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I picked up the ABH Rose Metals Palette after giving it a good long eyeing. It is probably already long past the optimal time to post swatches but I am just getting around to it now. What drew me to this? I liked that the shimmers are all sort of in the neutral range without looking too similar to each other and two of the four mattes looked like shades that could be go-to’s for me. It just seemed like something I could get lots of “wearable” looks out of without getting too bored of the shade selection.
This palette is the same format as the ABH Nouveau Palette, where pan sizes are larger and contain more product (about twice as much) than older ABH palettes. I like the look and feel of the metallic outer packaging but I find it hard to read wording over it, especially the shade names inside. It feels well made and like it will last a good amount of time with constant use.
I’ve used this quite a bit now and I very much like the quality of the eyeshadows inside. If you have tried the Nouveau palette, the quality is just about the same. All of the shades have good color payoff and pick up easily on brushes. Nothing in here feels dry. There is a good balance where the powders feel almost creamy/emollient without impacting wear time too much or causing colors to be altered by blending or building. I get a very reasonable amount of fallout from some of the shades. It’s not enough to be bothered by it and it doesn’t adhere to the skin much so I can easily clean it up.
The 12 shades roughly break down into:
- 4 mattes (and 2 of them have a bit of fine shimmer in them)
- 3 standard shimmers (all fine particles)
- 2 shimmer/sparkle mixtures
- 3 sparkly metallics
I’ll be a little more specific about the finish of each shade below.
Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is a pinky taupe with a satin finish. This is one of the least reflective shimmers in the palette and is subtle enough in its finish that I can get away with using it as a transition shade.
Royal
Royal is a deep burgundy shimmer with some larger golden sparkle. Good color payoff without having to layer much. I do get some shimmer and sparkle fallout from this even when tapping off my brush but it isn’t that bad and brushes away easily.
Haze
Haze is a metallic bright olive with lots of large sparkle. This reflects more light than the previous two shimmers and requires a tiny bit more layering to get the same opacity. It isn’t sheer though. It is easy to pick up plenty of color and build up very quickly. I find this looks darker in the pan than it does once applied to the eye.
Rose Fire
Rose Fire is a metallic orange with a very similar texture to the previous shade. I get sparkle fallout from both of these shades but it doesn’t stick too badly to the face. This one requires a bit more building to get the same color payoff as the previous shade.
Sunrose
Sunrose is a matte light orange with tiny flecks of shimmer. The shimmer in this isn’t large enough to cause sparkle fallout and generally adheres well to the lid. When applied in a way that is more sheer, this shade mostly looks like a matte from a normal distance. If it is layered heavily, the finish begins to resemble a satin finish. Good, even color payoff and easy to blend.
Nova
Nova is a warmer olive with a very obvious golden sheen. This one has a mixture of fine shimmer and large sparkle.
Heavenly
Heavenly is a pale gold made up mainly of larger sparkles. It reflects light like a metallic shade but goes on more sheer than most of the other shimmers. The said, it is easy to build up opacity.
Element
Element is an orangey bronze with a standard shimmer finish. There are only fine particles in this and it gives of a smooth sheen.
Ashes
Ashes is a matte taupe with a tiny bit of fine shimmer mixed in. This is the same finish as Sunrose above. When applied in a more sheer way, it looks a bit warmer than it does in the pan and the shimmer is barely noticeable. As I build up layers, the shimmer also builds up and creates more of a satin finish and the color generally starts to look cooler-toned.
Dune
Dune is reddish brown with a true matte finish. I can use this shade alone without the help of a transition shade because it is so easy to sheer out without becoming patchy.
Nocturne
Nocturne is a deeper taupe with a shimmer finish. This one is mainly made up of fine shimmer but there does seem to be a mixture of particle sizes and colors. It has a more dimensional look to it, almost like a sparkly shimmer.
Noble
Noble is warm dark brown with a true matte finish. This one performs about the same as Dune. That one is slightly more even when sheered out than this one, but I can still get away without using a transition shade.