One in a Million
Hi Everyone! Today I have a review for the M·A·C x Aaliyah Eye Shadow X 9: Age Ain’t Nothing Palette (0.19oz/$32.00). This collection was long overdue. After the success of the 2016 Selena collaboration, MAC finally heard our pleas and created a collection dedicated to Aaliyah.
This palette has nine eye shadows; mac describes it as ‘a moody deep neutral shade wave.’ The shadows can be used both wet and dry. Four of the nine shades are new and exclusive to this palette. I’m so excited to share my thoughts with you!
The Shades
- Lovesmoke: Sterling silver (Veluxe Pearl)
- Magic Moor: Black with silver sparkle (Veluxe Pearl)
- Care 4 You: Mauve-plum with subtle shimmer (Lustre)
- Creative Copper : Metallic gold (Lustre)
- That Somebody: Gold brown with gold shimmer (Satin)
- Princess of Soul: Muted golden brown (Matte)
- Deception: Cool medium brown (Frost)
- Gingersnap: Muted pinky coral (Frost)
- Dance In The Dark: Deep cool brown (Matte)
Swatches from left to right: Lovesmoke, Magic Moor, Care 4 You, Creative Copper, That Somebody, Princess of Soul, Deception, Gingersnap, Dance In The Dark
Why I bought it
I had to get something from this collection. Aaliyah is a major part of the soundtrack of my life, I have every album. Her songs were on permanent repeat throughout my high school years, and when she died, I was heartbroken. It was a tremendous loss for music. At such a young age, Aaliyah was so far ahead of her time. Her rendition of (At Your Best) You Are Love surpassed the original. And One in a Million is a legendary song; it’s my favorite.
Review
First, I love the burgundy metallic packaging with silver lettering. It’s very Aaliyah and resembles her style and aesthetic. My one criticism is that it doesn’t have a mirror. The shades are in keeping with Aaliyah’s looks at the time. She wore a lot of purple and silver in her videos like Try Again, and We Need a Resolution. Some of these colors are also reminiscent of the 90’s.
I was happy to see Gingersnap, it’s my favorite shade. You can also find it on MAC’s Warm Neutral Palette. There are a few duds; I had hard time with Deception. It’s the most disappointing shade for me. It applies patchy and has very little color payoff. Another shade I didn’t care for was Dance In The Dark, it’s a bit muddy and didn’t perform the best for me. The rest of the shadows were quite soft, applied smoothly and performed well.
Eyes: That Somebody (crease), Care 4 You (lid) Magic Moor (upper lash line), Lovesmoke (inner corner), Lips: Mac Lipglass in Love Child
The shades are quite versatile. You can easily create daytime or office appropriate looks. Then add the darker colors for some smokey drama. Also, I find that I can create different looks with each row. The three colors in the top row work nicely together as do the ones in the middle row.
If I could change one thing, I’d remove the shade Deception, and add a smokey green or teal similar to what Aaliyah wore in the Are You That Somebody video. It would’ve been a nice additional pop of color.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m happy with this purchase, and I recommend it! Is it the perfect palette? No, but I still adore it. And I know I’m going to get a lot more use out of it in the fall. The rich rusty browns and jewel tones are perfect for this upcoming season. It may even make an appearance in my Fall Beauty Edit. #comingsoon
So what’s your favorite Aaliyah song?
Aaliyah is my all-time fav! I tried to emulate her style so much growing up, wearing my swoop-bang, leather jacket, baggy jeans, and those signature sunnies. I was devastated when she passed away! I am glad that MAC finally gave her a collection, too. I only got the More Than a Woman lipstick, and was debating on the shadow palette for the longest. Thank you so much for sharing this honest review!
What’s your favorite song? I think mine may be Four Page Letter. Are You That Somebody might be my favorite video. Me and my cousins had that joint choreographed to perfection in my aunt’s living room, lol. Ahhh, memories.
Author
Oh gosh her dance moves, again she so far ahead of her time! I still wonder what she would be doing now. I love The One I Gave My Heart To and I Care 4 U, all her love songs really, she had this honesty and heartbreak in her voice. I love Four Page Letter too!
I’m still enjoying the palette, it’s so compact and travel friendly. Xo