I tried the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Jackie Aina palette, and it has left me "shookington"

I didn’t think I could stan Jackie Aina any harder than I already did—then Anastasia Beverly Hills announced their latest collab. The 14-pan eyeshadow palette created by Queen Jackie herself is the best post-birthday gift I could have asked for. I’m no stranger to ABH eyeshadow palettes, but I’ve never been more excited about one. Not only because Jackie Aina is my auntie in my head, but also because I can’t think of a beauty influencer more deserving of this opportunity. Let’s not forget to mention that this is Anastasia’s first palette collaboration with a Black woman. I applaud Norvina and Anastasia times ten for this.

Let me quickly break down why this collab is major. Since day one of starting her YouTube channel, Jackie Aina has been consistent in her messaging: She wants Black women to feel beautiful and included in the beauty industry. Before inclusivity was “in,” Jackie (who recently celebrated her 10-year YouTube anniversary) has been vocal about her frustrations with the beauty industry—namely, brands that routinely give Black women the short end of the stick. She put this same energy into creating her palette for Anastasia Beverly Hills. It’s clear that she curated a color story that Black women would not feel excluded from.

And with that, I’ll move onto my review before I start tearing up.

Beyond being my imaginary auntie, Jackie Aina is a fellow Leo. The packaging she chose for her palette perfectly displays the level of extra-ness that comes with the territory.

Color shifts, iridescence, leather-esque texture…oh my. The packaging alone is nothing like we’ve ever seen from Anastasia Beverly Hills. Though it is on par with the $45 price point and the quality we expect from ABH, it’s clear that Jackie poured herself into this palette.

Of course, in support of Jackie, I opted to purchase the PR mailer for the palette, which includes the palette, a pretty storage box, and a makeup bag. At the time of this review, I haven’t yet received my makeup bag (but no beef here—it’s on the way). The palette, of course, comes with the standard double-ended ABH eyeshadow brush, which is one of the best add-in brushes I’ve used. I usually toss brushes that come with palettes (they’re usually terrible), but ABH delivers.

Here’s what the swatches from the palette look like:

“Shookington” is an understatement (and also the name of one the shades). I’d love to know what the conversation about developing the palette was like in the Anastasia Beverly Hills offices. This formula is next-level. I can attest to the fact that ABH has played around with formulas since the Subculture debacle, and it shows in the best way possible.

Here’s the look that I created with the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Jackie Aina palette:

I’m not sure why, but I was so nervous to open up the palette. Partly because I didn’t want to mess it up, and partly because I was nervous that the look I created wouldn’t do it justice (the colors are bold af—even for me).

I tried to use as many shades as I could in one sitting. On my eyes, I used the shades Ginger and Credit (as transitions), Big Wig (in my crease), Shookington and Trust Issues (on my lids), and Supreme under my eyes. I also used Pinker as a blush, and a bit of Soleil as a highlight. That was eight shades in total, just in case you lost count.

Can we also talk about how popping these shade names are? The incorporation of so many Jackie-isms is genius.

My final thoughts on the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Jackie Aina

While most people were excited about the launch, there were some folks distressed over the shade name“Wiggalese.” The shade name was somehow interpreted as an offensive term to white people (playing off of the n-word), instead of being recognized for its true intention: Bringing Jackie’s love of wigs into the palette. Other than that, the palette has been well received, and I’m personally here to tell you that, if you don’t have it yet, you need to grab one, like, yesterday.

Applying eyeshadow can be a hit or miss for me.

Some days I look like I’m about to shoot a magazine cover. Other days I may look like someone socked me in the eye. I must say that the formula of the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Jackie Aina palette took the edge off of applying eyeshadow for me. The formula blends well and is super pigmented. I wasn’t expecting to get much color from certain shades (like Ginger), but I still had to tread lightly because the intensity of the colors builds up rather easily.

The only shade I had trouble with was Trust Issues simply because it’s super glittery. When I first applied it with a brush, I got a lot of fallout under my eyes. I quickly learned that applying it with your finger is the better method. Besides that, there was very little fallout overall from the palette, but I did my eye makeup first to avoid any fallout ruining the rest of my makeup.

This palette is one of the few I’ve tried recently that feels complete.

By complete, I mean that I don’t have to grab other palettes to make my look work. There are more than enough neutral (transition) shades to help create a good foundation for playing with the bold colors. Also, you can create everyday makeup looks with the help of the neutral matte shades, and some of the shimmer shades like Soleil and Zamn. One thing is for sure, there isn’t one shade in this palette that I can’t wear because “it’s too light”—aka a waste of my time and money.

I could go on all day talking about how great this palette is, and how happy I am to see Jackie Aina finally getting all of the opportunities and recognition she deserves. Instead, I’ll just say that, all bias aside, this palette is amazing. Even if you’re not someone who is comfortable playing with bold colored eyeshadows, this superior formula will guide you in your transition.

Jackie Aina gets a lot of criticism for “always bringing up race and skin color” in her beauty reviews.

However, as a Black woman historically ignored by brands in their product lineups, how can she not? There are so many beauty influencers that push products down our throats for the love of money and money only. It’s obvious that Jackie truly cares about supporting her audience and being an agent of change in the beauty industry. As Jackie would say, “No one does something for almost a decade with little to no reward for them to be purely motivated by money.” We need more Jackies in this ever-evolving industry.

In case you missed the first two soft launches, the Anastasia Beverly Hills x Jackie Aina palette has officially launched in Ulta and Sephora. If your coins weren’t together for the surprise launches, now is your second chance. The palette is limited edition, so glue down your wig and get it now.