
We told you about Rihanna, we told you about Kelly, but let’s talk about some of our favorite beauty collabs of ALL TIME. Only, instead of all of these special edition collections featuring a celebrity, these companies got a little more creative… think fictional characters, interior designers and everyone’s favorite pop artist. We may have been surprised by some of these creations at first, but now we’re trying to outbid other beauty collectors for the remaining shades on eBay.
1. MAC + Marge Simpson: We’ve already let the cat out of the bag on this one — but after 25 seasons, it’s about time Marge got some recognition for the fab lady she is. This line drops September 4, so get ready for everything yellow and blue.
2. MAC + Mia Moretti: One of MAC’s other 2014 collabs is with DJ and it-girl Mia Moretti. Her collection is actually a remix of her fave MAC shades to inspire your festival style and is available to shop now!
3. Shu Uemura + Takashi Murakami: Murakami is a super-influential contemporary Japanese artist who designed a holiday 2013 line for Japanese brand Shu Uemura inspired by his animated film, 6<3princess.
4. MAC + Cindy Sherman: Don’t let the clown couture look throw you off, Cindy Sherman is an incredible artist who transforms herself into all different people for her art, so a makeup collab makes serious sense. Props to MAC for pushing the envelope with this. (via The Guardian)
5. MAC + Barbie: This collab is a throwback to MAC 2007, and to the younger you who wanted everything in Barbie pink. (via MTV)
6. Laneige + pushBUTTON: The collaborators (two Korean powerhouses) aren’t what make this collection strange. Rather, the green puppies hidden in the spots remind us a little too much of Cruella de Vil’s dream coat. (via Glam Asia)
7. Inglot + The Lion King: We love us some Rafiki as much as the next girl, but we’re not sure we really want makeup advice from him. That said, Inglot’s “Savannah Sunset” line is looking pretty tempting. Snap it up here. (via Bella Sugar)
8. Sephora + Pantone ($40): Pantone named “Radiant Orchid” the color of 2014, and everything has been coming up orchids for our beauty and style picks since.
9. MAC + Lady Gaga + Cyndi Lauper: Back in 2010, Gaga and Cyndi Lauper teamed up with MAC to create some glamorous lip colors to benefit MAC’s AIDS fund. Girls just wanna have fun… and help people. (via Be)
10. Kiehl’s + Kenny Scharf: Scharf’s work looks more like it belongs on Cartoon Network than in your bathroom, but his colorful designs will definitely make your morning routine more fun. This holiday collection is still available at Kiehl’s.
11. Too Faced + Mary McDonald: McDonald may be known more for her interior design palettes, but we’ll take one of these 2013 palettes in a hot second. (via Musings of a Muse)
12. Urban Decay + Pulp Fiction ($34): In honor of Pulp Fiction‘s 20th anniversary, UD is releasing this palette inspired by the inimitable Mia Wallace. It’s got everything you need to recreate Uma Thurman’s dark and edgy look from the film (just in time for Halloween, too!).
13. ASOS + Anna Sui + Minnie Mouse: We’re super sad we missed the boat on this holiday set. It even came with Minnie-shaped lipstick! (via ASOS)
14. Nars + Guy Bourdin: If you’re a fan of the controversial French fashion photographer, you’re in luck. He inspired Nars’ last holiday collection, making just as many headlines for it as he did back in the day. (via Fashion Magazine)
15. Tweezerman + Isaac Mizrahi: Don’t pull down your beauty routine by pairing bright pigments with blah tools. Mizrahi’s whimsical designs will make your tweezers as fun as your palettes. (via RR Magazine)
16. Smashbox + Curtis Kulig: Just in time for V-Day ’13, Graffiti Artist Kulig’s iconic “Love Me” design was scrawled across Smashbox products. Graffiti + makeup = match made in heaven? (via Urban Moms)
17. Nails Inc. + Alexa Chung: We are big fans of Alexa and big fans of her new kale-based nail line, but we have to admit it seemed strange when we first heard about it. We still have one question: does this count as a serving of dark, leafy greens? (via WWD)
18. OPI + the Muppets: Kermy is a sweetheart, but we have to admit that Miss Piggy isn’t one of our beauty icons. However, the most recent movie inspired a line of glittery polishes we can all love. (via OPI)
19. Lancome + Alber Elbaz: Lanvin’s artistic director + the dreamy French beauty icon is a collab we can’t live without. Good thing it’s still available. (via Female Daily)
20. MAC + Romance Novels: While we don’t necessarily want to look like the heroines on the covers of romance novels, we are pretty excited for some new colors inspired by our fave beach reads. We’ve been counting down the days since we first heard about this new fall line. (via Temptalia)
21. MAC + Archie Comics: Are you a Betty or a Veronica? A question as iconic as the Jackie vs. Marilyn controversy. Whatever your leanings, MAC made a color collection for both legs of the Archie love triangle. (via Temptalia)
22. MAC + Hello Kitty: In 2008, MAC and Sanrio teamed up to bring our fave kitten her own makeup line. (via Temptalia)
23. MAC + Fafi: MAC’s Fafi line came out in 2008 as a follow-up to the success of the Barbie collection. We’re totally behind a beauty collab that also challenges feminine stereotypes. (via Steph’s Closet)
24. Nars + Andy Warhol: Once we saw this combo, we immediately wondered where it had been all our lives. Makeup + Andy Warhol = some seriously amazing art. (via Vanity Fair)
25. Tarte + Aqualillies: Synchronized swimming can be cool, and the Aqualillies prove it. Last summer, they teamed up with one of our fave beauty brands (eco- and skin-friendly!) for a gorgeous collection. If you’re as enamored as we are, a few pieces are still available on Tarte’s website.
Which of these collabs is your fave? Know of any other awesome duos? Share them in the comments below or Tweet us @BritAndCo!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures