A woman named Starkeema is suing MAC Cosmetics, claiming a lipstick sample she tried at a Rihanna concert in Brooklyn gave her oral herpes, according to CBS New York.
Starkeema, a 28 year old waitress from Harlem, says she attended Rihanna’s May 7 show at the Barclays Center, where MAC had a pop up booth promoting RiRi Woo, the lipstick shade from Rihanna’s MAC collection. She claims a sales clerk applied lipstick from a tube that had already been used on other patrons instead of a fresh one.
Two days later, she says, she noticed a cold sore on her lip. Her lawyers say her doctor diagnosed oral herpes. She also says she was unable to work for two weeks.
The suit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court and seeks damages for mental anguish and emotional distress. Starkeema says she hopes the case pushes MAC to be more careful with its sampling practices. CBS New York did not include a response from MAC in its report.
To be clear, these are claims made in a lawsuit and they have not been proven in court. Rihanna is not named as a defendant.
Whatever happens with the case, it is a good reminder to ask for a fresh applicator or a disposable sample the next time a beauty counter offers to let you try a lip product.
