M-A-C Transports Star Trek to Comic-Con

When was the last time you saw countless women -- and men -- stop in their tracks for a makeup display as they walked the streets near the convention center during San Diego Comic-Con? Well, this was no ordinary makeup display.

M-A-C pulled out ALL the stops as they gave fans a sneak peek at their upcoming M-A-C Star Trek makeup collection. The collection of lipsticks, powders, eye shadows, nail lacquer, eye liner, lash and brushes is inspired by Star Trek and, more specifically, Deanna Troi, Uhura, Seven of Nine and the Orion Girl, Vina.

But we digress. The makeup is great, inventive, stylish, functional and even a bit futuristic, but rarely does previewing a new product line wow so many people. M-A-C commissioned a huge, sectioned, spherical and very Trek-like station that features a Ten Forward area, an interactive transporter section (yes, you can beam up and down), and an engineering warp core, along with Trek music, atmospheric smoke, view screens, computer terminals and more.

At regular intervals, fans are treated to scripted character appearances by Uhura (who sings, accompanied by Spock on a familiar instrument; they also talk about relationships), Vina, Troi and Data, and Seven of Nine on her own. And all around, male Red Shirts are happy to pose for photos.

Of course, introducing the makeup to prospective customers is the ultimate goal, and M-A-C isn't stinting there, either. They have about 40 makeup artists total, providing free makeovers to visitors.

They'll amplify your natural look or get you ready for serious Trek cosplay. And, sure, even non-Trek cosplayers can get in on the action. We saw a young lady getting her Game of Thrones on. Oh, and every element has a Trek touch. The makeup artists don't go to a storage cupboard; they go to a Jefferies Tube. Products can also be purchased on the premises and fans receive a couple of Trek-themed freebies.

"This has been years in the making," Dominic Skinner, one of M-A-C's international senior artists and a huge Trek fan, told StarTrek.com in a thick British accent as he escorted us on a tour of the station. "In the discussions we had over the months and years, the same thing kept coming back to us, and that is it isn't about makeup, it's about beauty. The female characters on the shows, they weren't heavily made up. They were just elegantly enhanced.

"So the products that we've chosen and the colors that we've picked for the collection really works with that," continued Skinner, who provided input into the development of the station and happily reveals that he suggested the presence of the Red Shirts. "There are a few fun, weird things, like a gold and a silver lipgloss and a gold and a silver eyeliner, because those colors are very representational of the uniforms, of the costumes, but also we have some very beautiful skin colors, natural tones that just work and complement the skin. And the response from the fans has been so goose-bumpy and uplifting."

M-A-C will soon take their Trek makeup show on the road, with Star Trek Las Vegas the next destination. And these stops are the only opportunity to buy products from the M-A-C Star Trek collection until the line is made available to the public on September 1.

The M-A-C station is located at the cross-section of Island Avenue and Front Street. It's open each day from 10:00am to 7:00pm.