This week, I can finally bring you my review of a long time lust. From the first time I saw these highlighters from Aether Beauty (just recently changed to Athr Beauty), I have been enamoured.

Highlighter is probably the least used makeup product in my routine, but goodness, do these make me want to change my mind. They’re described as diamond infused highlighters, that build effortlessly and blend seamlessly.

These are not certified organic, but contain organic rosehip oil, jojoba oil and ethically sourced mica. They are certified vegan and cruelty free and 1% of sales are donated to the organization 1% for the Planet.

They are $60.00 AUD or $38.00 USD for 10.5g/0.37oz. So yes, very expensive for a product that isn’t a must have for me, but I did buy these while they had a sale on. I also have a feeling the large pan will last me for quite a while!

Ingredients

*Contains polymethylsilsequioxane. More on that in my Final Word.

One thing that drew me to Athr Beauty is their focus on sustainability and ethically made products. They were one of the first brands to market a low/no waste eyeshadow palette. The packaging is a geometric compact made from FSC certified recycled cardboard. The pan is recyclable aluminium, and there is an elastic band fastening, which can be reused as a hair tie! They also ditched magnets and mirrors, as they aren’t recyclable.

Swatches

The swatches for the two highlighters are quite built up on my arm, while the eyeshadow is much easier to capture on camera. In the two selfies below, I have the Pink Diamond on the right side of my face, and the Pure Diamond on my left. This way you’ll hopefully be able to see how it can be applied more subtly on my cheeks, and then heavier on my eyelids.

Supernova Crushed Pink Diamond Highlighter

Pink-diamond finish

This looks very warm, more of a golden, peachy glow in the pan. It’s very hard to photograph unless you layer, layer, layer! It also takes more effort to layer than the Pure Diamond. I find the glitter isn’t as finely milled, so it gives it an interesting effect. In the sunlight the chunkier glitters look like they glow. It’s so hard to explain and you really need to be able to see it in person. As a highlight, I prefer it subtle, so best applied with a loose, tapered brush. I actually prefer this as an eyeshadow topper. I’m really enjoying sweeping on a shimmery hightlight, focussing on the centre of my lid and lower lashes. This looks beautiful for that purpose.

Supernova Crushed Pure Diamond Highlighter

Silver-diamond sparkle finish

I’m surprised that I prefer this as a highlight, even though it leans cool. It is silvery but not white frosty. This doesn’t take as much effort to build up but once it is, it’s more noticeble on my warm skin tone, yet strangely still flattering. I love that it’s not chunky, the smooth formula almost looks wet once it’s settled onto my skin.

Rose Gold Eyeshadow

I must admit, this isn’t a colour I wouldn’t normally pick It came as a freebie, as part of my purchase. It normally retails for $16.00 USD. I actually wish they were able to release all of their eyeshadows as singles, as I’d love some of the duochromes in the Rose Quartz Palette.

Ingredients

It swatches quite a lot pinker than I would expect from the ‘rose gold’ description, but the finish is beautifully metallic. It is infused with citrine and amethyst powders. I think the oils help keep it from kicking up too much powder.

It applies smoothly and it’s well pigmented, yet still easy to blend. Like most eyeshadows, I find wetting the brush the best way to achieve the brightest payoff. I had no issues building it up.

Final Word

I’m making more of an effort to buy more sustainable products, and this company have been on my radar for that exact reason. I definitely think they’ve outdone themselves concerning the packaging.

The one ingredient I’m a little hesitant about, and will probably keep me from repurchasing (not that I’ll probably ever need to) is polymethylsilsequioxane. If you look at Athr Beauty’s own ingredient code, you’ll notice they ban linear and cyclic silicones, and they describe polymethylsilsequioxane as a synthetic compound (which in my opinion is very unspecific). From what I think I understand, polymethylsilsequioxane is a spherical resin powder, which helps enhance texture and give products light diffusing properties. However, some websites classify it as a silicone, while this report defines it as a polymer formed by the hydrolysis and condensation of methyltrimethoxysilane (which is an organosilicon compound [not a silicone]). These are a lot of words to me, so due to my limited knowledge, I don’t understand definitively what it is truly classified as.

Whew, definitely one of my longer Final Words! If you’re still with me, when it comes down to it, I love these. I personally think both shades and textures are glowy and flattering, despite my oily skin. I also love that I can use these as eye shadow toppers, as layering them gives them different effect. To be truthful, this is the real reason I wanted these!

If you’re looking to make more environmentally friendly makeup choices, then I definitely think Athr Beauty have done very well in that regards. These highlighters aren’t what I’d consider blinding, unless you have them heavily applied as I did in my arm swatches. I would never wear it that way, so that suits me just fine!

Official Website