Doja Cat is on a mission to paint the town—or rather, her lips—a vivid shade of red. The "Jealous Type" singer left onlookers stunned on the red carpet at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City, going far beyond a simple lipstick retouch for the cameras. (For a full roundup of every star who graced the 2025 VMAs red carpet, click here.)
At the September 7th gala held at UBS Arena, Doja—dazzling in a lime green and gray checkered minidress embellished with hot pink jewels cascading down the center—produced a tube of MAC red lipstick in the iconic "Lady Danger" hue. As she flashed a smile for the photographers, she began swiping the bold color over her already crimson-stained lips. But her impromptu beauty session didn't stop there. After a few strokes, she took a daring bite out of the lipstick stick, chewed it up, and swallowed it whole.
This jaw-dropping moment certainly commanded attention, but it also doubled as a strategic move to spotlight Doja's latest role as the global ambassador for MAC Cosmetics. “I’ve been a MAC girl forever, and now I get to bring that passion to the global stage,” Doja declared to InStyle in a September 7th statement. “Makeup is my paintbrush, my armor, my tool for crafting characters—and MAC has always embodied that spirit of artistic expression and freedom.” She continued, “Together, we’re going to redefine beauty and show the world a fresh perspective.”
Of course, aligning with MAC is just one of the many career milestones Doja has achieved lately. The "Paint the Town Red" rapper also scored a nomination at this year’s VMAs in the Best K-Pop Song category for her collaboration with Lisa and Raye on “Born Again.” Additionally, Doja—who is gearing up to release her highly anticipated new album, Vie, later this month—is set to take center stage at the ceremony, hosted by LL Cool J, alongside fellow performers Sabrina Carpenter, sombr, Mariah Carey, and Jelly Roll.
“I’m returning to what I mastered at the start,” she shared in an interview with the New York Times published on September 5th. “I’m doing what I know I’m meant to do.”
