Inside the Launch: Stila’s Hunger Games Collection

“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” debuts in theaters on November 20. Stila’s Hunger Games Collection is already available online at Stila, Ulta Beauty, and the TikTok Shop. The collection rolled out to Ulta Beauty brick-and-mortar stores today, on October 16.

How did Stila Cosmetics become the film’s official makeup partner? Before the script was even written, Lionsgate reached out to Stila. 

“We were so excited,” says Mary Rodrigues, CMO at Stila, who oversees brand and product marketing, creative, consumer insights, and global communications. “We are big fans of the franchise and immediately read the book to discover how the story unfolded—and to see how Stila’s artistry and high-performance products could enhance the project,” she explains. 

A Close Collaboration & Aligned Vision

Partnerships help beauty brands attract new consumers—and Stila says this collab was very “brand-aligned.” 

“As a brand founded by a visionary makeup artist, we understood the artistry needed to bring this storytelling to life—not only for our Stila community, but also for the millions of loyal fans of the Hunger Games franchise. We are thrilled to bring this limited-edition collection to our loyal consumers, while introducing what makes Stila so unique to an entirely new audience,” says Rodrigues.

Rodrigues says the Stila team enjoyed working closely with Natalie MacGowan Spencer, the film’s lead Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics Designer, and Suzanne Collins, author of the Hunger Games books. Stila’s team spent a full year developing the collection.

“We are so thankful to everyone at Lionsgate. They gave us early access to their mood boards, allowed us to read the script, and even visit the movie set in Berlin. Having this access enabled us to respect the storytelling and embrace their vision,” says Rodrigues. 

Charlie Riddle, Global Beauty Director for Stila, advised on every aspect of product development, as the team created new products and colors. Riddle worked closely with MacGowan Spencer, and the film’s looks evolved. Collins consulted on the packaging and new shade names. 

Stila launched eleven products in collectible packaging across 3 color collections. “Each ties to different themes, locations, and characters seen during key moments in the movie,” says Rodrigues. “Our packaging and design teams presented several options for each component in the collection. Together, we aligned on the best representation for the film and for our products,” she says. 

A Snake & Songbird Decoration—& Kits in Collectible Tins

The makeup collection’s luxe gold packaging features a snake and songbird, reminiscent of the first prequel film released in 2023, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” The compacts, lip color, mascara, eyeliner, and cartons feature the symbols. 

Two makeup sets are in collectible tins, Sunrise Eyes and All Fire. “We felt it was important to bring collectible elements into this limited-edition collection,” says Rodrigues.

The Sunrise Eyes set is five mini Liqua-Play Liquid Eyeshadows in a reusable tin. The liquid eyeshadow’s long-wearing formula contains conditioning shea butter and a vitamin E derivative. The travel-sized bottle features a dual-sided applicator for easy lash-line definition.

The characters in the film inspired each shade in the set. It includes three matte shades—“Lenore Dove,” a taupe brown; “Effie,” a pastel blue; and “Mags,” a creamy beige. “Maysilee,” a shimmer finish, is olive green that has gold sparkle. “Proserpina,” a glitter finish, is bright pink.

The All Fire Set, inspired by the film’s love story between Haymitch and Lenore Dove, is also in a collectible tin. It includes Liqua-Play Liquid Eye Shadow in “Eternal Bronze” and Stila’s new Stay All Day Waterproof Kajal Eye Pencil in intense black.

Stila’s New Packaging

Stila’s team added two new round compacts to its Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping collection. The compacts are vacuum metalized in a custom satin gold finish. A heat transfer process applies the film’s snake-and-bird insignia and Stila logo. 

Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in the new shade Rosy Dream and Heaven’s Dew All Over Glimmer in Rainbow are in the new compact. A second compact variation features a clear window to showcase the product color. The new Eye Shadow, Fauna, is in this compact. 

As pretty as the compacts, the cartons in Stila’s Hunger Games Collection feature a striking design, with the snake and bird symbols. Flowers also adorn the “Pretty Striking” collection’s cartons. The cartons are offset-printed with two passes of opaque white, custom champagne gold, a 4/C process, satin UV varnish with UV spot gloss and a blind-embossed Stila logo. 

Four Distinct Character Looks

Stila’s Hunger Games Collection includes four distinct character looks, making it easy for shoppers. Beauty fans can create each look using the products in each collection, which are all sold separately. 

“Meadow Dream” is a romantic look that’s “glowy, warm, and effortless.” This collection includes Heaven’s Hue Highlighter in Rosy Dream, a rosewood peachy pink with rose gold shimmer; Stay All Day Smudge & Set Gel Eye Liner; and Heaven’s Dew Honey Glow Balm in Golden Sun. 

Heaven’s Dew Honey Glow Balm is a new line that launched earlier this year. The solid-to-creamy lip balm delivers a sheer wash of color, leaving lips smooth and plumped. It contains honey, maracuja oil, hyaluronic acid, and Stila’s boosting “Maxi-Lip” complex. Its gold twist-up case features a unique die-cut decoration on the cap that showcases the lip balm color.

The “Pretty Striking” look features vivid colors. The products in this collection come in cartons decorated with flowers, along with snake and songbird symbols. The line includes Stay All Day Inkwear Liquid Eye Liner and Heaven’s Dew All Over Glimmer, in new shades. Plus, Stila re-launched its Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in the bold blue-red hue, Fiery. 

“Rebel Beauty” is a wearable look, featuring matte, muted browns. This collection includes the new Eye Shadow, Fauna, a cool taupe matte shade. Stay All Day Liquid Eye Liner and Huge Extreme Lash Mascara complete the line.

Looking Back on a Successful Launch

Stila says its goal, when designing the collection, was to “immerse the audience in the world of the movie,” and Rodrigues is proud of her team. “We accomplished our goal,” she adds. 

Overall, Rodrigues says partnering with Lionsgate to launch the makeup collection inspired by the film was a success—and fun for the team. “It went well because we presented each step of development to our Lionsgate partners to ensure alignment with their vision,” she explains. “We were thrilled with their reaction to our concepts, designs, and products. Due to the input and ongoing communication, the development phase was seamless,” she says. 

Last but not least, was sustainability a consideration? Stila’s team says many components are made with recycled PP and PCR. “We looked for ways to enhance sustainability wherever possible,’ says Rodrigues.