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Nobody does gold like Bulgari, and they’re keen to remind everyone who’s on top. Last week, the luxury house unveiled their newest sculpture installation, AURUBOROS, a pneumatic gold coiling structure resembling the jewelry from their Serpenti collection. Bulgari commissioned Berlin-based duo Plastique Fantastique, made up of Marco Canevacci and Yena Young, to construct the piece as a way to represent renewal and regeneration. And there’s no better time for new beginnings than during New York Fashion Week. First presented in Shanghai, then Seoul and Mumbai, the heritage brand has now brought the installation stateside for the first time underneath The Standard hotel. In the evening, it seemed to rain diamonds and gold as Bulgari hosted a party at The Highline for A-listers like Anne Hathaway, Dua Lipa, and Lisa to celebrate the unveiling. Also in attendance was a pioneer of the YouTube makeup era, Jackie Aina, who we phoned up post-party to talk Dua Lipa encounters, living it up in your 40s, and how to make your makeup last from the front row to the afters.
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ARY RUSSELL: Hi, how are you?
JACKIE AINA: Hi. Good, how are you?
RUSSELL: I’m good. It’s Friday. Thank goodness.
AINA: I know that’s right.
RUSSELL: You were obviously just in New York for the Bulgari party, it looked so fun from your Instagram. How’d the night go?
AINA: It was cute. Amazing DJ. Loved the venue. It was actually my first time at that particular venue at The Standard, but apparently that’s where all the New York parties are. I was like, “Well, that’s news to me.” I love it.
RUSSELL: Walk me through the glam for the night. I saw some photos, you looked beautiful, but I want to know the details.
AINA: Oh my god. Actually, yeah, that was one of my favorite looks from fashion week so far. That night, I wore this gorgeous J.W. Anderson dress that my stylist Amir picked out. All full credit to her because she found the look and when I first tried it on, I was like, “Wait.” I didn’t realize it until I wore it, but it was literally a deconstructed blazer turned into a dress, which I thought was really sickening.
And then for the shoe, I think that was the night I had on my water lily heels. Let me look at my pictures. The whole vibe was to pay homage to Jonathan Anderson, who is currently at Dior, with the Dior Water Lily shoe, and then the J.W. Anderson dress, which was just a cute little nod to old versus new. Me and my stylist really had fun playing with those two together for this particular look.
As for makeup, because I didn’t want to go full matchy, I decided to do something really vampy. And it’s funny because when I posted a TikTok that night, everyone was obsessed with this look. It was dark burgundy. I used Charlotte Tilbury, they have these new color crayons that are used for the eyes so I used two of those. I wore a brown mascara from Fenty Beauty on my bottom lash line. A Color Fix Matte from Danessa Myricks. I’m going off of my list because I literally—
RUSSELL: No, I love this. Keep it going. I’m literally mentally taking notes.
AINA: I wore a Danessa Myricks Color Fix Matte in—let me see. I have to figure out the shade name. Actually, you know what? I’m just going to go grab my kit because we’re going to get into the glam of it all, so I might as well give you actual names.
RUSSELL: Of course, go for it.
AINA: But it was the cutest juxtaposition of this dark vampy eye and lip, and then the bright green—the spring of it all. The green was the perfect shade of green to transition into fall. The makeup complimented and played into that really well. And then on my lip, I wore this Fenty lip cream that I’m about to grab so I can give you the name of it, because I got so many compliments on it.
RUSSELL: The lip always, in my eyes, makes or breaks a makeup look.
AINA: I agree. I really wanted to pull off a strong enough lip to not get lost in the green. I’m so used to wearing nudes and pinks. Those are my comfort zone, but I was like, “Do something different. Go vampy.”
RUSSELL: It’s fashion week. Come on, you have to step out.
AINA: Exactly. It’s Fenty Hot Chocolate, and then the Charlotte Tilbury, it’s the Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Stick. The shades are Astral Topaz and Bronzed Garnet. And then from Danessa, the Color Fix that I wore is the shade Vamp.
RUSSELL: When it’s fashion week, you’re racing from a show to a party to the next party, your makeup has to stay right. What are you using to make sure it stays in place?
AINA: So, I’m a huge believer in heavy layers. Fashion week nights, you need to put that tinted moisturizer away, boo. That’s for the little mail and Erewhon runs. You really need something that’s going to be full coverage. I always look for products that are labeled longwear, because they actually do give me a six, seven, eight-hour wear test. And you’re going to be taking photographs, so all that lighting, all that heat, you’re going to be around people. Sometimes these venues don’t even have an air conditioner, so I need something that’s not going to be slipping and sliding and budging.
And funny enough, the day that I went to this event, I had started my makeup that day at 1:00, and that party, I think we got there at 10:00, so it was a pretty full day. I wore Armani Luminous Silk and a lot of the L’Oreal Infallible setting mist, which is really amazing for longwear. Really, really good.
RUSSELL: I am someone who never left 2016 matte. I want to look airbrushed.
AINA: Oh, yes.
RUSSELL: I want to look Facetuned.
AINA: Exactly. L’Oreal Infallible is literally like putting hairspray on your face. I also forgot to mention the shimmery part of my eyes was the Major Dimension palette from Patrick Ta in the color—It’s his newest one, the holiday.
RUSSELL: Were there any guests or celebrities whose makeup you saw that gagged you?
AINA: It’s hard to say because it was so dark in the venue and I haven’t really seen any of the carpet pictures yet. Did anybody stand out to you? I couldn’t really see anyone.
RUSSELL: Well, what I saw was your interaction with Dua Lipa when you were taking your picture and she’s like, “No, let her go.” I mean, Dua Lipa always looks beautiful, so that doesn’t need to be said. What was your reaction?
AINA: Her hair looked bomb. That’s one thing I could see.
RUSSELL: Like, Cher down.
AINA: It was super sleek. Like, girl, you must have used all the humidity-proof mist because it was laid, honey. It was super sleek, and she looked good. I couldn’t really make out her glam because I was in direct light and she was opposite, but I knew it was her, and she looked gorgeous regardless. But yeah, it was a really cute, quick interaction. Someone that had posted it was like, “Oh, Dua is being so kind when people cut the line.” I definitely did not cut the line. I literally just jumped in.
RUSSELL: You’re like, “I was there first.”
AINA: There happened to be no one really on the carpet. I think I happened to walk on as soon as someone else was coming off, but there wasn’t really a line so I took the opportunity. As soon as I started posing, someone was like, “Hey girl, we need this carpet.” And I was like, “Oh.” I’m kind of used to that though, especially because Dua is the face of the brand, so I didn’t take it personally.
RUSSELL: Yeah.
AINA: But as soon as she saw what was going on, she was like, “No, let her do her thing.” And I was like, “Period, queen.”
RUSSELL: Period. Women supporting women. Obviously, this Bulgari event was for the presentation of that gorgeous gold installation. It’s supposed to represent transformation and renewal. With us about to enter the last quarter of 2026, what’s something that you’re looking to transform in your life?
AINA: This is such a good question because I just entered the last year of my 30s. I just turned 39, so I can’t think of a more symbolic renewal phase to be in, personally. I’m leaving one decade and entering another, and I totally feel it. I don’t know if this is a Leo thing, but I feel like every single birthday I’m reflecting on something. Or I’m like, “Okay, what did we learn? What do we want to become? What do we not want to be anymore?” And I definitely am feeling that with this transition.
I also just proudly love embracing that, and I feel like I’m living in a generation where people aren’t running from turning 40. We’re fully diving in headfirst, and I love that for me. So whatever the next decade brings, I’m totally open to embracing it. And I love that there’s a heritage jewelry brand that I love that’s embracing that as well.
RUSSELL: Just like cheese and jewelry, you only get finer with age.
AINA: You absolutely do, I agree.
RUSSELL: What are you most looking forward to with turning 40?
AINA: Probably just the continued self-assurance that I think you learn in your 30s. I feel like that’s going to get more apparent and more obvious for myself. Something about your 20s is just like, “Am I supposed to be doing this? I don’t know. I’m going to step into the unknown.” And then, when you turn 30, you’re like, “Oh, we’re doing this. I have no clue what’s going to happen, but screw it. Let’s just do it.” And I feel like I’m going to lean more into that in my next decade for sure.
RUSSELL: That’s so comforting. I just turned 23 two weeks ago, and I feel like—
AINA: Oh, happy birthday.
RUSSELL: Thank you. But every day I’m like, “I have no idea what I’m doing with my life.” So it’s comforting to know that, as you age, you become so much more self-assured and confident, and more open to what life is going to throw at you.
My last question is just a fun, cheeky one. Obviously, Bulgari is one of the peak brands for high-end jewelry, so I wanted to do a little Kiss, Marry, Kill in terms of what accessory you need: Bracelet, earrings, necklace.
AINA: Okay. I’m going to say marry bracelets, kiss earrings, kill necklaces, but only because they’re going to put the biggest dent in your wallet.
RUSSELL: That’s a statement.
AINA: No, they’re insane.
