Anastasia Beverly Hills

This is an ok palette for me, but it was nearly amazing. A while ago I figured out I don’t like Anastasia’s formula in palettes. I like their singles fine, but not really the palettes. I struggled with the formula of Norvina. So I had no intention of buying this one at all. But then I swatched it and suckered into it. Cyborg is what got me.
So the packaging is a rough glitter cardboard. The glitter didn’t rub off which is cool. And it shines so bright under certain lights. It’s small and compact. It has the usual brush which is ok.
The mattes are creamy and thick. I prefer a drier formula so I have to use a super light hand. They are quite powdery. The dark brown turns kind of muddy grey though and doesn’t retain its richness on the eye. And the taupe brown looks just like warm taupe from MR. Usually Anastasia Mattes show up much darker on me then they swatch but these weren’t too bad. I don’t love the matte formula but I can use it.
The shimmers are more dense and less squishy than the Norvina shimmers which is another reason I decided to give it a shot. I hated how soft Norvina shimmers were. But they loose a little umph when applied. You can use fix plus to help but they fade a bit throughout the day. Applying with a finger also helps. But they just aren’t as bright as you’d expect. I thought pearl would be the perfect inner corner highlight but I never popped.
Overal I enjoy the color story. The cooler shades drew me in and I really like the pop of coral. It’s a muted coral and quite wearable. But the color selection fell flat for me because half the shimmers look the same or nearly the same on the eye. And every palette has a gold. I loved the idea of pearl, cyborg, and rose quartz (they all performs differently than I expected). But cinder, teak, steampunk, and ember all were too similar on the eye. I wish there had been a cool taupe shimmer instead of one of those because they are all warm. The only cool shimmer is cyborg, and it swatched like a warm silver but applies much lighter and bright initially, then fades. I also felt like there were a lot of shimmers in the palette. I wish there had been one or two more mattes with more variation between those bronzy browns.
I wanted to love this palette, but I love the idea of it more than the reality. And every shade is dupeable. Inglot has a beautiful dupe for cyborg. And the mattes are all in other Anastasia palettes. The grey is close to MAC copperplate. And the shimmers all look the same. MAC tempting or Urban Decay Smog works as a dupe for them all.
If you have a small eyeshadow collection, like shimmers and neutrals, this may be for you. But it wasn’t for me.

These are great highlighters that work on fair skin. They have a metallic finish. However, they do emphasize texture.

Didn't work for me. Way to un-nataturel.

Here is my story: I loved the color scheme. I find it very flattering and very inspiring. But after reading all the reviews and watching all the youtube videos on it, I decided to give it a pass. Then, I found the Revolution (Iconic Division) dupe in store and thought I would give it a try. I loved loved the Revolution one. I had some pigmentation/blendability issues, but really nothing noteworthy. I loved the texture of several shades. I used the palette a lot and got several compliments on my eyeshadow looks from other people, which never really happens.
Then I though that for ethical reasons, if I liked the dupe so much, I should buy the original, since the creative work of putting these shades together should be compensated. Paid full price. I wish I could return it. It is that bad. Shades do not blend, have a different color on the pan vs. lid, skip, turn grey, and worst of all lift - as in leave bald patches that never fill. They can also vanish when you blend, making you have to continue to pack on. I don't even know how it is possible to have all these problems together from only one formula. Yes, we have to both build very slowly and pack on a lot, and we have to both blend a lot and avoid blending.
I still love the looks I get, and I can use it, but I take about three times longer with this palette to do my eye look, compared to with the Revolution dupe. Disclaimer: maybe this is because I got used to the other one first.

In sum, do I recommend it? Yes, although I recommend more the Revolution one. Most times you will get a beautiful look. And there are a good variety of looks you can achieve. Just be aware that you might sometimes have to wipe the eyeshadow off and start all over again. Even if this never ever happens to you.

I have this in the shade Madison, which is a lovely purply-fuchsia. It applies so easily with the applicator that I think even beginners would do well with this product. I know it comes in a variety of shades to suit all coloring for all people. If you are in the market for a non-drying liquid lipstick, I highly recommend this product. It dries down quickly without drying out my lips! It also doesn't do that annoying crackly thing that some lesser quality liquid lipsticks do where you smile and there are cracks where it didn't go into all the nooks and crannies of your lips. This covers my lips in one swipe and looks beautiful! A+ for this one from Anastasia. I've tried their regular bullet lipsticks, too, and I love those as well. I generally have nothing but positive things to say about ABH lip products, for the record. I normally avoid liquid lipsticks because I've had trouble with the drying factor or the crackling, but this one is awesome! I"m so glad I gave it a chance!