Review - Milani Naturally Chic Shadow Eyez 12 Hour Wear Eyeshadow in Cafe Au Lait

I've never been one to partake in Memorial Day shopping for some unbeknownst reason, but this year I was kind of thankful for it! I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and forced myself to go pants shopping - the worst kind of shopping there is. I'm curvy and in between "regular" size and plus size and I'm full at the waist...but I have chicken legs. Buying pants is a nightmare! Long story way short after trying on more than 25 various articles at more than 5 different stores  (and  experiencing every emotion from frustration, to despair to something along the lines of King Kong) I finally ended up with a pair of jeans from American Eagle, whom were running a 40% off of everything sale (even though the customer service was horrendous!) and a pair of trousers that are actually the proper proportion for my body (shocker! This never happens!) from Talbot's during their 50% sale. Hopefully, I won't have to do that again for a while. UGH!

So onto what is actually relevant here - I've finally had the chance to give my Miliani Shadow Eyez pencil in Cafe Au Lait a proper trial! Still working on the third of the bunch that I hauled, so keep your "Eyez" peeled.(heh)

Cafe Au Lait is a medium brown with neutral undertones, but it does warm up a tad as you sheer and blend it out. My number one use for this is a base for a smokier eye; today I wore this as a base all over the lid, put Lorac Taupe over it and brought Lorac Espresso into the crease with Darling Girl Ladyhawke patted allover (OMG) The outcome was super sultry and smoky but still fun.

As with all of the shades I've tried in this range, Cafe Au Lait has phenomenal wear time. Once it sets, it doesn't budge. This is definitely a great thing in terms of wear, but keep in mind that this formula will set quickly.

That brings about my only complaint about this product; the application. With the rest of the shades that Milani has put out, I can just swipe it across my lid and I'm good. Doing so with Cafe Au Lait, you're definitely going to get color on the lid; dare I say, too much. The pencil deposits a whole ton of color on the lid and since it sets so quickly, its difficult to blend. I've found that it is a lot easier to take a stiff flat brush and actually take it from the pencil and apply it on the eye separately rather than trying to "draw" the color on the lid.

Overall:

Pros:

- Longwearing

- Very pigmented

- Great base

Cons:

- Pain in the butt to apply.

While this shade is strangely messy and difficult to apply, it is one of those staple shades in my stash because it makes such a great base for more neutral toned smoky looks. If you pick this one up, make sure that you take a little bit of precaution to not make a total mess.

7/10