THE PALETTE EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT ...
Anastasia Beverly Hills is a brand that most beauty addicts will have heard of and most likely they will own at least one product from the makeup range in their own collection; whether it is Brow Wiz, the Dip Brow Pomade, the Glow Kits or now the "Modern Renaissance" Palette. Before Christmas an Anastasia Beverly Hills website was created for the UK (making it easier for products to be shipped to us Brits without having to go to the US website or Sephora and being charged high custom fees) - although before the UK website was created, we were able to buy some products from Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay, although they do not sell everything from the collection. This is a brand that beauty bloggers, influencers and YouTubers swoon over and her products are loved by so many people, usually resulting in products selling out fast and not being restocked for months at a time!
Anastasia Beverly Hills is a global success, founded in 1997 by Romanian beauty entrepreneur Anastasia Soare. First to introduce "brow shaping" to salons in the US - based on her patented "Golden Ratio" method - Anastasia Beverly Hills is now one of the most sought after cosmetics brand in the world and the collection has been expanded to more than just brows. Soare continues to break through makeup boundaries and continues to create some of the most sought after products - like her liquid lipsticks, glow kits and contour palettes. Anastasia Beverly Hills is now the most followed beauty brand on Instagram, boasting over 11 million followers, and the reason for this is due to how beautiful her products are and how well they perform to make us look like our best selves! Her brand spans the globe and is loved by so many famous faces (including Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum and Jennifer Lopez - just to name a few). Her brand is all about Anastasia's "unique vision of individual beauty" that can be applied to your own beauty!
Unless you have been avoiding all social media in 2016, you would have probably noticed photos of the "Modern Renaissance" Palette flooding your timelines on Twitter and Instagram, as well as it being constantly mentioned in yearly favourites and makeup tutorials all over YouTube. Just typing "Modern Renaissance" into YouTube produces over 253,000 videos - making it one of the most talked about makeup products of 2016. This palette was getting so much attention and great views, so because of that every time I went to purchase the palette it would be sold out! I knew that I wanted to try this palette after seeing so many YouTubers fall in love with it, and when I saw it had been restocked on Beauty Bay last month I automatically hid the add to basket button and purchased it. Since the palette arrived in the mail (at the beginning of February) I have used it so much and it is now one of my favourite palettes of all time - I now realise why it was in so many YouTubers 2016 favourites!
You can find the whole Anastasia Beverly Hills collection on the Anastasia Beverly Hills UK Website, Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and Sephora.
When I am looking to buy a new eyeshadow palette, I am not usually bothered about how popular the product is (although as I have a blog I do usually try to buy the most talked about products to review myself and see if they really are worth the hype). I am always looking for a palette to tick certain boxes - will I use a majority of the shades in the palette? how much does it cost per shadow? can I use the palette to create a whole look? and can I use the eyeshadows for other purposes, like highlighting? Personally I didn't need to buy another eyeshadow palette, but every time I went onto social media all I could see was photos of this one palette - it was on everybody's Instagram feed and there were so many YouTube videos filling up my subscription box mentioning this product. Therefore, I had to get my hands on this palette and see what all the fuss was about for myself.
As always I am going to give my 100% honest opinion on this palette and I am going to cover every aspect of this palette; from the shades, the packaging, the pigmentation and the longevity of the shades themselves. I am going to start giving more in depth reviews of products from now on rather than just saying "the shades are really pretty and will last a long time." This will be a palette that a lot of people will have to save up for and I really want you to know everything about this palette before you go and buy it. I am going to give you my honest review of this palette and give you the reasons as to why I think this palette is a must-have or a miss ...
Looking at my makeup collection, I noticed that the way I experiment with eyeshadow palettes has changed completely, especially the shades I am wearing more often! Before, I would stick to my comfort zone of wearing a simple brown smokey eye and adding a shimmer eyeshadow over the lid if I was going out in the evening. However, I have recently been loving the warmer caramels, oranges, reds and browns - and these are the colours that a lot of makeup brands are incorporating into their palettes at the moment. I've basically gone from wearing neutral eyeshadows to loving much warmer looks and that was the reason why I was drawn to this palette - as it is completely full of warmer toned shades. I have also been trying to wear brighter shades, but I know that I would never be able to pull off hot pink and blue eyeshadow, so I love the fact that this palette has the pops of red and orange that are bright but are totally "wearable" on every skin tone. The shade that I was completely drawn to when I first saw this palette pop up on my Instagram feed was the shade "Venetian Red" (which is a warm cranberry shade) and I can honestly say the palette is worth it for that one shade alone - although all of the shades are beautiful! I am also a massive fan of palettes that have more matte shades and when I heard that this palette had 11 ultra-matte shades, I knew that this would be my perfect palette. I love the fact that there are 3 really "wearable" shimmer shades that would work with any look. When I first saw this palette I knew that I would need this because you can create so many looks from it and I thought it would be amazing for travelling as you could just take this palette.
Another reason I was instantly drawn to this palette was because I already love the brand as a whole and I already own a few products from Anastasia Beverly Hills that I already love and use on a day-to-day basis - Brow Wiz and Dip Brow Pomade in the shade Chocolate are my go-to brow products and I use them every single day. Therefore, I already knew that Anastasia Beverly Hills makes great quality products that perform so well on the skin - especially their glow kits, so I knew if the formulation was like them, the this palette would be amazing. I am so glad I purchased this palette as it is the perfect mix of neutral beige shades with a mix of cranberries, oranges and browns - which means this is the perfect palette for me!
Packaging is not really an important factor when it comes to whether you should buy a makeup item - however it does help when the product performs so well and looks amazing on your dressing table. I love the use of the felt covering on the palette, which is very reminiscent of the original Naked Palette from Urban Decay. It just looks so elegant and is completely different to all of the other palettes in my collection - also the lilac/pink shade is so girly and beautiful. You do get a decent-sized mirror which is perfect for when you are travelling as you don't always want to have to take a separate mirror with you. A double-ended fluffy brush is included which does seem to be really good and blends the shadows really well. I have not really used this brush as I prefer to use my MAC and Real Techniques brushes, but it does seem really soft and would be a great brush if you are travelling or if you don't own that many brushes to start off with. The size of the pans is also a really great size and I cannot see myself ever hitting pan on the shadows and there seems to be a lot of product in each pan. I also like the fact that the size of the shadows are all the same size, as that is something that I do not like with the Kat Von D Shade and Light Eyeshadow Palette. Also this palette will be great for travelling as it is so lightweight and isn't too bulky in comparison to some other palettes I own. I would suggest placing this palette in a separate bag if you do take it travelling as it can easily open sometimes, even though it has a magnetised fastening!
Now onto the shadows ...
In total you get 14 highly pigmented and long lasting shadows - 11 are an ultra-matte finish whilst the other 3 are in a shimmer/metallic finish. Therefore, if you love your matte shadows in warm oranges, caramels, reds, beiges and browns, then I guarantee this is a palette that you have to buy and will love! Even though this palette is full of bold reds, oranges and pinks it is actually a really "wearable" palette and only three of the shadows are pops of bright colour - the rest are very much more neutral everyday shades. Therefore, this is the perfect palette for anyone who love more natural eye looks but maybe wants to experiment with a pop of colour every now and again. I also love wearing matte shades on an everyday basis and will only wear shimmer eyeshadows for a night out or sometimes during the day if I have an event to go to - this is definitely the perfect palette for me!
I love the fact that this palette is jammed pack full of beautiful warm shades that are so "wearable" and can be worn during the day and then transformed into a perfect nighttime look by simply adding a shimmer all over the life - you don't even have to take your makeup off as they last so long. Because this palette is full of easy-to-wear shades I have found that this is my most used eyeshadow palette. I have so many eyeshadow palettes in my makeup collection and when I look at them I realise that there are so many shadows in each palette that I have never worn - however, this is the only palette where I have worn every single shadow in the palette and have been able to wear them during the day and during the evening as well. The shades have been chosen so meticulously and you can see that some thought has been put into what shades have been included - I have seen some palettes where it looks like the brand has just thrown a bunch of colours into a palettes and not thought about whether a look can be created from just that one palette. Whereas, this palette has transition shades, crease shades, highlights, smokey shades and then a few pops of colour as well - making this the perfect palette as you can use just this palette on its own to create a whole range of looks. This is particularly good if you only want to buy one palette and use it all the time, rather than having 5 palettes to create looks from.
The formulation of these shadows are amazing (and might even be better than Kat Von D) - they are pigmented and long lasting. I find that I can wear these shadows for the whole day and I do not have to touch up my eye makeup for such a long time, unless I want to transform my daytime look into a more appropriate evening look (by adding a shimmer eyeshadow all over the lid). I would say that these shadows last around 6-8 hours on me before having to touch it up and they do not crease which is a bonus in my eyes. I do use a primer when I wear any eyeshadow, but you do not have to use an eyeshadow primer and can easily use a concealer and set it with powder and it will work just as well as any primer. I have also worn these shadows without a primer and they were still pigmented but I found them easier to blend when I wore a primer or concealer underneath.
These shadows are extremely pigmented and you only need to use a really light hand with this palette - plus you can easily build up the intensity of the shade by building the product up. They are really soft and buttery and apply so easily to the lid - there is only one shade that is not as great which is the shade "Love Letter" but the rest are amazing! Usually mattes aren't as pigmented as shimmer eyeshadows but that is not the case with these shadows. They are so intensely pigmented and look beautiful on the eye and will suit all skin tones, which I love. The shimmers are absolutely stunning and I love to use "Vermeer" all over the lid and as an inner corner and brow bone highlight. I love the fact that these eyeshadows blend so easily and you really don't have to spend a load of time blending them out - all the shadows blend so easily together and create such a seamless and flawless look. All the shadows work well together and if you are not sure what shades will work together then I have created a list of my most worn looks and there are so many makeup tutorials on YouTube involving this palette.
This is just a beautiful palette of warm shades and you will be able to create so many looks with just this one palette; whether it is a natural everyday look, a smokey eye or a bolder and more colourful look. I would 100% recommend this palette to anyone and you will be reaching for this the whole time!
Packaging is something that should not be taken too seriously when it comes to a palette - it is not an important factor and you should never buy a product just because it looks beautiful (but I am 100% guilty of doing myself). This palette is gorgeous and looks so elegant amongst my other palettes but there are a couple of minor flaws to the packaging that Anastasia Beverly Hills has used. Firstly, the velvet/felt fabric is not the best material to use - every little piece of fluff from your clothes and dust will stick to the fabric and make it look dirty. I have managed to fix this by using a lint roller (just so the photos look slightly prettier) but I will never do that again just to keep the palette clean. I have yellow eyeshadow around the edge of this palette and usually you can remove it with a makeup wipe, when it is tin packaging, but you cannot do that with this type of packaging. I found this problem with the Naked Palette as well, but I can live with the fact that this palette gets dirty really easily - although I do want to put this on my dressing table and it really annoys me when my makeup products are dirty and I can't get them clean.
The other two criticisms that I have with this palette are to do with the shadows themselves ...
Firstly, when you have a palette with extremely pigmented shadows that are really buttery and soft, then it is expected that there will be some fall out when you place the brush into the pan. There is some fall out when you place the brush in the pan but it is not too much of an issue and it is fine as long as you use a really light hand - you can easily build up the pigmentation if you don't want too much fall out. I haven't really noticed much fall out when I apply the shadows to the lid, but I prefer to use a light hand with my brush so I don't pick as much pigment on the brush. However, if you are not like that and pick up a load of product on the brush when I would recommend doing your eyeshadow first or baking your under eye concealer with a loose setting powder so you can wipe any fall out away when you brush off your powder. There really isn't too much fall out although I have noticed some when I really pack on a shadow onto the lid to make the shade really pigmented and more intense. However, this is something I can live with and there is only fall out because they are so buttery and soft!
There is only one shadow in the palette that does not perform as well as the others - and that would be the shade "Love Letter." It is a shame as this is such a beautiful rich raspberry shade but it is the one shade that I have to really work at to build up any pigmentation, as it can apply a bit patchy and sheer. All the other swatches on my arm have been one swipe but when I swatch "Love letter" I have to keep building up the product to make it look as good as the other shades. I could instantly tell there was a difference with this shadow when I watched it with my finger and it did not feel as buttery and soft as the other eyeshadows in the palette. This shade feels a lot more stiff and hard so it is definitely more difficult to pick up the product. I have also found when I apply it to my eyes it is more patchy in comparison to the other shades and I have to keep dipping my brush into the pan to really build up the intensity of the shade. This is still a gorgeous shade and I will still wear it but I just have to spend more time blending it so it doesn't look too sheer or patchy. I am not sure if this is a similar occurrence with all the palettes or if it is just my palette, but the shade "Love Letter" does not seem to have the same formulation as the others. You can definitely build this shade up to create a vivid raspberry shade but it will take a bit longer to build up the coverage and colour.
TEMPERA - Creamy beige with a matte finish
GOLDEN OCHRE - Earthy yellow with a matte finish
VERMEER - Iridescent shell pink with a shimmer/metallic finish
BUO FRESCO - Antique lavender/dusty mauve with a matte finish
ANTIQUE BRONZE - Burgundy toned chocolate brown with a cranberry shimmer/metallic finish
LOVE LETTER - Vivid raspberry with a matte finish
CYPRUS UMBER - Intense chocolate brown with a matte finish
REALGAR - Burnt orange with a matte finish
WARM TAUPE - Soft caramel toned grey with a matte finish
VENETIAN RED - Rich cranberry/crimson with a matte finish
RED OCHRE - Deep brick red with a matte finish
PRIMAVERA - Champagne gold with a shimmer/metallic finish
BURNT ORANGE - Warm orange with a matte finish
RAW SIENNA - Sand brown/neutral amber with a matte finish
All of the shades are absolutely stunning and I love the amount of warm toned shades in this palette. The only shade that has not shown up that well on my arm is the shade "Tempera" which is right at the top of the photo - this shade is so pale and is a creamy nude shade so it does not show up well on my skin but it is perfect for a matte highlight or to set a concealer, if you don't use a primer. The shades in the photo correspond with the order I have put the description of the shades in. They are all warm toned shades but I would say that the shades "Buon Fresco" and "Warm Taupe" have a slightly more cool undertone in comparison to the other shades in the palette! If you love you warm toned shades and matte eyeshadows then this palette is definitely for you and you will reach for this palette every day because all the shade are so "wearable" and will suit all skin tones!
VENETIAN RED - I think this is my favourite shade from the whole palette, it is a stunning cranberry shade that is perfect for adding that warm pop of colour without being too bright at the same time. This is such a beautiful shade and I love this in the outer corner of the eye with a shimmer shade in the centre to make the warm red shade stand out even more.
ANTIQUE BRONZE - I absolutely love shimmers and this is a beautiful chocolate brown shade with a cranberry shimmer running through the shadow, making this shade a warmer brown which pairs really well with Venetian Red. It is absolutely stunning all over the lid for a night out with Burnt Orange in the crease and Cyprus Umber in the outer corner.
BUON FRESCO - Usually I am not a fan of lavender shades but this is more of a mauve/dusty pink shade and is probably one of only two shades in the palette that has a cooler undertone to it. I usually sweep Vermeer over the top of it to make it a beautiful shimmer shade that works well all over the lid.
PRIMAVERA - Champagne shimmers are always a love of mine and this shade is absolutely beautiful all over the eyelid. It also works well as a highlight for the brow bone and inner corner, plus if you have a medium/tanned skin tone then this would be a great highlight for the cheeks.
GOLDEN OCHRE - This is a beautiful yellow shade and I love to pair this with a gold shimmer over the top to really make this shade stand out.
RED OCHRE - This is probably the shade I use the most as it is a matter deep brick red shade. It is not too bold or bright but it can really warm up an eye look by placing it in the outer corner and blending it slightly through the crease.
CYRPUS UMBER - I love intense matte chocolate brown shades and this shade is 100% the she shade that I reach for when I want to create a more natural smokey eye. If you don't want to use a black or grey to create a dramatic smokey eye then a chocolate brown shade is perfect for creating a more subtle and natural smokey eye.
Burn Orange in the crease + Antique Bronze in the outer corner + Primavera on the brow bone
Realgar in the crease + Primavera all over the lid + Cyprus Umber in the outer corner
Red Ochre in the crease + Venetian Red all over the lid + Cyprus Umber in the outer corner + Primavera on the brow bone and inner corner
Warm Taupe and Tempera in the crease + Buon Fresco all over the lid + Primavera on the centre of the lid + Cyprus Umber in the outer corner
Tempera all over the lid + Golden Ochre in the crease
Remember all makeup is personal to you and it is an art! There are so many looks you can create with this palette and what I love is you can create a look with just this palette alone - definitely perfect for travelling!
The Anastasia Beverly Hills "Modern Renaissance" Palette is £41 and can be purchased from Anastasia Beverly Hills UK, Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and Sephora.
I would love to know if you have the "Modern Renaissance" Palette and what your thoughts are about the palette. Also, let me know what your favourite Anastasia Beverly Hills products are and what eyeshadow palettes you have been obsessed with recently!
Anastasia Beverly Hills is a global success, founded in 1997 by Romanian beauty entrepreneur Anastasia Soare. First to introduce "brow shaping" to salons in the US - based on her patented "Golden Ratio" method - Anastasia Beverly Hills is now one of the most sought after cosmetics brand in the world and the collection has been expanded to more than just brows. Soare continues to break through makeup boundaries and continues to create some of the most sought after products - like her liquid lipsticks, glow kits and contour palettes. Anastasia Beverly Hills is now the most followed beauty brand on Instagram, boasting over 11 million followers, and the reason for this is due to how beautiful her products are and how well they perform to make us look like our best selves! Her brand spans the globe and is loved by so many famous faces (including Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum and Jennifer Lopez - just to name a few). Her brand is all about Anastasia's "unique vision of individual beauty" that can be applied to your own beauty!
Unless you have been avoiding all social media in 2016, you would have probably noticed photos of the "Modern Renaissance" Palette flooding your timelines on Twitter and Instagram, as well as it being constantly mentioned in yearly favourites and makeup tutorials all over YouTube. Just typing "Modern Renaissance" into YouTube produces over 253,000 videos - making it one of the most talked about makeup products of 2016. This palette was getting so much attention and great views, so because of that every time I went to purchase the palette it would be sold out! I knew that I wanted to try this palette after seeing so many YouTubers fall in love with it, and when I saw it had been restocked on Beauty Bay last month I automatically hid the add to basket button and purchased it. Since the palette arrived in the mail (at the beginning of February) I have used it so much and it is now one of my favourite palettes of all time - I now realise why it was in so many YouTubers 2016 favourites!
You can find the whole Anastasia Beverly Hills collection on the Anastasia Beverly Hills UK Website, Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and Sephora.
When I am looking to buy a new eyeshadow palette, I am not usually bothered about how popular the product is (although as I have a blog I do usually try to buy the most talked about products to review myself and see if they really are worth the hype). I am always looking for a palette to tick certain boxes - will I use a majority of the shades in the palette? how much does it cost per shadow? can I use the palette to create a whole look? and can I use the eyeshadows for other purposes, like highlighting? Personally I didn't need to buy another eyeshadow palette, but every time I went onto social media all I could see was photos of this one palette - it was on everybody's Instagram feed and there were so many YouTube videos filling up my subscription box mentioning this product. Therefore, I had to get my hands on this palette and see what all the fuss was about for myself.
As always I am going to give my 100% honest opinion on this palette and I am going to cover every aspect of this palette; from the shades, the packaging, the pigmentation and the longevity of the shades themselves. I am going to start giving more in depth reviews of products from now on rather than just saying "the shades are really pretty and will last a long time." This will be a palette that a lot of people will have to save up for and I really want you to know everything about this palette before you go and buy it. I am going to give you my honest review of this palette and give you the reasons as to why I think this palette is a must-have or a miss ...
WHAT DREW ME TO THIS PALETTE ...
I have to admit that when it comes to makeup products I am usually drawn to the products that everyone is talking about - there is a reason why there are some products that everyone loves and if I don't hear many negative reviews from my favourite beauty bloggers and YouTubers that I instantly want to purchase it and have it in my makeup collection. However, I will always read reviews and watch YouTube videos to really see whether the product is worth me buying, so I don't waste my money on a product I will never use. I also love to swatch an item before buying it, but unfortunately there is nowhere in the UK that physically sells Anastasia Beverly Hills in store, so I watched a lot more tutorials and reviews to see if this palette was worth me buying. After watching what seemed like 20 videos I knew that I wanted this palette and I took the risk and ordered it from Beauty Bay.Looking at my makeup collection, I noticed that the way I experiment with eyeshadow palettes has changed completely, especially the shades I am wearing more often! Before, I would stick to my comfort zone of wearing a simple brown smokey eye and adding a shimmer eyeshadow over the lid if I was going out in the evening. However, I have recently been loving the warmer caramels, oranges, reds and browns - and these are the colours that a lot of makeup brands are incorporating into their palettes at the moment. I've basically gone from wearing neutral eyeshadows to loving much warmer looks and that was the reason why I was drawn to this palette - as it is completely full of warmer toned shades. I have also been trying to wear brighter shades, but I know that I would never be able to pull off hot pink and blue eyeshadow, so I love the fact that this palette has the pops of red and orange that are bright but are totally "wearable" on every skin tone. The shade that I was completely drawn to when I first saw this palette pop up on my Instagram feed was the shade "Venetian Red" (which is a warm cranberry shade) and I can honestly say the palette is worth it for that one shade alone - although all of the shades are beautiful! I am also a massive fan of palettes that have more matte shades and when I heard that this palette had 11 ultra-matte shades, I knew that this would be my perfect palette. I love the fact that there are 3 really "wearable" shimmer shades that would work with any look. When I first saw this palette I knew that I would need this because you can create so many looks from it and I thought it would be amazing for travelling as you could just take this palette.
Another reason I was instantly drawn to this palette was because I already love the brand as a whole and I already own a few products from Anastasia Beverly Hills that I already love and use on a day-to-day basis - Brow Wiz and Dip Brow Pomade in the shade Chocolate are my go-to brow products and I use them every single day. Therefore, I already knew that Anastasia Beverly Hills makes great quality products that perform so well on the skin - especially their glow kits, so I knew if the formulation was like them, the this palette would be amazing. I am so glad I purchased this palette as it is the perfect mix of neutral beige shades with a mix of cranberries, oranges and browns - which means this is the perfect palette for me!
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PALETTE ...
Where do I start with what I love about this palette? There is just so much that I love about this palette and I have been using this palette so much over the last month and has now become my most reached for palette out of my whole makeup collection!Packaging is not really an important factor when it comes to whether you should buy a makeup item - however it does help when the product performs so well and looks amazing on your dressing table. I love the use of the felt covering on the palette, which is very reminiscent of the original Naked Palette from Urban Decay. It just looks so elegant and is completely different to all of the other palettes in my collection - also the lilac/pink shade is so girly and beautiful. You do get a decent-sized mirror which is perfect for when you are travelling as you don't always want to have to take a separate mirror with you. A double-ended fluffy brush is included which does seem to be really good and blends the shadows really well. I have not really used this brush as I prefer to use my MAC and Real Techniques brushes, but it does seem really soft and would be a great brush if you are travelling or if you don't own that many brushes to start off with. The size of the pans is also a really great size and I cannot see myself ever hitting pan on the shadows and there seems to be a lot of product in each pan. I also like the fact that the size of the shadows are all the same size, as that is something that I do not like with the Kat Von D Shade and Light Eyeshadow Palette. Also this palette will be great for travelling as it is so lightweight and isn't too bulky in comparison to some other palettes I own. I would suggest placing this palette in a separate bag if you do take it travelling as it can easily open sometimes, even though it has a magnetised fastening!
Now onto the shadows ...
In total you get 14 highly pigmented and long lasting shadows - 11 are an ultra-matte finish whilst the other 3 are in a shimmer/metallic finish. Therefore, if you love your matte shadows in warm oranges, caramels, reds, beiges and browns, then I guarantee this is a palette that you have to buy and will love! Even though this palette is full of bold reds, oranges and pinks it is actually a really "wearable" palette and only three of the shadows are pops of bright colour - the rest are very much more neutral everyday shades. Therefore, this is the perfect palette for anyone who love more natural eye looks but maybe wants to experiment with a pop of colour every now and again. I also love wearing matte shades on an everyday basis and will only wear shimmer eyeshadows for a night out or sometimes during the day if I have an event to go to - this is definitely the perfect palette for me!
I love the fact that this palette is jammed pack full of beautiful warm shades that are so "wearable" and can be worn during the day and then transformed into a perfect nighttime look by simply adding a shimmer all over the life - you don't even have to take your makeup off as they last so long. Because this palette is full of easy-to-wear shades I have found that this is my most used eyeshadow palette. I have so many eyeshadow palettes in my makeup collection and when I look at them I realise that there are so many shadows in each palette that I have never worn - however, this is the only palette where I have worn every single shadow in the palette and have been able to wear them during the day and during the evening as well. The shades have been chosen so meticulously and you can see that some thought has been put into what shades have been included - I have seen some palettes where it looks like the brand has just thrown a bunch of colours into a palettes and not thought about whether a look can be created from just that one palette. Whereas, this palette has transition shades, crease shades, highlights, smokey shades and then a few pops of colour as well - making this the perfect palette as you can use just this palette on its own to create a whole range of looks. This is particularly good if you only want to buy one palette and use it all the time, rather than having 5 palettes to create looks from.
The formulation of these shadows are amazing (and might even be better than Kat Von D) - they are pigmented and long lasting. I find that I can wear these shadows for the whole day and I do not have to touch up my eye makeup for such a long time, unless I want to transform my daytime look into a more appropriate evening look (by adding a shimmer eyeshadow all over the lid). I would say that these shadows last around 6-8 hours on me before having to touch it up and they do not crease which is a bonus in my eyes. I do use a primer when I wear any eyeshadow, but you do not have to use an eyeshadow primer and can easily use a concealer and set it with powder and it will work just as well as any primer. I have also worn these shadows without a primer and they were still pigmented but I found them easier to blend when I wore a primer or concealer underneath.
These shadows are extremely pigmented and you only need to use a really light hand with this palette - plus you can easily build up the intensity of the shade by building the product up. They are really soft and buttery and apply so easily to the lid - there is only one shade that is not as great which is the shade "Love Letter" but the rest are amazing! Usually mattes aren't as pigmented as shimmer eyeshadows but that is not the case with these shadows. They are so intensely pigmented and look beautiful on the eye and will suit all skin tones, which I love. The shimmers are absolutely stunning and I love to use "Vermeer" all over the lid and as an inner corner and brow bone highlight. I love the fact that these eyeshadows blend so easily and you really don't have to spend a load of time blending them out - all the shadows blend so easily together and create such a seamless and flawless look. All the shadows work well together and if you are not sure what shades will work together then I have created a list of my most worn looks and there are so many makeup tutorials on YouTube involving this palette.
This is just a beautiful palette of warm shades and you will be able to create so many looks with just this one palette; whether it is a natural everyday look, a smokey eye or a bolder and more colourful look. I would 100% recommend this palette to anyone and you will be reaching for this the whole time!
WHAT I DISLIKE ABOUT THIS PALETTE ...
Really there is not much that I dislike about this eyeshadow palette, but there is no such thing as a perfect palette - although this comes pretty close to being perfect and the things that I dislike about this palette are so minor that I can deal with these issues. There are always going to be a couple of criticisms about a makeup item; whether it is one shade not being as good as the others, the packaging is sometimes bulky or the shadows do not perform as well. You will probably think that these criticisms are really minor but I just want to let you know my honest opinion so you know what to expect if you buy it yourselves. However, these slightly negative flaws to the palette do not deter from the fact that the eyeshadows are amazing!Packaging is something that should not be taken too seriously when it comes to a palette - it is not an important factor and you should never buy a product just because it looks beautiful (but I am 100% guilty of doing myself). This palette is gorgeous and looks so elegant amongst my other palettes but there are a couple of minor flaws to the packaging that Anastasia Beverly Hills has used. Firstly, the velvet/felt fabric is not the best material to use - every little piece of fluff from your clothes and dust will stick to the fabric and make it look dirty. I have managed to fix this by using a lint roller (just so the photos look slightly prettier) but I will never do that again just to keep the palette clean. I have yellow eyeshadow around the edge of this palette and usually you can remove it with a makeup wipe, when it is tin packaging, but you cannot do that with this type of packaging. I found this problem with the Naked Palette as well, but I can live with the fact that this palette gets dirty really easily - although I do want to put this on my dressing table and it really annoys me when my makeup products are dirty and I can't get them clean.
The other two criticisms that I have with this palette are to do with the shadows themselves ...
Firstly, when you have a palette with extremely pigmented shadows that are really buttery and soft, then it is expected that there will be some fall out when you place the brush into the pan. There is some fall out when you place the brush in the pan but it is not too much of an issue and it is fine as long as you use a really light hand - you can easily build up the pigmentation if you don't want too much fall out. I haven't really noticed much fall out when I apply the shadows to the lid, but I prefer to use a light hand with my brush so I don't pick as much pigment on the brush. However, if you are not like that and pick up a load of product on the brush when I would recommend doing your eyeshadow first or baking your under eye concealer with a loose setting powder so you can wipe any fall out away when you brush off your powder. There really isn't too much fall out although I have noticed some when I really pack on a shadow onto the lid to make the shade really pigmented and more intense. However, this is something I can live with and there is only fall out because they are so buttery and soft!
There is only one shadow in the palette that does not perform as well as the others - and that would be the shade "Love Letter." It is a shame as this is such a beautiful rich raspberry shade but it is the one shade that I have to really work at to build up any pigmentation, as it can apply a bit patchy and sheer. All the other swatches on my arm have been one swipe but when I swatch "Love letter" I have to keep building up the product to make it look as good as the other shades. I could instantly tell there was a difference with this shadow when I watched it with my finger and it did not feel as buttery and soft as the other eyeshadows in the palette. This shade feels a lot more stiff and hard so it is definitely more difficult to pick up the product. I have also found when I apply it to my eyes it is more patchy in comparison to the other shades and I have to keep dipping my brush into the pan to really build up the intensity of the shade. This is still a gorgeous shade and I will still wear it but I just have to spend more time blending it so it doesn't look too sheer or patchy. I am not sure if this is a similar occurrence with all the palettes or if it is just my palette, but the shade "Love Letter" does not seem to have the same formulation as the others. You can definitely build this shade up to create a vivid raspberry shade but it will take a bit longer to build up the coverage and colour.
THE SHADES
In this palette there are 14 intensely pigmented and beautiful shades ranging from rich cranberries, warm burnt oranges and chocolate browns in a combination of both matte and shimmer/metallic finishes:TEMPERA - Creamy beige with a matte finish
GOLDEN OCHRE - Earthy yellow with a matte finish
VERMEER - Iridescent shell pink with a shimmer/metallic finish
BUO FRESCO - Antique lavender/dusty mauve with a matte finish
ANTIQUE BRONZE - Burgundy toned chocolate brown with a cranberry shimmer/metallic finish
LOVE LETTER - Vivid raspberry with a matte finish
CYPRUS UMBER - Intense chocolate brown with a matte finish
REALGAR - Burnt orange with a matte finish
WARM TAUPE - Soft caramel toned grey with a matte finish
VENETIAN RED - Rich cranberry/crimson with a matte finish
RED OCHRE - Deep brick red with a matte finish
PRIMAVERA - Champagne gold with a shimmer/metallic finish
BURNT ORANGE - Warm orange with a matte finish
RAW SIENNA - Sand brown/neutral amber with a matte finish
All of the shades are absolutely stunning and I love the amount of warm toned shades in this palette. The only shade that has not shown up that well on my arm is the shade "Tempera" which is right at the top of the photo - this shade is so pale and is a creamy nude shade so it does not show up well on my skin but it is perfect for a matte highlight or to set a concealer, if you don't use a primer. The shades in the photo correspond with the order I have put the description of the shades in. They are all warm toned shades but I would say that the shades "Buon Fresco" and "Warm Taupe" have a slightly more cool undertone in comparison to the other shades in the palette! If you love you warm toned shades and matte eyeshadows then this palette is definitely for you and you will reach for this palette every day because all the shade are so "wearable" and will suit all skin tones!
MY FAVOURITE SHADES ...
I love pretty much every shade in this palette, but there are some shades that I wear a lot more and I know will be the shades that I will hit pan on first. I can create so many looks with this palette but I have also paired these shadows with others from other palettes. Some of my favourite shades I have worn on their own either all over the lid or lightly brushed through the crease to create some dimension and depth to the eyes. So here are my top 7 shades from the "Modern Renaissance" Palette:VENETIAN RED - I think this is my favourite shade from the whole palette, it is a stunning cranberry shade that is perfect for adding that warm pop of colour without being too bright at the same time. This is such a beautiful shade and I love this in the outer corner of the eye with a shimmer shade in the centre to make the warm red shade stand out even more.
ANTIQUE BRONZE - I absolutely love shimmers and this is a beautiful chocolate brown shade with a cranberry shimmer running through the shadow, making this shade a warmer brown which pairs really well with Venetian Red. It is absolutely stunning all over the lid for a night out with Burnt Orange in the crease and Cyprus Umber in the outer corner.
BUON FRESCO - Usually I am not a fan of lavender shades but this is more of a mauve/dusty pink shade and is probably one of only two shades in the palette that has a cooler undertone to it. I usually sweep Vermeer over the top of it to make it a beautiful shimmer shade that works well all over the lid.
PRIMAVERA - Champagne shimmers are always a love of mine and this shade is absolutely beautiful all over the eyelid. It also works well as a highlight for the brow bone and inner corner, plus if you have a medium/tanned skin tone then this would be a great highlight for the cheeks.
GOLDEN OCHRE - This is a beautiful yellow shade and I love to pair this with a gold shimmer over the top to really make this shade stand out.
RED OCHRE - This is probably the shade I use the most as it is a matter deep brick red shade. It is not too bold or bright but it can really warm up an eye look by placing it in the outer corner and blending it slightly through the crease.
CYRPUS UMBER - I love intense matte chocolate brown shades and this shade is 100% the she shade that I reach for when I want to create a more natural smokey eye. If you don't want to use a black or grey to create a dramatic smokey eye then a chocolate brown shade is perfect for creating a more subtle and natural smokey eye.
HOW I CREATE A LOOK WITH THIS PALETTE
This palette has been my most reached for palette in the last month. It does not matter if I want to create a daytime look or a look that is more suited for the evening and going out with the girls. I love the combination of matter and shimmer shades, so I can easily transform a matte daytime eyeshadow look into an evening look by simply adding a shimmer/metallic eyeshadow all over the lid. You can create so many beautiful looks with this palette and I thought I would share with you some of the looks that I create with this palette:Burn Orange in the crease + Antique Bronze in the outer corner + Primavera on the brow bone
Realgar in the crease + Primavera all over the lid + Cyprus Umber in the outer corner
Red Ochre in the crease + Venetian Red all over the lid + Cyprus Umber in the outer corner + Primavera on the brow bone and inner corner
Warm Taupe and Tempera in the crease + Buon Fresco all over the lid + Primavera on the centre of the lid + Cyprus Umber in the outer corner
Tempera all over the lid + Golden Ochre in the crease
Remember all makeup is personal to you and it is an art! There are so many looks you can create with this palette and what I love is you can create a look with just this palette alone - definitely perfect for travelling!
IS IT REALLY WORTH THE HYPE?
In one simple word answer, is this palette worth the hype? YES!! I just wish I had bought this palette sooner - it does seem that this palette is now in stock on all the websites I have linked below, so you won't have to wait months to get you hands on it! This is a palette for you if you love your warm shades as this is packed full of 14 warm toned shades and there are only really two cool toned shades - Warm Taupe and Buon Fresco. You will know from my last post that the Kat Von D eyeshadows are my favourite formulation of all time, but I think these eyeshadows are just as amazing and extremely pigmented. In this palette are 14 "wearable" shades that all work well together. Just think about how many palettes you own, where there are probably a few shades that you have never even touched (and your answer will probably be most of them - I know that is the case for me) but this is the first palette I have owned where I have used every single shade at least once - so really it is a no-brainer when it comes to deciding whether this palette is really worth the hype. If I was to create a palette it would look something like this and I am 100% going to take this with me when I travel this year as it is a lightweight palette and I can create some amazing looks with this one palette without having to reach for another palette to complete a look. Overall, this palette is definitely worth the price and the hype! I will definitely be repurchasing this palette when I hit pan because it is my perfect palette.I would love to know if you have the "Modern Renaissance" Palette and what your thoughts are about the palette. Also, let me know what your favourite Anastasia Beverly Hills products are and what eyeshadow palettes you have been obsessed with recently!
xoxo
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