Eyeshadow Hadn’t Been in My Makeup Routine for Years—Then This Palette Changed My Mind
As a beauty writer, I’ve had a front-row seat to the rise and fall of a lot of trends. And eyeshadow slipping out of rotation was one I didn’t fully clock until it was already gone. Back in college (circa 2016), I was fully committed to the whole Kylie Cosmetics era. Cut creases before 8 a.m. class, multiple brushes in rotation, applying setting spray like it was my job. Meanwhile, the guy next to me showed up in grey sweatpants and called it a day. Humbling, to say the least. Somewhere between then and now, though, the energy shifted. And full eyeshadow looks started to feel like… a lot.
Then came the pandemic, and with it, the era of minimal, skin-first makeup. Tinted moisturizer, brushed-up brows, a little blush if you were feeling ambitious—we were in full “Clean Girl” territory. The goal was looking like yourself, just slightly more awake. Eyeshadow didn’t really fit into that equation, and slowly but surely, palettes started collecting dust in drawers (mine included). It wasn’t intentional, but it just stopped feeling necessary.
And then, of course, something had to come along and change my mind. Enter the Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette. I kept seeing it everywhere—Reddit threads, TikToks, comments sections filled with people trying (and failing) to get their hands on it. It sold out in weeks, had a waitlist that kept growing, and somehow managed to cut through a very crowded beauty market. So I tried it. And now, eyeshadow is back in my routine for good.
Read on for everything you need to know about the palette, and why it earned a permanent spot in my everyday makeup lineup.
The Makeup By Mario Brand
In case you missed it, makeup artists are the new beauty icons—and Mario Dedivanovic is very much at the top of that list. He’s the name behind some of the most recognizable glam of the past decade (hi, Kim Kardashian). He’s worked his magic on everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Ariana Grande. So when he launched Makeup By Mario, it wasn’t just another celebrity-adjacent beauty line with a less-than-involved figurehead. It felt intentional. The products are designed to mirror his actual techniques, but in a way that doesn’t require a full glam squad or a 45-minute YouTube tutorial to pull off. It’s that sweet spot between pro-level results and real-life usability—which, if you’ve ever tried to recreate a red carpet look under your fluorescent bathroom lighting, you know, is no small feat.
The Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette
As someone cautiously stepping back into eyeshadow, I wasn’t in the mood for anything loud, complicated, or requiring a full tutorial to figure out. I wanted something easy. Something pretty. Something that would make me look put together without adding a whole 30 minutes and a mental breakdown to my morning routine. The Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette understood the assignment. The entire vibe is soft, glowy, and slightly beachy in that effortless way—nothing too bold, but definitely not boring.
Inside, you get 12 shades that all play very nicely together (a blessing). There’s a mix of glossy shimmers, sueded mattes, and natural metallics, all in that neutral, wearable color family. Think taupes, warm browns, soft beiges—shades that enhance rather than overpower. The finishes are where it gets fun, though. The shimmers have that almost-wet look on the lid, the mattes are smooth and easy to blend, and the metallics add just enough dimension when you want to turn things up a notch.
The formula itself is that signature wet-powder texture, which basically means the pigment grips onto your skin and stays put without feeling heavy. It’s buildable, forgiving, and doesn’t require a ton of effort to make it look good—which, for me, is non-negotiable. You can keep things soft and minimal or layer it up for something a little more dramatic, and it still feels wearable. Add in the fact that it’s ophthalmologist-tested, and it checks every box.
Makeup By Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette Review
What hooked me first was how easy this palette felt. I wasn’t trying to bring back my full glam college routine, I just wanted something that made my everyday makeup look a little more put together. And this does exactly that. The shades live in that perfect neutral zone—browns, taupes, beiges, and of course a little shimmer mixed in—so everything blends without effort. Nothing looks too intense, but somehow your eyes still look noticeably better.
For everyday wear, I keep it super simple. I tap a glossy shimmer onto the inner corner and across my lid, then blend a matte shade into the crease to add a little depth. It takes maybe two minutes, and somehow makes me look more awake and pulled together for errands, Zoom calls, coffee runs, all of it. Plop on some mascara and I am done. It gives me that soft, glowy effect I didn’t realize I missed after years of barely-there makeup.
My Experience Wearing The Ethereal Eyes Palette
One of my favorite parts about this palette is that you can really make it work for you. On days when I want something even easier than those two steps (which, admittedly, is quite often), I just swipe on one shade and call it a day. I keep reaching for the more subtle shimmers like EE6 or EE10, blending them across my lid and crease with my fingers. It’s slightly glossy, a little monochromatic, and looks way more elevated than the effort required. Truly ideal when you want to look like you tried without actually trying.
For nights out, the palette really showed off. I take a deeper shade—EE12 is my go-to—and smudge it along my lash line for that soft, lived-in liner look. Blend it out a bit, maybe layer on some shimmer, and it instantly feels moodier without being heavy. I sometimes go in with a pencil liner too, but honestly, the shadow does most of the work. The pigment is there, but it builds in a way that’s forgiving, so you’re never one swipe away from overdoing it. It makes eyeshadow feel fun again, which I did not see coming.
At the end of the day, this palette didn’t turn me into a full-glam, 45-minute-eyeshadow-routine person again—and that’s exactly why I love it. It fits into my life now. It’s quick, forgiving, and makes just enough of an impact to feel worth it. My dusty palettes have officially been replaced, and for the first time in years, I actually look forward to doing my eyeshadow. Which, honestly, says everything.
Other Shade Ranges of the Ethereal Eyes Palette
Alyssa Rotunno, Contributing Writer
Alyssa Rotunno is a NYC-based writer with a focus on beauty, fashion, shopping, travel, and culture. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, InStyle, Travel+Leisure, Parade, and other national outlets, where she brings a sharp, timely lens to the products, places, and trends worth knowing. She’s endlessly curious about what people are talking about—and loves connecting the dots between trends, products, and real life.
Products included in graphics linked within article. Feature graphic images credited to: Sarah Baker | Dupe, Alina Latkovic | Dupe, Man Lima | Dupe, Bruno Ngarukiye | Dupe, Chloe G | Dupe, and Rachel Tafoya | Dupe.
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