tones; in-store availability is reportedly coming in September
Wait for Sephora points events or birthday offers to offset the prestige price if you’re on the fence
Buy one or two statement pieces rather than the full line — the packaging is bulky and doesn’t store or travel well in multiples

Final Verdict

Reddit’s verdict on the Marc Jacobs Beauty relaunch is cautiously optimistic — with some very clear winners and one very clear loser.

Worth buying for the lipstick above everything else; the eyeshadow and mascara have real promise but need more extended wear testing to confirm
Skip the highlighter entirely; approach the eyeliner and blush with caution until the formula concerns are better understood

The packaging is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here — and for the people it resonates with, it genuinely does. But a beautiful compact doesn’t save a formula that doesn’t perform, and the comparison to the original line is one the relaunch hasn’t fully answered yet.

Bottom line: Buy the lipstick, skip the highlighter, swatch the eyeshadow in person before committing, and if you loved the original line — go in knowing this is effectively a new brand with a familiar name.