Dupes: MAC vs. Milani Eye Shadow

Hello my lovely readers! You may have noticed that I like using Milani powder eye shadows from time to time in many of my looks. Although I could use MAC eye shadows, I intentionally use Milani sometimes to show how great the colors are. Milani is definitely a wonderful alternative to some of the MAC eye shadows, especially if you don't want to spend as much money. Milani eye shadows typically sell for $3.99 USD (regular price) whereas MAC eye shadows are $14 USD (or $11 USD for a MAC Pro refill pan).

I came up with the idea for this post a few months ago, so I was slowly buying both Milani eye shadows and MAC eye shadows that look similar so that I could post more dupes for you. So here they are!


MAC "Stars 'N' Rockets" and Milani "Shock" are very similar. "Shock" is a little more purple toned, but I usually use "Stars 'N' Rockets" on top of a purplish base to bring out the purple anyway.


MAC "Black Tied" is a bit darker than Milani "Storm", but they look pretty much identical if you apply a couple layers of "Storm" to make it darker. They also match in the silver shimmer as well!


I couldn't decide which one Milani "Java Bean" would be a MAC dupe for. I think the closest in shade is MAC "Mulch" (they look the same even in the pan), but the closest in shimmer would probably be "Twinks" or "Glamour Check!" (part of the Starflash collection). What do you think is the closest match?


The first Milani eye shadow I bought was "Blue Ice". I got it when I barely owned any blue eye shadows. Of the MAC eye shadows I have, the closest one to "Blue Ice" is "Fall Deeply" from the MAC Devoted Poppy: 6 Classic Eyes palette (Holiday 2008 Collection). They vary a little in color, but I think it's still a close match for the price.

I also own two of the Milani Runway Eyes single eye shadows ("Leaf Green" and "Caribbean Sea"), but I don't think they are as nice as the smaller Milani eye shadows in my pictures. The Runway Eyes are more expensive too (I bought mine for $4.99, which I believe was on sale). Don't be deceived by the pretty shimmer -- as soon as I swipe some off the top, the rest of the eye shadow underneath doesn't have the same shimmer. Boo.

I highly recommend checking out the Milani powder eye shadows (there are more shades than the ones I've included in my pictures). I also have the Runway Eyes Fashion Shadows in "Glamorous Gems" -- this is awesome too! It comes with six colors, and the colors are vibrant. They are a little pricier though (~$8.99 USD), but I got mine on sale for $5.99. I also looked it up on Amazon.com, and I found some for only $6.99!

I usually buy Milani products at Walgreens and Target, but I think they are sold in other places as well (Longs/CVS). They also have a website: http://www.milanicosmetics.com

One last thing I want to mention in this post:

I'm going to have my very first contest/giveaway soon, so subscribe to (or follow) my blog so that you don't miss it! :)

EOTD: Purple Shock!

Add a pop of bright purple to your lid -- it's quick and easy to do (and cheap if you use the same drugstore purple products I used)!

1. Apply Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in "Purple Shock" (~$4 USD) on entire lower lid, up to crease. Smudge it with the sponge on the end of the pencil or with your ring finger. This will act like a base for your eye shadow, and it'll help the purple really pop.
2. Apply Milani E/S in "Shock" (~$3 USD) on top of the Rimmel "Purple Shock" and blend just past the crease.
3. (Optional) Highlight your browbone (I used MAC E/S in "Femme Fi") and blend into the purple just above your crease.
4. Put on eyeliner of your choice (it would be fun to use a bright blue or teal color too!).

I had 5 extra minutes before leaving for school, so I came up with this quick look. Give it a try! :)

"Shock" Purple and Brown Makeup Look

I came up with this makeup look on the first day of my Australia trip. I stopped by Walgreens before the flight (to load up on Airborne haha), and I picked up a purple Milani eye shadow called "Shock". This was the first time I used it, and I really like the color (especially since it was only $3.49 USD). It looks similar to MAC Stars 'N Rockets, and it's 1/4th the price!

EYES

MAC Paint Pot in "Soft Ochre"

MAC E/S in "Femme Fi" (highlight)

Milani E/S in "Shock" (inner corner and center lid)

MAC E/S in "Handwritten" (outer corner blended to center lid and crease)

Loreal HiP creme E/L in "Eggplant" (upper lash line)

Loreal HiP creme E/L in "Teal" (lower lash line)

CHEEKS

MAC Mineralize Blush Duo in "Light Over Dark"

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in "Soft & Gentle"

LIPS

MAC L/S in "Touch" <-- from MAC Sugarsweet Collection

Milani Makeup Haul and Blue Makeup Look

I picked these Milani items up from Walgreens a few days ago. For some reason, the newer Walgreens stores around my area do not carry Milani but the older stores do. The Glimmer Stripes were on clearance for only $1.79 (originally ~$7)! These Glimmer Stripes can be used all over your face -- you can pick some colors for your eyes and swipe a blush brush across all the colors for your cheeks or for your whole face for an all-over glow.





Here are the names of the colors:

I wore Milani Caribbean Sea (light blue) on the inner corners, MAC Electric Eel E/S on the center of my lids, and Milani Blue Ice E/S on the outer corners. I used MAC Gesso E/S (matte white) as highlight.

I bought the Milani Runway Eyeshadows (Caribbean Sea and Leaf Green shown above) for $4.99 each and the Milani E/S in Blue Ice for $3.99 (regular price). You may want to wait until Walgreens has a sale before you buy them though. :)