The NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay eye palette sold 4 every second on launch day. Here's what transgender YouTuber and Lady Gaga favourite Nikkie told us about it
Would you buy an eyeshadow palette this vibrant? Well, at its peak stampede, 243 people per minute were snapping up this jewel-toned coffer by Dutch YouTuber Nikkie Tutorials. The 20-shade collab with Beauty Bay Nikkie Tutorials' x Beauty Bay Pressed Pigment Palette. which had 87,000 advanced sign-ups sold out in just eight hours. A second drop is coming in a few weeks, we're told.
The 26-year-old transgender Dutch native, full name Nikkie de Jäger, has 14 million followers on Instagram and 13.5 million on YouTube, who hang onto every colourful makeup artistry tutorial she posts. Lady Gaga is a fan and chose Nikkie to do her makeup for the launch of her own House Laboratories' Glam Room Palette No1: Fame in December. Needless to say, Nikkie's not someone to follow if you want pared-back, natural makeup. If you want rainbow brights, statement smokey eyes, she's your gal.
The £25 palette is a collection of matte, shimmer and duo-chrome shades, housed in a double-sided package, that represents the two sides of Nikkie's personality – half unicorns, neons and glitter, half dark, gothic vibes.
"Although people know me for my bright and colourful personality there is also a more mysterious and darker side to me," Nikkie tells us. "This palette perfectly resembles what is me. It is designed to be an escape from everyday life, a place where you can be totally you."
Nikkie has not been without her share of dark times. Earlier this she revealed that she was transgender on YouTube, and afterwards told Ellen de Generes that she'd felt compelled to do so by someone who threatened to 'expose her identity' and that she believed their goal was to destroy her life. "Plot twist, that didn't happen. I'm not thankful to that person but I am thankful that it happened now and I get to be free," she told Ellen.
In 2018 she also lost her younger stepbrother Mikai to lymphatic cancer - and named the rose-red in this palette after him.
Nikkie's palette isn't where you go for everyday shades, this is for artistry aficionados. Think sparkling baby blue Mama Tutorials, punchy orange Redemption and cobalt blue Amsterdam, but if you're someone who loves to play with bold colours, you'll fall head over heels for this. "My favourite shade is the shimmery Pride. It showcases me perfectly. A beautiful duo-chrome eyeshadow of the trans flag colours pink and blue." The palette also has two mirrors; one magnifying and one normal to help you create a look Nikkie would be proud of.
"When creating the palette I kept everyone on planet earth in mind," Nikkie said. "I truly believe that this palette has a beautiful variety of bright colours and crazy shimmery shades that will suit everybody. One of my favourites is “All-in”. Since it a duo-chrome shade on people with a fairer complexion it will be this mesmerizing green highlighter. But on people with a darker complexion, it truly comes to life and gives you that punch of green."
This isn't the first time Nikkie has collaborated with a beauty brand. Back in 2016, she worked with Too Faced, a partnership that made her wary of collaborating again after her followers claimed the products were poor quality. So what was is that encouraged Nikkie to dip a toe in the partnership pool again? "When I saw Beauty Bay's collaboration palette with fellow Instagrammer mmmmitchell I just knew together we could create my dream palette. From the beginning, the team felt like a safe and trustworthy family, something I didn’t experience with my other eyeshadow collaboration."
Sign up to the waitlist for the next drop of the Nikkie Tutorials X Beauty Bay