After a slew of more neutral and grunge toned palettes, Anastasia Beverly Hills finally joined the bandwagon and released a much-awaited (though long overdue) palette full of bright colors. Launching just in time for Spring, Riviera was meant to emulate the many hues of a tropical cruise.
Since ABH is such a well-loved brand, it didn't take long before this palette became the palette everyone was talking about, reviewing, or using.
Initially, I wasn't too keen on getting it. Given all the hype, a part of me held out on picking up the palette right away because sometimes an over-hyped product has a tendency to repel you. I wanted to give it a couple of months before I decided to buy it for myself so that the hype would have died down by then. Luckily it did, and I found myself buying this palette from Sephora.
The Palette
Instead of the signature suede packaging that ABH palettes have become known for, the Riviera palette is encased in stiff fabric with nautical blue and white stripes and Riviera in gold on the front. The palette opens up to 14 shades (8 matte and 6 metallics).
Just like all ABH palettes, the Riviera palette also comes with a dual-ended brush. But like other ABH palettes, the brush bristles are pretty scratchy. Definitely not the best.
This product, while cruelty-free, is not vegan as it contains carmine (a red dye derived from crushed beetles). If you prefer products that don't have animal-derived ingredients, I don't recommend this product for you. However, even with the pressed pigments, this product is dermatologist tested.
The Shadows
As I said, 3 of the mattes are pressed pigments (Bahamas, Cannes, and Palm) and they are deemed not safe for the eye area because they can stain your skin. This isn't something I have an issue with, but if your skin is particularly sensitive and you find that you have a bad reaction to heavily pigmented products, do keep that in mind.
With that being said, here are the swatches of the shadows on bare skin without primer, all have been built up to show the opacity of each shade.
First Row
In terms of shadow texture, I find that all of the metallic shades are soft and have a foiled finish, but are loosely pressed in the pan. So when you go to pick up these shadows, there is a lot of product that comes off and tends fall everywhere in flakes. This doesn't really happen when you swatch the metallic shades, but it happens you apply them on your lid.
I've found that it's best to spritz your brush with setting spray or use some type of eyeshadow adhesive to make these metallic shades stick better to your skin. Otherwise, blinking with metallic flecks of shadow floating around can be a bit annoying.
Second Row
The matte shadows aren't all the same in terms of texture and ease of use. Cabana and Monte Carlo are pretty firmly pressed and gritty, so it's a bit harder build them up. The rest of the shadows are what you'd expect ABH mattes to feel like; soft, easy to pick up, and pigmented at the first few swipes.
I will say that you will need to set your eye primer before you lay the pressed pigments on top to make them easier to blend out. Otherwise, you'll end up with a harsh dot of color that won't budge. What's good about the color story of this palette is that there are a number of matte colors you can use as a setting or transition color, no matter what your skin tone is.
Comparison With Similar Palettes
One of the biggest reasons why I decided not to buy this palette right away was because I realized that I already had some similar-looking palettes in my collection. I've been using the colors from these palettes nonstop for the last couple of months and found that the looks that I had come up with using the Riviera palette can be easily achieved with the other palettes I mention below.
To really see the similarities between the Riviera Palette and these other palettes, here are side-by-side swatches of similar shades from each ones as well as my thoughts.
Bombshell Cosmetica Oh Hubba Hubba! Palette
Bombshell Cosmetica is a US indie brand that became well-known for their beautiful lashes and food-themed palettes. In 2018, the brand released their Candy Shoppe collection which included four saccharine-scented palettes. I bought two of the palettes (Sour Blast and Oh Hubba Hubba!) and immediately noticed how similar this palette and the Riviera palette were.
After calming my "Oh no! I bought similar-looking palettes!" thoughts, I decided to wait patiently and compare both once I had them on hand. As you can see from the side-by-side photo above, the main difference is in the tones of the shades and a presence of transition colors. Here are the comparisons of the similar-looking shades, starting with the matte shades (Left is Bombshell Cosmetica and right is ABH).
As you can see above, the matte shades of the Oh Hubba Hubba! palette are a more neon and pastel take on Riviera's colors (though Green Apple is really a pastel green while Sails is a pure white). In terms of texture, I do find that the mattes on the left are all a lot softer and more buttery than that of the Riviera Palette, making them easier to blend out and work with.
The metallic shades are definitely more similar, though the first and last swatches differ slightly in undertone. Compared to Riviera however, the shimmers in the Oh Hubba Hubba palette! are all pretty dry and flaky. While they have a foiled finish on the lids, it's a bit harder to build up their intensity. You will still need to use an adhesive either way.
The Verdict
Unfortunately, the Oh Hubba Hubba! palette has been discontinued and is no longer available. If you already have this palette and prefer colorful eyeshadows and can do without neutral shades in a palette, I don't think you need the Riviera palette. This palette is also a better option if you prefer your matte shadows to build up better and blend faster.
However, if you want more versatility in a palette and want shadows with intense color payoff right away, the Riviera palette is a way better option for you. You can create work-friendly looks and wildly colorful looks with just the shades in this palette. At least this palette is a permanent product.
Colourpop Chasing Rainbows Palette
At first glance, I didn't really think these palettes looked all that similar until I saw some posts and later a video from Jen or Beauddiction. She swatched out both palettes, and I began to see the similarities, even if it's not entirely obvious at first.
Here are swatches of the colors I found most similar to each other, starting with the matte shades (like before, all Chasing Rainbows shades are on the left).
Compared to the softer mattes in Riviera, I definitely found that the matte shades in the Chasing Rainbows palette are more firmly pressed and some are prone to hard pan. Despite this, I do think the matte shades still build up nicely and blend easily. In terms of tone, they are also more earthy compared to the brightness of the shades in the Riviera palette.
While there are similar-looking metallic shades, there really isn't one in the Chasing Rainbows palette that really matches ones in the Riviera palette. In terms of texture, the Chasing Rainbows metallics are smooth and foiled but are also more stiffer compared to Riviera.
The Verdict
As a whole, the Chasing Rainbows palette has more oranges and transition shades than the Riviera palette - making it a more versatile palette. With the colors you get, you can create a lot of looks similar to the ones you can create using the Riviera palette while being able to create more neutral and blue-toned looks. For a more in-depth review of this palette, check this out.
BH Cosmetics Weekend Festival Palette
When I first saw the Riviera palette, the color scheme immediately reminded me of this discontinued palette from BH Cosmetics. I have given this palette a LOT of praise over and over on this blog because I just love the color scheme and quality of these shadows. But since it was no longer available, I did want to see how similar they really were.
Anyway, here are swatches of the similar-looking shades, with the Weekend Festival palette on the left.
The matte shades are actually pretty close in color, the closest out of all the three palettes. I also find that the matte shades in the Weekend Festival are really soft and not hard or gritty - even the pressed pigments. You don't need to set your primer either to get the mattes to blend out easily.
The shimmers are all pretty similar too. They're also really soft and foiled like the ones in the Riviera palette, without being too loose or flaky (with the exception of Solstice).
The Verdict
If you already own and love the Weekend Festival palette, you can definitely do without the Riviera palette. The BH Cosmetics palette is a lot more versatile and a lot easier to work with compared to the Riviera palette. It's still available to purchase in the Philippines, though the Riviera Palette is a permanent product though.
My Final Thoughts
Do you absolutely need this palette? No. I do think a lot of the hype around this palette is partly just hype. Anastasia Beverly Hills is a huge global brand and is incredibly well known, after all. The fact that such a popular brand would create such a colorful palette will surely get a lot of attention since bright colors is something that many high-end brands tend to stay away from.
I don't necessarily think that this palette is not cohesive, like what others think. This palette can definitely be used on its own to create a bunch of different looks. But I do find that the color scheme is rather limiting in terms of versatility.
I find that the most unique thing about the Riviera palette are its metallic shades. They have a depth and undertone that sets this palette apart from other similar-looking palettes. My favorite color is Mediterranean, but it's the flakiest of all the metallic shades and the one shade I also consider a dud in terms of quality (not a pressed glitter but I have to use glitter glue on it, which is a hassle).
As a whole, I am pretty disappointed in this palette and do regret buying it. This won't discourage me from not giving this brand another try though. I did see that Anastasia Beverly Hills is releasing a more colorful palette as a collaboration with drag queen Alyssa Edwards, I will be picking that up so stay tuned for that review.
Bình luận