Late R&B singer Aaliyah inspires makeup collection
Almost 17 years after the tragic death of R&B songstress Aaliyah, she's the inspiration for a new makeup line. Makeup giant MAC heard the calls of 26,000 people who signed a petition started by super-fan Jennifer Risinger. The online campaign by Aaliyah fans followed the success of another fan-driven capsule collection inspired by the late beloved Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla.
Risinger's petition praised Aaliyah as "a risk taker" and "innovator" who continues to influence today's artists. "People around the world still love and celebrate her life and music every year!" she wrote.
Aaliyah, whose full name was Aaliyah Dana Haughton, died in a twin-engine plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001 at the age of 22. In the years since then, her estate has been tied up in disagreements over issues like the rights to her image and unreleased music. Her record label, Blackground Records, lost its distribution deal, preventing her music from appearing on streaming platforms.
The "Aaliyah For MAC" makeup line takes its cues from her music videos and personal makeup bag. At the height of her career in the 90s, she embodied a "street but sweet" style, wearing tomboy clothing paired with dark hues of burgundy or fiery red lips.
In this limited capsule collection, fans can emulate her style with Aaliyah-inspired lip glosses, an eye shadow mini-palette, bronzer, lip liners and lipsticks.
The collection went on sale on MAC's website Wednesday morning, and the fashion and beauty site Racked reports the limited number of $250 box sets sold out online within minutes. The collection will be available in select stores starting Thursday, June 21.
