Beauty Review: Milani Color Statement Lipstick

I had heard about the Milani Color Statement Lipsticks on Kathleen Lights Youtube Channel. I can't find the actual link for the video (I will share it in the comments if I do), however her channel is great anyway so I highly recommend you all go and have a watch if you've got time.  I started off with the colour 'Black Cherry' and I liked it so much that I decided to try more colours out. 

I buy all of my Milani products through Crush Cosmetics. They can also be purchased from Milani Website. They cost $13 AU each +postage. 

What Milani Says:

Bellissimo! You know how some (lesser) lipsticks look one way in the store, and then completely different in your bathroom mirror? Color Statement is the antithesis of that. A super-luxe, grown-up girl lipstick, it delivers true instant colour in a single swipe. Laced with vitamins A and C to hydrate and nourish, this collection is all about options: Corals and Reds, Orchids and Plums, Nudes, and Pinks. Trust us, you’ll want an entire wardrobe.

MY THOUGHTS:
I thought I would break this review up into a few sections so you can find out what you really want to know, easily. I have had these lipsticks for a while so I feel like I have a bit of an idea of the quality by now. I bought all of these online, so as you know it can be a bit of a gamble choosing colours online.

PACKAGING:
These Lippies have a fake gold coloured packaging. They are super light weight and have a bit of a plastic feel to them. At first glance I think they look kind of fancy. A lot of people have complained about the packaging, they say its cheap and they don't like how dirty the packaging gets. I haven't known too many products to stay clean of fingerprints and other make-up residue, so I think this is a common fault with a lot of brands packaging. I really like how they have put the colour and the name of the shade on the bottom of the packaging.

One thing that I don't like is the way they stuck the barcode on the side. They are really hard to get off and leave a sticky residue. I would prefer if the barcode was stuck on a clear plastic wrapper or if it was somehow permanently printed on to the product.

FORMULA:

There are two different kinds of lipstick in the collection that I have. Two of them are plain satin finishes and the other four are shimmer finishes. There are considerable differences in the formula of both finishes that affect the appearance, application and wear of these lipsticks. When I was buying them I didn't even realise there were different finishes. The only way to know is to look up swatches or to go on the Milani website and click on the individual colours.

Application:

These lipsticks don't have the creamiest application. They go on a little bit sheer and you do have to build them up to get an opaque colour. The lipstick has a strong candy smell. I think it smells like gumballs. Which might be off-putting to some. The smell doesn't linger though. 

Appearance:

The Satin lipsticks look more matte if you blot them. They can also run, so I tend to use a lip-liner. The shimmery lipsticks do not require a lip-liner. The shimmer lipsticks look quite nice as the shimmers are really fine, so from few metres away your lipstick looks more like it has a hint of gloss in it than shimmer. 

Moisture:

These lipsticks are not drying, but they aren't exactly moisturising either. If you have really dry lips, use a balm instead. 

Staying Power:

The Satin finish lipsticks stain the lips a little bit. They stay on for most of the day, but come off after hot drinks or oily food. The Shimmery lipsticks have the same amount of staying power, but they fade differently. The colour fades, but some shimmer is left behind on the lips.

Both of these finishes can get tiny clumps in it on re-application. Usually it's only one or two little bits and it's not much to fuss over. Sometimes after eating certain foods there are quite a few clumps, so I have to wipe most of it off and start again.

SWATCHES:

I'm not much of a selfie queen so I couldn't even find bad pictures of myself wearing all of these colours. I have worn all of the colours (except for 'Double Espresso') quite a bit though. There were a few weeks at work where I only alternated between these lipsticks and I completely forgot about my other ones. I've got an arm swatch, a link to a facebook photo and two photo's below.

From Top to Bottom:

- 'Double Espresso'

This is a really dark shimmery brown. It doesn't really suit me unless I am wearing full coverage foundation and mostly taupe/bronze type colours.

-'Chocolate Berries'

This is a really pretty shimmery dark browny-mauve. 

-'Chilled Brandy'

This colour is hard to describe. Kind of a red wine with pink shimmers... Here is a picture of me wearing 'Chilled Brandy'

-'Violet Volt'

This one looks a lot more purple on the Milani and Crush Cosmetics sites than it does in real life. I think it's really flattering. 

-'Black Cherry'

This is a satin finish lipstick in a dark wine colour. There are pictures of me wearing it below.

-'Sangria'

This is a Satin finish and is said to be a dupe for Mac Rebel (I wouldn't know though, as I don't own any Mac). Its a dark purple/plum.

Because these are darker colours I have to wear a little bit of make-up along with them to prevent me from looking like some kind of supernatural creature. I can get away with wearing 'Chilled Brandy' or 'Violet Volt' without accompanying make-up but the rest of the colours are too dark. In the future I would like to get more colours to try out, but for now this will do.

^ This picture was taken in natural indoor lighting. I'm wearing some foundation, bronzer, blush, lipliner, eyeshadow, mascara etc in neutral shades just to even out my complexion and subtly highlight some features.

^The same make-up, room and everything except this picture was taken closer to the window... I notice that photo's by the window are always more illuminated and are sometimes more blue toned. 

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I think this lipstick is great for the price. It's actually pretty good whether you think about the price or not. I think the shimmer colours are definitely better and I would be more inclined to recommend those. I think there is a great range to choose from and that they last pretty well and look nice on the lips. 

I will post any more photo links for these lipsticks in the comments in the future.

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Natalie