Reader Su Ann wanted to see five great pencil eyeliners, so here are five favorites from what I have tried…
Milani Melange Baked Eyeshadow
Milani Melange Baked Metallic Eyeshadow ($7.49 for 0.05 oz.) is a mix of smoldering, blackened brown, khaki gold, bronze, and silvered white. When applied, it’s very much a black gold–it has that really dark black-brown color base with khaki and bronze shimmer on top. This shade applies much sheerer when used dry, while applied wet, it has much more intense color pay off.
Milani advertises these as luminous (marketing for soft/sheerer color–more like a wash) when used dry, so it’s actually as described. (Many of the other shades were closer in payoff, though.) I did find that this shade had a faint amount of fall out when used dry; it seemed to have a lot more shimmer than some of the other shades, and the shimmer sat on top of the color more than weaved within it.
I do wish they’d ditch the sponge/brush applicator, though, because the bristles are splayed and scratchy, while the sponge is thin and surprisingly scratchy. I did like the switch to a black interior, over the champagne gold from the Runway Eyeshadows. The lid is also quite secure, and I had to pry it open with my nails.
 |
Melange
B+
|
| I think this kind of color is harder to come by, which might excuse the fallout that occurs for some. I do find this is a shade I have to use wet to get the best results, though. | |
Product8.5/10 Pigmentation9/10 Texture9/10 Longevity9/10 Application4/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
Milani Fusion Baked Eyeshadow
Milani Fusion Baked Metallic Eyeshadow ($7.49 for 0.05 oz.) is a melange of plum, gold, and copper that turns into a medium-dark bronzed brown with a soft bronze sheen. This is one of the downsides of baked eyeshadows, especially onces that are swirled with other colors, because it looks so interesting in the pan but when swatched, it doesn’t seem as nuanced. It applied well both wet and dry, with the wet version darkening just a smidgen.
I do wish they’d ditch the sponge/brush applicator, though, because the bristles are splayed and scratchy, while the sponge is thin and surprisingly scratchy. I did like the switch to a black interior, over the champagne gold from the Runway Eyeshadows. The lid is also quite secure, and I had to pry it open with my nails.
 |
Fusion
A
|
| This has a really smooth texture, not powdery at all (like some baked products), and has rich color payoff. I can see this working well on warmer skin tones as a staple brown. | |
Product9.5/10 Pigmentation10/10 Texture9.5/10 Longevity9/10 Application4/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
Milani Drenched in Gold Baked Eyeshadow
Milani Drenched in Gold Baked Metallic Eyeshadow ($7.49 for 0.05 oz.) is a softened yellow gold with a metallic sheen. It reminded me a lot of MAC’s Goldmine, which is a staple eyeshadow for me. I liked the way this looked both wet and dry–there really wasn’t much of a difference-so it is more convenient to use. It applied smoothly and had good color pay off with no fall out.
I do wish they’d ditch the sponge/brush applicator, though, because the bristles are splayed and scratchy, while the sponge is thin and surprisingly scratchy. I did like the switch to a black interior, over the champagne gold from the Runway Eyeshadows. The lid is also quite secure, and I had to pry it open with my nails.
 |
Drenched in Gold
B+
|
| This is an affordable dupe to MAC's Goldmine eyeshadow! It's gold without being too dark or metallic, so I think it will work well in a variety of looks. | |
Product9/10 Pigmentation9/10 Texture9/10 Longevity9/10 Application4/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
Milani Rich Java Baked Eyeshadow
Milani Rich Java Baked Metallic Eyeshadow ($7.49 for 0.05 oz.) a medium-dark chocolaty brown with subtle red undertones and a delicate bronze micro-shimmer layered on top. It did seem to pull redder in the pan, but when swatched, it’s much less apparent. The softer shimmer and finish of Rich Java really elevates it, too, because it has nice color coverage (though it seems less intense swatched than the color seen in the pan). It applies nearly the same wet as it does dry, just a little smoother.
I do wish they’d ditch the sponge/brush applicator, though, because the bristles are splayed and scratchy, while the sponge is thin and surprisingly scratchy. I did like the switch to a black interior, over the champagne gold from the Runway Eyeshadows. The lid is also quite secure, and I had to pry it open with my nails.
 |
Rich Java
B+
|
| This is a nice go-to brown for smoky brown eyes or darker crease color, particularly for warmer skin tones, as it skews a little warm. | |
Product9/10 Pigmentation9/10 Texture9/10 Longevity9/10 Application4/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
Milani Purr-fect Purple Baked Eyeshadow
Milani Purr-fect Purple Baked Metallic Eyeshadow ($7.49 for 0.05 oz.) is medium-dark red-toned purple with a silvered shimmer and sheen. Of the several new shades Milani released, I was disappointed in this one–the pigmentation is just not nearly as intense as it looks in the pan. The pan looks like a much more vibrant, violet purple with greater depth than is achieved when used (regardless of whether it is used wet or dry).
Milani could ditch that curved sponge/brush applicator, because the bristles are splayed and scratchy, while the sponge is thin and surprisingly scratchy. I did like the switch to a black interior, over the champagne gold from the Runway Eyeshadows. The lid is also quite secure, and I had to pry it open with my nails.
 |
Purr-fect Purple
B-
|
| The color suffers from sheerness, even when applied dampened, which makes it one of the weaker shades from the recent launch of Milani's baked eyeshadows. The color is also more muted than it appears in the pan. | |
Product8/10 Pigmentation7/10 Texture8/10 Longevity9/10 Application4/5 |
|
| Login or Register to be able to add this to your Vanity or Wishlist! Plus rate and review! | |
