Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills -- The Modern Renaissance Palette

I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it certainly bears constant repetition -- Anastasia eyeshadows (singles and palette form) are quickly becoming one of my favorite eyeshadows. Their latest palette release cements this fact even more.

Behold, the latest and greatest from Anastasia Beverly Hills, The Modern Renaissance Palette:

Still in awe? I understand. I can wait. 

I know, I know. 

To say this palette is a stunner is a major understatement. At first glance, attention is immediately drawn to the gorgeous red, burgundy, and orange shades, all three of which have been very much on-trend lately. Carefully positioned against those show-stoppers are some stunning golds, browns, and some versatile transitional beiges. All of these combined make an extremely impressive and multi-look palette that can give you everything from a basic neutral eye to dramatic, eye-catching looks.

Perhaps what I enjoy most about this palette is the dominance of matte shades. Of the fourteen total shadows, three are metallic (Vermeer, Primavera, and Antique Bronze), and eleven of them come in my favorite ABH formula, ultra matte. Given that most of these colors are very rich and saturated, the fact that they are matte allows them to be used anywhere on the eye (crease, transition, outer V, or lid). Had the deeper burgundy shades been shimmery, for me, that would have drastically decreased the versatility of this palette. 

PROS:

• This is an extremely cohesive arrangement of shadows. The colors just naturally fit together, and for me, evoke feelings of vibrant, multidimensional, and truly regal eyeshadow looks. 

• In true ABH fashion, I found each shade to be smooth, extremely blendable, and very pigmented; even the deeper burgundy shades. This blendable formula takes a lot of the fear out of this palette because knowing you can control the intensity of the brighter and deeper shades helps to dip into them more frequently. 

• This is the first ABH palette that is permanent! There's usually a mad-dash to snatch up these palettes when they come out because up until now, ABH palette releases have been limited edition. So, if you're not sure about it yet, you have plenty of time to test it out in-store, and decide whether you want it. (Spoiler alert, you do.)

CONS:

• While all of the shades are really pigmented and easy to apply, I noticed the more metallic shades (Primavera and Vermeer) lost intensity on the eye as the day went on, even with primer. This can be easily remedied with a more tacky primer, or even a glitter glue, but overall, the fading was disappointing.

• This palette is shockingly powdery. Seriously. Even the lightest dip of the most gentle brush kicks up a ton of of product. Not only does this waste product, but it also makes it easier for the palette to get dirty....which takes me to my biggest con:

• I hate the packaging -- more so than any other palette I have ever used. While the exterior color is a gorgeous, soft lilac color, the material is a weird velvet/felt hybrid that reminds me of a weird couch you'd find in your grandma's basement.

In this case, however, for me, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. While the packaging and powdery texture aren't my favorite, overall, what matters is how the shadows apply and perform, and the Modern Renaissance Palette is truly a home run. It stands out and shines bright in an endless sea of neutral palettes, and is certainly a worthy addition to anyone's collection.

The Modern Renaissance Palette retails for $42, and is available on the Anastasia Beverly Hills website, and online and and in-store at Sephora and Ulta.

Overall rating:

A

What are your thoughts on this palette? Yay? Nay? May-bay? :-)

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