March 19, 2015

BEAUTY: Milani Bella Eyes Review


Okay, the full name of this shadow is Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow, and this recently launched drugstore line is so good that it was actually worth typing all of that out. Gel powder? Yes, gel powder. Those words together make me think more of the flaky leftover residue one might get from an overzealous Dep application, but what it actually means, according to Milani, is that the formula "starts as a gel and then is transformed by a special process into a stunning powder eyeshadow with pure color and power wear."



What this special process is, or what exactly "power wear" might mean, remains a mystery, but I can tell you that the result is opaque, smooth-as-soft-serve eye colors. You can see the true color and tinsel-esque shimmer right there in the pan. With about 30 shades in the line, there are plenty of reasons to suddenly become very interested in new fake-sounding beauty processes.


The Bella Eyes shadows come in three finishes: Satin Matte (Navy), Shimmer (Emerald) and Metallic (Rouge). I picked up one of each to show you, but I honestly didn't notice a major difference between the formulas. Each seems perfectly shimmery to me, and I liked them so much that I can't say I care about the lack of diversity. To me, this is a useful line of shimmer products in every color you might need, at a price you can totally justify even when you're "being good," or whatever, even though being good should never mean talking yourself out of eyeshadow purchases. You might want to write that down on a little piece of paper and stuff it inside your wallet for future reference. I'll wait.

TOP: Swatches of Bella Navy, Bella Emerald and Bella Rouge.
BOTTOM: Swatches of Bella Navy, Bella Emerald and Bella Rouge over Milani eye primer.

Oh, good - you're back. Hi, there! Here's what I think of each shade:

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Emerald
Green is my favorite color (honorable mention to blue!), so I was excited to try this one. I usually reach for my Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette when I do a green eye, but this single shade pops so much on its own (with a little Urban Decay Sellout blended around it) that I don't miss the mix of shades I typically use. If your face is a crown (and IT IS), this color becomes your stunning jewels.



Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Navy
Blue eyeshadow scares a lot of people, but this shade is deep and rich enough to totally avoid 1980s babysitter vibes. I really love this one, and tend to use it the most of the three shades. Navy blue is a good alternative to black when you wanna lighten it up a bit. It really makes brown eyes sing (don't worry - not literally), but would look majorly powerful on some icy baby blues, as well. VERSATILE.



Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Rouge
This shade is unique, especially for the drugstore. You just don't see a lot of cranberry shades there, and I know this because I was looking for awhile. This performs just as well as the other shades, but I don't love it on me - at least how I've styled it here, with black liner and Urban Decay Half Baked. I'm going to find a way to wear it, though, because it's so GORGEOUS that it's practically glowing:


Straight up: I usually don't even mess with single eyeshadows because, in my opinion, all the value (and fun) lies in palettes, but these are smooth and blend-able and just plain beautiful. Maybe you like single shadows, though, or you just need a great highlight shade (Bella Champagne is your guy) and these would fit nicely in your world. They're less than five bucks and sales are frequent. Plus, the gold looks like melted jewelry and the violet looks like some kind of moon rock. You need this.

Have you tried the Bella Eyes shadows yet? Are you a Milani Fan? What's your favorite drugstore eyeshadow?


39 comments:

  1. Great review! Loving the colors of the eyeshadows! The green one looks great on you!
    -Tatiana
    We Shop in Heels

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amazing colors and super amazing make ups!
    Kisses from Spain.
    Xoxo, P.

    My Showroom



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the colors are so vibrant and pretty! xo

      Delete
  3. WOW DOUBLE WOW. From the picture even I could tell these looked extraordinary! Thank you so much for sharing these, I had NO IDEA they had a new "gel powder" much less 30 different shades of it! I too am more of a palette girl, but would totally make this an exception. Where did you get these? I know that a lot of drugstores in my area don't sell any Milani, and I'm so READY TO BUY THESE. I need melted gold and moon rocks! A:LGKAJ:LHAJ:WLHKJA:WLHJ Thank you for sharing ;)

    Much Love,
    -Stephanie Eva

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, best comment ever! Yeah, there are sooo many shades in this line and they all look so pretty. I got these at CVS, which is where I always get Milani stuff, but I did see that one Walgreen's near me recently added a small Milani section. Hope you find some! xo

      Delete
    2. Oh, and they have a store locater on their site! http://milanicosmetics.com/storeloc_rlj.php

      Delete
  4. I love reading your posts, no matter what you write about, because you stuff so many one-liners and inside jokes into your writing. I confess I had no idea what Dep was and was so very glad to find out. Keep it up! Also never "be good". Treat yo' self!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, this is the best compliment EVER! Thank you so much! I remember Dep as the "cool" hair gel choice of childhood, and I totally had that Barbie that came with her own tube of Dep. Thank you again! :) xo

      Delete
  5. Beautiful color choices. The green one really suits you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I love how saturated and jewel-y all these shades are. I use the green one a TON too! xo

      Delete
  6. I always walk past these eyeshadows at the drugstore, wondering about their quality. This post just convinced me to go and buy a ton! I really like that navy shade - so rich and vibrant and very complex! Love it!

    xo Deborah
    Coffee, Prose, and Pretty Clothes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! Buy, buy buy! I was pretty surprised by how smooth and rich they were for drugstore shadows. I love drugstore products, but not all shadows live up to the higher end ones. These are pretty close for me! xo

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Thanks! It really does blend beautifully. xo

      Delete
  8. Oooo! All the pretty colors! I personally love the look of the navy ~ that would be the one I'd go for, and maybe the gold and violet ~ if I had any access to these... If I lived in the USA... *le sigh* Oh well, I'll just drool on my keyboard instead.

    Great review btw, you really described these well, and I find your writing witty, which is just fun. :D ❤

    xox,
    bonita of Lavender & Twill

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww, sorry these aren't available where you are! I'm sure you have some amazing makeup I'll never get my hands on too, haha. I'm very into the navy too - thank you so much for the kinds words! xo

      Delete
  9. Oooo! All the pretty colors! I personally love the look of the navy ~ that would be the one I'd go for, and maybe the gold and violet ~ if I had any access to these... If I lived in the USA... *le sigh* Oh well, I'll just drool on my keyboard instead.

    Great review btw, you really described these well, and I find your writing witty, which is just fun. :D ❤

    xox,
    bonita of Lavender & Twill

    ReplyDelete
  10. wonderful colors! i love them all :)

    xoxo, rae
    http://www.raellarina.net/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I do too, and unfortunately I love a lot of others too...xo

      Delete
  11. i have the neutrals and love them. i'm gonna wear them today. stunning colors!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! I definitely want to pick up some neutrals. I love the look of Bella Champagne! xo

      Delete
  12. What pretty eye shadows! I wish I was better at make-up, you do a great job! That pink is so pretty on you! Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! The great thing about nice shadows like these is that they blend easily and smoothly. They make it very easy to learn technique! xo

      Delete
  13. Wow, so pigmented! I love the green one.
    ♡ Dulce

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, very pigmented! The green is BEAUTIFUL! xo

      Delete
  14. Cool colors! Love! :)

    - Che

    www.style-che.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. nice post :) your blog is great :)

    http://www.itsmetijana.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Cool colors!

    xx
    www.mellowyellowblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. The swatches look amazing! I never bother much with single shadows either but these sound lovely :) xx

    Magpie Jasmine | Zoeva Brush Set Giveaway

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They really are! Definitely try them out! xo

      Delete
  18. Thanks for the review! I was just planning on stopping by K-Mart and picking some up. <3

    ReplyDelete
  19. As new examination surfaces wellbeing programs are ending up being valuable for the two representatives' wellbeing and associations' main concern. Milani

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...