Anastasia Beverly Hills Palette Ranking

Anastasia Beverly Hills is arguably the hottest brand on the market right now. But is it all just hype? Keep reading for my honest Anastasia Beverly Hills palette ranking.

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Since the release of the Modern Renaissance in 2016, Anastasia Beverly Hills took over the space that MAC occupied in the late 90s and early 2000s. Not only does Anastasia Beverly Hills set trends that the rest of the market follows, but the brand is well known for supporting makeup artistry. The brand’s beginner-friendly eyeshadow formula, ability to set trends, and capacity for supporting artists won Anastasia Beverly Hills many fan.

As a fan of the brand, I owned almost every Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Palette for a while. However, when the brand increased its launch cycle in 2019, I couldn’t keep up anymore.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Palette Ranking

7 | Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eyeshadow Palette | $42.00, CF

I know that I’m supposed to hate Subculture, but I don’t. The formula is different from Anastasia’s other eyeshadow palettes, but I don’t mind it. The color story is visually striking and so perfect for Fall. Ultimately, I just do not use this palette as frequently as other palettes on this list.

6 | Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Eyeshadow Palette | $42.00, CF

I have a love-hate relationship with the original Norvina Palette. As a purple eyeshadow lover, Norvina called my name when it launched during Summer 2018. However, I found the metallic formula befuddling and the color story more neutral than I expected.

The shimmers in the Norvina Palette are not the brand’s typical shimmer formula. The Norvina metallics need to be applied with a finger or a flat brush, rather than a traditional shader brush. This was the first Anastasia Palette where the shimmer shadows didn’t apply well with the brush provided.

5 | Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Eyeshadow Palette | $45.00, CF

I had such a hard time placing the Sultry Palette within my Anastasia Beverly Hills palette ranking. Unlike the many makeup lovers who lost their mind when Sultry was released, I had little interest in this palette. I never fell in love with this cool-toned palette.

It wasn’t until the Sultry Palette made its way to discount stores that I purchased this palette. At such a heavily discounted price, I felt like I had to pick up this palette.

I am able to create classically beautiful looks with the Sultry palette. However, I consider Sultry to be a one-trick pony. Although the swatches look differentiated on my arm, on the eyes many of the tones look similar.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Palette was a limited edition holiday release. Although this palette is no longer for sale at major retailers, these palettes have found their way into discount stores.

4 | Anastasia Beverly Hills x Jackie Aina Eyeshadow Palette | $45.00, CF

At first, I had my doubts about the Jackie Aina Palette. The color story seemed similar to the Modern Renaissance and Norvina eyeshadow palettes. However, after owning the Jackie Aina Palette for many months, I fully believe that this palette stands on own.

The metallics in this are simply out of this world. This is easily one of the best palettes that Anastasia Beverly hills launched. The formula is so impressive that I had a hard time placing this palette at the fourth spot within my Anastasia Beverly Hills palette ranking.

3 | Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette | $42.00, CF

The palette that started it all (sorta). The Modern Renaissance was not Anastasia’s first eyeshadow palette, but this release caused the brand to explode into mainstream popularity.

Modern Renaissance catapulted Anastasia Beverly Hills into its current status as a top tier beauty brand. Moreover, this palette ushered in the trend of warm-toned neutrals that helped to make color “wearable” for the everyday consumer.

Therefore, even though I no longer own the Modern Renaissance, I had to rank this palette third. Modern Renaissance was one of the most iconic releases of the 2010s.

2 | Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette | $42.00, CF

At this point, are you tired of me saying that Anastasia Beverly Hills Palettes typically bore me at first?

Again, I had little interest in the Soft Glam palette when it first launched. I thought this palette was too basic. However, Soft Glam quickly became my go-to neutral eyeshadow palette for days when I want to look effortlessly beautiful.

1 | Anastasia Beverly Hills x Master Palette by Mario Eyeshadow Palette | $45.00, CF

I mean…. is anyone surprised that my Master Palette by Mario owns the number one spot in my Anastasia Beverly Hills palette ranking? The Master Palette by Mario is the best palette that Anastasia has ever released. Periodt.

The grungy, versatile neutral tones in the Master Palette by Mario can be used to create simple everyday looks or full-on bronze glam. As one of Anastasia Beverly Hills’ last hand-pressed shadow palettes, the formula is incredibly soft and easy to apply on the eyelids.

*While I no longer own the Master Palette by Mario, this palette was truly my go-to palette throughout 2017-18. Sadly, this OG palette finally went bad. 

Is Anastasia Beverly Hills in Free-fall?

Anastasia Beverly Hills was one of the most innovative, mainstream brands of the 2010s. In many ways, Anastasia Beverly Hills now occupies the space that MAC Cosmetics or Urban Decay used to hold.

The brand’s easy-to-blend, creamy matte and high shine metallic shadows made Anastasia Beverly Hills easy to love. In fact, the hype surround the brand’s formula was so powerful that when Anastasia Beverly Hills released a product, the rest of the market soon followed.

However, the brand clearly lost its way with the launch of the Norvina sub-brand and over-saturation of new products released. In five years, the brand will not dominate the US beauty market in the same way.

And it isn’t just me who feels that Anastasia Beverly Hills is on the decline. Earlier in 2020, financial analysts downgraded the brand due to its declining health and less successful launches. In fact, when was the last time Anastasia Beverly Hills released a product that didn’t eventually make its way to the shelves of T.J. Maxx or Marshalls?

Final Thoughts on my Anastasia Beverly Hills Palette Ranking

It wasn’t until I sat down to finalize my Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palette ranking that I realized that I am rarely excited by the brand. Although the top three palettes featured in my ranking are some of my favorite palettes of all-time, I would feel less compelled to purchase from the brand if influencers didn’t hype up Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Moreover, I would gladly throw away every palette in my collection if it meant that the brand would bring back my beloved, hand-pressed Master Palette by Mario. I’d repurchase that palette in a heartbeat.

Finally, if it wasn’t obvious from my swatches: the brand repeats a lot of the same shades within its palettes. This is problematic for anyone who collects Anastasia Beverly hills palettes.

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Catch up on My Collection Series

Did you enjoy reading about my Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palette ranking? See where my Anastasia Beverly Hills blush trio places within my Face Palette Collection or where the brand’s foundation ranks in my collection.

For additional eyeshadow rankings, check out my Single Eyeshadow Collection and my Indie Beauty Single Shadows. I’ve even ranked all of my ColourPop Pressed Single Shadows, Monochromatic Palettes, Super Shock Shadows, and Pressed Shadow Palettes.

Disclaimer: My ranking posts are not intended to show off, but are a fun way to talk about my beauty collection.

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Do you agree with my Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palette ranking? Which palette is most appealing to you? Let me know in the comments below.