Beauty, Eyes, Eyeshadow, Makeup, Mid-Range Brands, Review, Swatches

Eyeshadow palettes are insanely addictive. Especially nude ones. They’re almost like pieces of chocolate. You’ll pop open a big box and say that you’ll only have a couple. Then a few more after those couple pieces because they’re just so good. Next thing you know, you’re passed out with a face full of chocolate and full tummy. This is exactly what happens with me and nude eyeshadow palettes. LOL! I don’t eat them, of course, but they’re so damn delicious to look at and easy to use that it’s impossible for me to just have a couple when there’s so many good ones out there. I just have to sample them all to feed my appetite, girl!

When the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette released I thought it was quite the beauty but I kept telling myself that I needed to stop indulging in eyeshadow palettes. “Don’t do it, Fancie. You don’t need it!” But my mind and my heart are rarely ever on the same page when it comes to new makeup so, of course, I ended up adding Modern Renaissance to my collection once it was available at Ulta. My excuse for adding yet another nude palette to my collection was that Modern Renaissance is vastly different from most nude eyeshadow palettes. It isn’t just a sea of brown and gold with a ton of shimmer. Nah. Anastasia and her colorful daughter, Norvina, channeled the early Renaissance period to create a palette that’s filled with more bold neutral shadows to easily add drama and flair without overdoing it.

There’s 3 shimmers and 11 mattes that range from warm to cool making it a great option for many skin tones and skin types. I love a good shimmery shadow on my lids but sometimes nude palettes can be a little too shimmery leaving me with just one or two shades to define my crease. Us makeup junkies need a little more variety though and Anastasia and Norvina tackled that by including a mix of mattes in both light and deeper shades that work well on fair and deep complexions. I love that there’s 5 great crease shades for brown skin in Modern Renaissance because it makes it so easy to create a complete look and gives me so much variety. It’s incredibly easy to go from day to night with Modern Renaissance because you have everything you need to transition, blend and smoke your way through any look.

I have to give it to Anastasia and Norvina. I’m very impressed with the color range and I absolutely love the formula of Modern Renaissance. All of the shades mesh well together and they’re so easy to apply. Each shade is buttery smooth and very pigmented with a soft texture that’s very easy to blend. The mattes are a bit powdery but they still adhere to bare skin well and blend smoothly without looking dry or chalky. I also find that they last nicely throughout the day without a primer which makes Modern Renaissance a great option for girls on the go with little time to spend on applying makeup. I still prefer to wear a primer to ensure I get 12+ hours of wear (thanks Too Faced!) and to help boost the color of each shade. Either way, the Modern Renaissance Palette is a great neutral eyeshadow palette and has quickly become my go to.

All of the shadows are intensely pigmented and they blend so well that I find myself reaching for Modern Renaissance all the time. Whether I want a quick natural eye for work or I want to get smokey for a night out, I’m free to explore and create any kind of look I have in mind from start to finish with Modern Renaissance. Most brands don’t always get it right when it comes to brown skin and neutral eyeshadow palettes but Anastasia Beverly Hills definitely got it right with Modern Renaissance. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I think you need to head to your local Ulta, Sephora or Macy’s to experience this beauty for yourself!

Tempera, Golden Ochre, Vermeer, Buon Fresco, Antique Bronze, Love Letter, Cyprus Umber, Raw Sienna, Burnt Orange, Primavera, Red Ochre, Venetian Red, Warm Taupe and Realgar

I’m wearing Love Letter (to transition) and Cyprus Umber (to deepen) in my crease with Buon Fresco on the lid 😉