Over the past few months, Milani has been releasing palettes that have been bridging the gap between drugstore and high-end products. At $20, they may seem a bit steep on a typical drugstore run, but once you try the shadows you’ll agree that it’s actually a steal.
The most recent release from the brand is their Ulta Beauty exclusive Gilded Desires Face & Eye Palette, and it might be their best yet. Twelve shadoes, two highlighters, and a ton of multi-use shades make this a serious all-in-one and an instant collection staple. The compact itself is hard, sleek and has a full-size mirror which means it’s perfect for travel. You better believe this is going to be coming with me on vacation next month!
While the palette is visually split down the middle, I don’t feel like either side has a specific theme. You’re getting a little bit of everything here: neutral mattes, metallic shimmers and smooth satins. The highlight shades have a satin finish and can be used on either the eye or face, and I’m sure you can spot some shadow colors that can double as brow powder or liner.
The texture of these shadows are to die for. They’re almost creamy, they’re so soft. The matte shades are a bit stiffer but not by much, and still hold their own. The only shade I was a bit disappointed in was the top left cream, which took some layering to show up. The others only needed one swipe for full pigmentation. Can we talk about that jet black color?? I live. It’s so hard to find rich black eyeshadows and this one doesn’t disappoint.
The metallic shades are so soft that you’ll need to be a little gentle with them or they can crumble. I would highly suggest using your finger to pat them onto the lid if you don’t have a densely packed brush. The satin shades are basically perfection and glide on without a hitch.
As for thee pigmentation? You might mistake it for high-end, I swear. Honestly, I’ll just say it: these remind me of tarte shadows like crazy. Everything from the packaging, to the texture to the extreme color payoff makes me think that if I didn’t know better, I would easily guess this palette should cost more than forty bucks.
One downside I can point out straightaway, and that you can probably guess before I even go there, is that I wish there were maybe two more matte shades. We’re lacking transition and crease shades besides the two matte browns that, while neutral, feel limiting. Blending too many shimmer shades together can cause a look to appear muddy and messy.
Also, there is slight kickback of the shadows in the pan and fallout because of how soft they are. Just be gentle and build up to the intensity you want instead of slapping a bunch of product on at once.
Aside from that,this is a palette that can be worn year round, day or night and offers a lot of great shades to work with. The Milani Gilded Desires Face & Eye Palette will only be available in stores at Ulta Beauty, for $19.99. The best part is that Milani is eligible for Ulta Beauty coupons. You can usually find a $3.50 off a $15 purchase coupon on their home page.
Have you tried any of the new Milani eyeshadow palettes?
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