when all else fails...choose a smokey eye.

Editing Note: Since Milani chose to contribute to a campaign that involved the harassment and bullying of a domestic violence survivor, I no longer support the brand and do not recommend their products. Spend your money wisely and look elsewhere. 

 

I was hesitant. My eyes locked onto an eyeshadow palette from Milani. On one hand.....my eyeshadow collection was jam-packed. On the other hand...I had never tried an eyeshadow from Milani before. Needless to say, my curiosity got the better of me. The Everyday Eyes 03 Smoky Essentials palette by Milani came home with me that day. There was something about the combination of colours that appealed to me. As well as the combination of finishes. Want to find out how this drugstore eyeshadow palette worked out? Keep reading. This is my take on the product.

The Packaging: First up? The packaging. When it comes to packaging....drugstore brands usually skimp out. Especially compared to higher end brands. Despite the fact that the palette packaging is plastic, it still looks luxurious. Milani is great at delivering on that end. The gold colour, the simplicity, and the brush (which is not just a sponge tip applicator but an actual double ended brush. That double ended brush is amazing, by the way!) make this palette look far more expensive than it actually is.

The Colours: Now for the good stuff. There were a couple of other Milani eyeshadow palettes on the shelf. One with neutral tones and one with purple tones. Yet for whatever reason, this blue toned palette nabbed my attention. One thing I really enjoy? The mixture of colours and finishes. There is a soft beige shade (matte), a light brown (matte), a dark grey (shimmer), a black shade (matte), a vibrant silver (shimmer), and a navy (pearl finish).

The colours themselves are just beautiful. I love how simply you can create a dramatic smokey eye look - in a number of different ways. There is enough variety between light and dark that you do not need to pull in outside shadows. That makes this palette fantastic, in my opinion. I hate when an eyeshadow palette does not have the proper shadows needed to create a finished look. This one had variety of colours and finishes. I absolutely loved that attention to detail.

The Quality: The colour selection was impressive to me. Equally impressive? The quality of these eyeshadows. They are very soft and velvety to the touch. They also pack a lot of punch. Literally every single shadow in this palette is highly pigmented. You don't need to do a lot to create a gorgeous makeup look. I certainly have my favourite shades (like that matte brown and the bold silver) but they all work quite well. Very impressed with that. Below is a picture of the makeup look I created using this Milani eyeshadow palette. As you can see, I focused heavily on the matte shades and that navy colour. Next time? I really want to play with that silver shade.

Overall Impressions: It's true. I was hesitant to pick up this Milani eyeshadow set. Now? I am so glad that I did. It is something I have been reaching for often. I am obsessed with the mix of matte and shimmery shades. And that colour pay off that cannot be ignored. This is a fantastic set that can be used to create many different looks. For me? It was a total winner.

Have you tried this eyeshadow palette? What is your favourite Milani product?

xo Shannon