Yeah, yeah, I know, I totally have a thing for neutrals, so when Milani had a sale a few weeks back, I bought five more lipsticks to add to my stash. Thanks to the discount my total was pretty bearable – maybe around $20 with free shipping. Don’t you just love a good promo?
I bought four colors from the Color Statement lineup – Nude Creme, Rose Femme, Plumrose, Naturally Chic; and one more from the new Moisture Matte collection – Matte Naked. You’d think I would’ve already had all of these, but I usually buy my Milani goodies at local drugstores, and none of them have the full selection of shades, so my choiced are actually quite limited.
In case you are not familiar with Milani Color Statement lipstick formula, it’s probably one of the best among drugstore brands, and can even rival department store lipsticks. I particularly adore the cremes with their silky texture that feel truly nourishing on the lips. The shimmers and the frosts have some grit to them so I rarely buy those, but the cremes are totally fantastic and are a steal for $5.99.
Like I mentioned earlier, I picked up one color from the new Moisture Matte lineup. I would’ve bought more, but my chronically chapped lips just don’t get along with matte finish, so I just blindly picked one to test the formula. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it didn’t emphasize the cracks and the dryness, although I wouldn’t call the finish truly matte – it had a little satiny sheen to it, so the color wasn’t two-dimensional. I kind of like that, actually, but those of you who love a true matte finish might be disappointed.
Nude Creme is described on the website as a pink nude, and it totally is. It’s kind of on the verge of being too light for me, and if it was any paler, it would completely wash me out, but the pink in it makes it a fun pop of color. This lipstick looks really nice with minimalistic makeup!
Plumrose is a gorgeous rosy mauve – a very sophisticated and classy color that is totally appropriate for both daytime and nighttime wear. It’s a lipstick that you can wear to work, to a wedding, to a date, it will look great everywhere.
Rose Femme is a cool-toned your lips but better kind of nude; it’s a mauvey pink with a slight lavender undertone that will look amazing on all complexions. I think it’s a really nice and flattering color for daytime wear, but it might be a little too boring for special occasions.
Matte Naked would be a good pick for someone who likes matte finish and these types of earthy shades. The color is a classic neutral beige that will probably work well as a nude for fair to medium complexions. I think it looks particularly good with dark smoky eye, and can help tone down excessive shimmer [is there even such thing? gimme all the shimmerz!].
Naturally Chic is totally chic, naturally. I like all five lippies, but this one if probably my favorite, because it has just enough warmth to make my face look more awake, and even helps add glow to my skin. The color is dark enough to properly accentuate the lips, but not too dark to make me look all dolled up, and it’s exactly what I had in mind when I was searching for the perfect daytime shade.
Swatch reference: My skin tone is between MAC NC15 and NW15 with neutral undertones. Sometimes I can wear NW20 in the Summer. I thought this would be useful to know, since all screens show colors differently, and I also don’t have a studio setup with consistent lighting. Hope that helps!
There are millions of thorough reviews on Milani lipsticks [give or take], so I won’t get into too much detail, but trust me when I say you will be hard pressed to find a better lipstick formula at a drugstore price point. Each one of these five – both from the original lineup and the Moisture Matte collection – performed exceptionally well and lasted over 4 hours on my lips before I needed touchups. I know four hours isn’t much, but I just wanted to refresh that “buttery” feeling on the lips.
Do you need this? Yep. Like, yesterday. Seriously, the only con here is the availability, because not all drugstores carry the brand, and even if they do, they might not necessarily have all shades and all products. I would recommend buying these online just to make sure you get the color you want. Personal favorites – cremes from the Color Statement collection, all of them, you just can’t go wrong with those.
WHERE TO BUY: $5.99 for 0.14 oz. Available at Milani, Drugstore.com, Walgreens, local drugstores.
What is your favorite “your lips but better” lipstick? Do you have a favorite drugstore lip product? Do you like neutral shades, or are you a brights & vivids girl? Let me know in the comments below!
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