First Impressions: Milani's Powder Blush in Romantic Rose and Bella Eyes in Bella Champagne

Milani has made its way into the hearts of many people over the years. Not only are these products reasonably affordable, the quality is stellar. Though, as with all companies, there will be some misses. However, with every item I have purchased from Milani, I have not been disappointed. I was and still am a big fan of their Liquid Eye pencil and am also a fan of their lipsticks, so I did not hesitate to get these two items.

After being a limited edition item, the Milani Powder Blushes are now part of the permanent collection. I remember when I first saw these among the blogging community, they were selling like hotcakes and very quickly, sold out. So for those of you who couldn't get your hands on these beautiful blushes before, you can easily get them now! The blushes retail for $7.99 for 17g of product. I know it will be a while before I even make a dent in this powder, however I still can't help but be a little sad when the rose embellishment fades away.

This is a matte blush, which means no shimmer and can be for many people too flat for their complexion. However I think this would be great for photos as it won't make a person look too glowy or dewy. It would also be ideal for those with problematic skin such as acne scars. Due to its lack of shimmer or glitter, this blush would not enhance or bring attention to these problem areas. Romantic Rose would be perfect for light to medium skin tones, deeper complexions may find this too ashy. When I swatched this with my fingers on the back of my hand, it was patchy, but I do not have that problem when applying with a brush. I think the color is beautiful and great for everyday. Thumbs up for me!

The Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow I'm kind of on the fence about. Bella Champagne not as buttery or opaque as I would hoped it would be. However, I did pick up the Shimmer finish (there are a total of three finishes: Shimmer, Satin Matte, and Metallic). Overall it's a lovely shadow, but I will need to put a primer over my lids and perhaps a base color in order for this particular shade to shine. Surprisingly enough, this is the only shadow missing on the website itself, I wonder if it's out of stock or discontinued. While this shade didn't fully impress me, I am still interested in trying out other shades and finishes from the collection.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what did you think? Happy Hump day!

First Look: Milani Illuminating Face Powder

For those of you who want to have a highlighter that doesn't break the bank, I suggest you check out Milani's newest. These Illuminating Face Powders are not only gorgeous in the pan, they provide a beautiful glow anywhere you place it. I've only used these a handful of times and I'm pretty smitten.

The colors I purchased are Amber Nectar and Hermosa Rose and both look gorgeous. The design of the product mimics that of their department brand counterpart. Both Laura Mercier and Guerlain have out beautiful highlighters with similar floral designs and higher prices. I do have to admit, I am lusting after the Guerlain Cruel Gardenia highlighter and felt that this would satiate my highlighter appetite for a bit.

Hermosa Rose is a bit dark for me to highlight with, so it's best to use it as a bronzer or blush to warm up the face. Amber Nectar when blended out provides just enough sheen for a healthy glow. There is also a third one out labeled Beauty's Touch, but I have yet to see it in drugstores.

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NOTD: Gradient Pinks and Purples

I finally got my hands on some of the Pirate O.P.I. nail polishes and decided to do a fun gradient nail. To get the effect, I used a latex makeup sponge. It was a little time-consuming but I was pretty impressed with the results!

Products Used:
-OPI Rosy Future
-OPI Sparrow Me The Drama (Pirates Collection)
-OPI Planks a Lot (Pirates Collection)
-Milani Nail Laquer in 3D
-Seche Vite Topcoat

NoTD: Combo of OPI and Milani

I am in love with these Milani 3D Holographic nail polishes. For this look I mixed OPI's Meet Me on the Star Ferry and Milani's 3D Holographic nail polish in HD. I applied two coats each and topped it off with the famed Seche Vite top coat.

Happy Monday! How is your new year starting out? Good? Great? Bad? So-so?

Talk to you all soon.

NoTD: A Combo of Rimmel and Milani

What I used:
Rimmel Base Coat Top Coat Pro
Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Hot Cocoa
Milani 3d Holographic Nail Laquer in 3D

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

I think this looks so festive especially with Christmas literally right around the corner!!

Happy Monday!

Review: Milani Baked Eyeshadows

Milani recently released a new line of baked eyeshadows. There are two versions of this, the metallic version and also the marbleized version. They are essentially the same, even some of the metallic eyeshadows have a bit of the marbling effect of them. This eyeshadow can be used dry or wet.

I picked up the colors, Melange (marbleized), Blue My Mind (Metallic), and Drenched in Gold (Metallic). These eyeshadows run from $6.99 USD and up.

The packaging is lovely and lightweight but can be a bit bulky for some. The odd shape may prove to be an annoyance for those who like to stack their eyeshadows or organized them. There is a curved applicator that clicks into place. It has two applicators on each end. One is a generic sponge applicator and the other is a liner brush. The liner brush is crap, don't used it to line your eyes.

The colors are beautiful and I think Melange might be a more glittery dupe of MAC's Gilt By Association. I don't have the eyeshadow to compare it but I think I it looks pretty darn close! Blue My Mind is GORGEOUS.

So what's bad about this eyeshadow? Both Melange and Drenched in Gold are very shimmery and glittery. Also each of these eyeshadows have fallout, I tested them out and I had color fall all over my cheeks. Using them wet obviously didn't have as much fallout.

Pros:
-Inexpensive baked eyeshadow
-Using a wet brush will not ruin the eyeshadow
-Great colors

Cons

-May be too glittery for some
-Bulky packaging
-Fallout

Would I repurchase? Eh, only if there was a color I really wanted.

NoTD: Milani 3D Holographic Nail Laquer in Digital

I'm taking a break from working so I wanted to do a quick post on my current nail polish. It's Milani's 3d Holographic Nail Laquer in Digital and I have to say I'm in love! It's a pinky lavender that has lots and lots of glitter but still subtle enough for everyday wear.

Have any of you guys tried it out? Let me know your thoughts!

Happy 'Hump Day' Wednesday and Happy December!

Here to ring in the holidays is my favorite, Josh Groban. This is him singing, "Bells of New York City" live at the Rockefeller Tree Lighting yesterday.