Aether Beauty Eyeshadow Palettes: Review and Swatches

Note: Is anyone else finding it hard to concentrate, with all the news going on these days? With social distancing amidst the Covid-19 pandemic fully underway, there are so many things it feels like I should be concentrating on. I know it seems trivial to talk about beauty and makeup when it seems like the sky is falling down, but it’s one of my coping mechanisms that I’m sure many of you can relate with. I’ve been brainstorming a lot of blog posts because I’ve had time to swatch, play with makeup, and organize everything I have. I hope you all understand and enjoy the small distraction from current events.

Today I’ll be talking about some Aether Beauty eyeshadow palettes. The brand first caught my eye because of their unique color schemes and gorgeous shimmers, but they are so much more than pretty shades. 

Aether Beauty is a fully sustainable brand, from the ingredient sourcing to their 100% recyclable packaging. As I’ve said before, clean beauty claims don’t excite me or draw me in, but I do care about sustainability and ethical sourcing, so I love the ethos behind the brand. 

Because all aspects of the packaging are recyclable, there is no mirror with any of the palettes, which I didn’t think would be a big deal, but it turns out I actually rely on the mirrors in palettes a lot. Every time I use this palette I end up pulling out another palette that does have a mirror because it helps me apply products in more detail, so that doesn’t make these the ideal travel palette for me, but it’s a small sacrifice to make for sustainability.

The palettes retail for $58 on Aether Beauy’s website or Sephora, and they come with 12 shadows – 8 shadows that are .05 oz/1.5g and 4 shadows with .04 oz/1.25 g. It is a little pricey to me considering the packaging is just cardboard, but I also understand and will pay for the higher price because the ingredients are fair trade, ethically sourced, and  sustainable. 

I have 3 of the palettes: 

• Crystal Grid Gemstone Palette, which has deeper jewel tones
• Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette, a rosy toned palette with a mostly cool tones
• Summer Solstice Palette, a warm toned palette

Each of the palettes has 8 larger shades and 4 duo chrome shades in the middle. The 8 larger shades are a mix of matte and shimmer shades. I’ve been pretty impressed with the formulas of all 3 finishes of eyeshadows, but especially how creamy and blendable the matte shades are. I have no issues applying or blending them. I would say they are more powdery than a Pat McGrath or Charlotte Tilbury shadows, but not quite as powdery as Anastasia Beverley Hill mattes. They are also more sheer than any of the brands I mentioned, but they aren’t sheer to the point of being useless. 

Similarly, the duo chrome shades are easy to use, and they have almost a wet look to them, although I don’t think they are quite as intense or duochrome-y as some duochrome shades you might be used to seeing from brands like Colourpop or Pat McGrath. These shades a little more subtle and a little more sheer – but that honestly makes them a little more wearable and approachable for an average day or someone who prefers a more subtle look. The shimmers are nice and perform well, too. 

I think palette to palette, Rose Quartz is the most sheer of the three that I have. I think it matches the overall soft and romantic theme of the palette. Crystal Grid has all shimmersand duochromes. Summer Solstice is probably the most pigmented of the three palettes.

I always wear my eyeshadows over eyeshadow primer, but I haven’t had any issues with creasing or patchiness. I find that they wear just fine throughout my 12-14 hours days without fading, either. They definitely have impressive wear! 

Here are all the palettes up close with swatches:

Crystal Grid

Rose Quartz

Summer Solstice

I also did a full face look using the Summer Solstice Palette:

Overall I do really enjoy the palettes and I really like the color schemes in all of them. I find them all to be a lot more wearable than they may seem at first, and I appreciate the softer pigment that isn’t in your face. For the slightly higher price point you’re getting sustainability and high performance, which I value, since not many clean makeup brands offer powder eyeshadows that perform well. Summer Solstice is the palette I reach for the most, but when I want a rosy look Rose Quartz fits the bill perfectly. Crystal Grid is my “fun” palette when I play around with shimmers and shades that I don’t normally reach for. I would just say have a hand held mirror handy if you like to do close up detail work like I do. 

Have you tried Aether Beauty yet? What are your thoughts?