Rant & Rave: Milani

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Milani

Milani has always felt like an underrated drugstore brand, and I don’t know if that has had a lot to do with accessibility in stores or not, but now that they’re more readily available online, I feel like they’re getting the love they deserve. It’s one of the few drugstore brands that I feel I can rely on to put out decent to good powder-based products (eyeshadow, blush, etc.), which is an area that has improved significantly in the last couple of years in drugstore/mass brands but Milani’s been better in that area for years. I also like that their packaging seems a bit nicer for the price point–doesn’t feel super flimsy most of the time.

— Christine

11 Comments

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Raeanne Avatar

Rant: I find that their prices are creeping up to the high-end of the drugstore. As some of their products can be hit or miss depending on the colors (especially eyeshadow palettes and matte lipsticks), this makes it hard to commit to buying sight-unseen.

Rave: Their packaging has always been top-notch! I love that they stay on-trend and experiment with new things, without condescending their audience or choosing offensive names and imagery. Their eyeshadow primer and liquid liner have been staples for me, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Another classic product is their luminous blush. If you have the patience to sift through some occasional duds, you can find just about any item to add to your regular line-up of favorites.

Mariella Avatar

RANT: not easy to find and only a limited # of products from their line seem to be available here in Canada. I’m hoping i can get my eyeshadow loving fingers on that new palette (Soft and Sultry? Something like that anyway) you just featured….and therein lies the frustration and the rant. I only have 1 or 2 of their products (got them years ago when a grocery store here carried a limited # of their products) and like what I tried; I just wish it were easier to try more!

Ana Maria Avatar

Milani it’s just a brand I didn’t dabble into and I don’t plan to do it soon. I don’t have a good or bad opinion about them, it’s just I lean towards other drugstore brands.

I tried their raved Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation, thinking (from the youtube reviews) it was close to be beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear or MAC ProLongwear Waterproof. It’s a decent foundation, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not full coverage and not that resistant. Not to mention the color range it’s just terrible (well, they expanded in the meantime); I’m light-medium yellow undertone (NC20) and I couldn’t find a decent match for me in the range.

I also tried one of their eyeliners… it was… meh…

There’re no rave here form my side… Milani is just `meh` for me.

Deborah S. Avatar

Caveat: I live in a small town as you all know and the drug store in town, (25 one way from me) carries a foundation from Almay and a couple of Cover Girl products. They just added a few ELF products. That is seriously the only makeup available within a 3 hour radius from me so when I go to the big city to shop I go to Ulta and Sephora (yay we have one in Missoula now!!) and I don’t think about hitting the drugstores to find makeup.

Rave: I really like the blushes that I have tried. I have a couple of the rose embossed blushes and of course, Luminoso. I am glad I picked up Luminoso from the drugstore as it saved me a lot of money on Nars Orgasm which just doesn’t suit my skin tone. I have a couple of eye shadow palettes and really like those. I find their packaging to be very nice for the drugstore and packaging is important to me because I travel a lot and I need sturdy packaging and products that don’t break. I think their price point is pretty good. All products are on the rise in terms of price so I don’t begrudge spending a little more if the products are good and the packaging is nice. I have purchased Wet “N Wild eye shadow palettes and have literally broken the palette or the packaging just trying to get them open. The way they put the tape across the narrow end and the overall weakness of the plastic has cost me quite a bit of money. I would rather pay more for a good sturdy package.

Rant: I find that even the drugstores that carry Milani only have pieces of the line. I don’t know if that is because I am in Montana and we rarely get a whole collection of anything or whether the stores just don’t order the whole collection. If it is too much trouble to find then I just give up. I don’t order a lot of drugstore makeup on-line. Even if I can’t swatch it in the drugstore I can at least see the true color and the packaging. I don’t see a lot of advertising for Milani products so they are frequently off my radar.

Genevieve Avatar

Raves – all raves for Milani. Just love their Colour Statement lipsticks, blushes and now their eyeshadow palettes are really starting to shine. And the packaging looks better too for a DS brand.

Rant: the only rant I have is not all of their products are easily available.
I also wish they would bring out a different foundation line too.

Anne Avatar

All Rave, no Rant!
I have been a long time fan of Milani. I bought backups of their swirled baked shadows and in some cases, because of different mixes of say, green and lavender. That was really a bomb color with gold sparkle swirled in there, too. I even bought some of those swirlies on Ebay, because I never saw them in CVS. I still have some of those! I also really liked some of their lip pencils and glosses. I still have them, too! They are really good quality lip products and like those baked eye shadows, are unique colors. I’m honestly tempted by the rose toned 12 pan palette swatched yesterday, probably 2 days ago at this point. I’m pretty sure I have plenty of high end dupes for it and will probably hold off, but judging by the swatches and comments of other readers, this one might beat the big brands! I’ll be watching for the review!

Shannon. N Avatar

I can only rant (because of my rant hah!): we only get some of the blushes (the flower ones. Not the baked ones!) The first half of the two in one foundation range, and their eye primer here in my small northern Ontario town! I’m ITCHING to try their primers, baked blushes, and highlighters though!

Bonnie Avatar

I love MIlani. I believe they began as an option for women of color, and I love those types of brands because I’m on the deeper side of medium. Their range has exploded in recent years and their quality is generally so nice, not just for drugstore, but in general.

Rachel R. Avatar

Rave: I think they have excellent quality and nice packaging at a reasonable price point. I love their blushes, especially Rose Powder Blush in Coral Cove. I love their Amore Matte and Amore Matte Metallic Lip Cremes. Their Color Statement Lipsticks are great, too. The Bella Eyes shadows are wonderful. I think their eye primer is the best drugstore primer on the market.

Rant: They never seem to have big store displays in my area. New products sell out fast in-store and online, and it seems to take a while to restock on both counts. Their foundation and powders are too dark for me.

Sílvia Avatar

I fell in love years ago when Milani came out with the rose design blushes and matching highliters with teeny roses and got all three of these highliters they are beautiful when you want to go very subtle.. Then I purshased the Earthy Element eyeshadow palette and love it! Lately found and collected the bronzers fine powdered and no glitter whatsoever although the over spray has some type of gold in them but nothing when worn to my surprise so good! Also the harmony blushes and strobelight highliters these do shine more than the previous ones mentioned but no glitter just shine gorgeous too! I found the bronzers & harmony blushes and strobelight highliters all during shopping at Target I have no idea why they were displaying Milani for a very short period of time then removed these items to the clearance bin and I got lucky! They have been awesome products I enjoy wearing! I like their gold packaging also it is more sturdy than WetnWild ones. True you cannot find the entire line displayed anywhere I’ve seen them.
I have no rants.

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