Beauty content creator Jackie Aina is introducing Us to something new from her lifestyle brand, Forvr Mood.
Aina, 36, joined forces with Crown Royal, celebrating their new blackberry-flavored whiskey with a limited-edition Berry On Top candle and a special pop-up event in Los Angeles from Friday, June 14, to Saturday, June 15.
“This partnership, in every sense, just really resonated with who I am as a founder, a Black founder first and foremost. They really wanted to do this collaboration with someone who is self-made. I was already a big fan of the brand, and they wanted us to create a scent,” Aina told Us ahead of the big reveal.
Aina — who launched Forvr Mood in 2020 with a collection of candles — explained that she and her team wanted to curate a scent based on the flavor of Crown’s new whiskey.
“So, what we know about blackberry whiskey is that it is so perfect for summer. It tastes amazing with lemonade, so the whole idea was like, ‘What are we vibing for this summer?’ That’s always the most important step, when are you burning [this candle] or when are you wearing [this scent],” Aina continued. “We wanted to create something that would embody what you’re tasting in the whiskey, so the candle has whiskey accords, one of my favorite fragrance notes. … This is obviously a 21-plus vibe. I wanted to make it very grown.”
At the pop-up, which will serve as a modernized lemonade stand, fans will get to shop the Berry On Top candle, which also features creamy notes of vanilla. Additionally, as visitors sip signature cocktails at the stand, they can learn more about Crown Royal’s charity partner, Black Girl Ventures Foundation — an organization dedicated to providing underrepresented founders with access to community, capital and capacity.
Aina’s project with Crown Royal — which marks Forvr Mood’s first collaboration — comes on the heels of the label entering the fragrance market.
Longtime fans of Aina know that the social media star — who blew up via YouTube after starting her channel in 2009 — has always had a passion for perfumes. Aina, however, wanted to “crawl before walking,” so she opted to start with candles.
“I’m really big on ‘slow and steady wins the race.’ I’m inclined to dip my toe into something instead of just running into a business venture or an idea, but I’ve always been a scent girl — since as early as age 9. I used to sweat a lot when I was young, so you become hyper aware of what you smell like, so that turned into a passion and love for it,” Aina told Us.
Aina unveiled her perfumes in April, offering four scents: You Remind Me, NDA, I Am Her and Hard to Get.
Being the scent expert that she is, Aina gave Us some tips on how to properly apply scents for long-lasting wear.
“I’m definitely a heavy sprayer,” Aina shared. “Some people do the wrist and they rub the hell out of it, and you definitely don’t want to do that because you’re breaking it down. Just spray it. I spray behind the ear, on my inner elbow. I even spray over my head. I put it behind my ankles — though nobody’s gonna be down there but my man, I just want to cover all the bases. Sometimes I’ll spray over my shoulder.”
Out of all of her scents, Aina said her favorite for daily wear is You Remind Me as it’s “clean” and “warm” and feels familiar.
With candles and fragrances under her belt, Aina teased that hair perfume is a category she’d “love” to get into.
