Review - Milani Naturally Chic Shadow Eyez 12 Hour Wear Eyeshadow in Almond Cream

When I finally stumbled across these in one of my local Walgreens it was a sight to see. I was on my way out the door and took a route through skincare. I walked by this tiny little area full to the brim of these pencils, stopped dead in my tracks and hit reverse. In my complete grabby hands reaction I snatched up three shades faster than the speed of light - like a Black Friday shopper trying to get her hands on the last remaining item on sale - and stood there and pondered if I should or should not pick up the three remaining shades.

Needless to say, I'm super stoked on these. Given the phenomenal formula of their initial release, I just HAD to partake in the Neutral Mattes that are Limited Edition for this summer!

The shade description for Almond Cream on Milani's website calls the shade a "vanilla-matte" which is quite indicative of the shade. It is a slightly warm beige that is a touch darker than my fair skin, but not by much. It makes a phenomenal base shade.

I usually loathe shadow pencils entirely because I think they're awkward to work with, but Milani's take on them has definitely changed my mind a bit. The application of this shade was possibly even easier than others I've used from the brand. It just slides on and blends out super flawlessly with your finger or a flat brush. I also did not experience any sort of tugging on my lid, whatsoever. 

This is one of the few products that has a lengthy wear claim that it actually delivers on. I wore this as a base for UD Laced, Naked 2 and Faint for a matte but slightly smoky look for work and it not only made my shadows look more true to pan but it made them last through the work day and the remainder of a very long evening - not to mention putting up with my eyes that are in rare sorts still (but doing a bit better! Progress!) without irritating them or wearing off due to the swelling.

Overall:

Pros:

- Great pigmentation.

- Meets and exceeds wear claim.

- Phenomenal base.

- Blends very easily. 

- Matte neutral shade makes it usable for many looks

Cons:

- Pencil sharpening will cause a bit of product loss.

Was the hype around this launch worth it? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY! I'm strongly considering going back and picking up the three, non matte shades that I left behind and I'll soon have reviews up for Cafe Au Lait and Black Ink!

10/10 - I highly recommend this product and you should probably scour your local drugstores like, now.