I wanted to compare Urban Decay Riff and New Riff Eyeshadow and swatch the shades side by side for you today as I got quite a few e-mails asking me about the new shade versus the old one. Many of you know I really love Riff. Whenever Urban Decay Eyeshadow Singles went on sale for $10 bucks I was chronically collecting pots of Riff. At the time I felt like I was being ridiculous but now that the shade is discontinued I’m ever so glad I decided to hoard a few backups. It’s one of my favorite brown shades and really does something beautiful for my eyes.
Urban Decay recently relaunched their Eyeshadow Collection in new, clear compacts but also, they launched a wide variety of new shades and have done away with many fan favorites in the process. You can still get a few of them on sale at urbandecay.com (including Riff) but both Sephora and Ulta have officially sold out. One of the shades I was most curious in the new line was Urban Decay New Riff Eyeshadow.
Jump ahead for a comparison and swatches of Riff and New Riff and see which you love more.

Let’s start out with Urban Decay Riff first as it is the oldest and deserves a bit more attention. Riff’s a medium, warm, brown shade with very fine flecks of golden shimmer that aren’t noticeable once applied. It’s has a matte finish and a firm texture that isn’t powdery.

Urban Decay New Riff is completely different. I get a little bit of a dune element from the original Riff which New R...