Review: Milani Illuminating Face Powders

I've been using these new Illuminating Face Powders from Milani for several weeks now because I really wanted to make sure I knew exactly what I thought of each individual shade before I shared my thoughts with you. I'm finally ready to give you my review, so let's get to it!

Milani Illuminating Face Powders 

(retail: $9.49, 0.35 oz)

There are three shades in this range and I'll be showing all three to you today. You can purchase these on the Milani website, and I've also seen them at Walgreens (hopefully they'll be at CVS and Target soon as well).

I like that Milani tells you exactly what type of brush you should use with these, and I have to agree with their suggestion 100%. I've tried applying these powders with a traditional blush brush, but I find that a kabuki works best for picking up color and blending. I've also used the EcoTools Blending Brush (stippling brush) from the Alicia Silverstone collection and that's nice too, but it doesn't seem to pick up as much product as I prefer (more on that in a bit).

Hermosa Rose provides the most bronzer-like color to the skin, so I would suggest it if you're looking for a very, very subtle bronzer. At certain angles, the color of Hermosa Rose looks like bronze, while at other angles it has a warm taupey-brown feel to it. There is also a tiny bit of gold that appears in certain lights. It's a lovely shade that I think would work nicely for a variety of skintones. When I'm in a hurry and just want a bit of warmth to my skin without having to think too hard about it, I find myself reaching for Hermosa Rose.

 

Amber Nectar is the one that all you peach-lovers will probably gravitate toward. The peachy sheen that this leaves on the skin is lovely and it really "warms things up". I find that this one doubles nicely as a soft, subtle blush on the apples of the cheeks, however I prefer to wear it as a highlighter on days when I'm wearing warm-toned shadows and lip color. A few swipes on the tops of the cheekbones and above the eyebrows really makes my skin seem to come alive. I also like to layer this on top of my matte peach and coral blushes for an extra bit of dimension.

Beauty's Touch is for the pink-lovers out there. In certain lights, I find this one to be a bit too cool for my particular skintone, but if I were wearing cooler shades of eyeshadow and lipstick, I would definitely reach for this to tie the look together. This powder gives a pretty pink sheen to the skin, and it doubles as a really beautiful, subtle blush.

Texture, pigmentation and blendability: These powders are very finely milled. They're soft and silky and blend beautifully. Since they are illuminating powders, don't expect crazy pigmentation because they're not designed for that. Instead, they provide a soft, illuminating, transparent sheen to the skin (there is NO chunky sparkle in any of the three shades). The colors are soft but they are buildable, and Beauty's Touch especially can be built up for a nice blush color.

Staying power: On my oily skin, I can get about 4-6 hours of wear from these before they seem to disappear. With primer applied beforehand, I can get about 8 hours of wear before I feel the need to reapply.

Fragrance: this was quite unexpected, but these seem to have a faint cinnamon scent to them! It's not exactly like if you were to open up a bottle of ground cinnamon and take a whiff, but I do smell something very cinnamon-like to them, which kind of makes them feel warm and cozy. Once applied, I do not smell these powders at all; it's just when I stick my nose up to the compact and take a whiff.

Brush suggestions: Like I mentioned earlier in this post, Milani suggests that you use a kabuki brush for application. I agree with this, as I've gotten the best results with my kabuki. I didn't like using a traditional blush brush because I felt like I was delivering the color/sheen to a more targeted area of my face, as opposed to the all-over delivery that a kabuki brush provides. I also like using my EcoTools Blending Brush (the stippling brush in the Alicia Silverstone collection) but since that brush is designed for delicate application, I find that it doesn't deliver quite as much of the sheen and color as I'd like like. Remember, these are soft, subtle powders, so using a brush that delivers a soft, subtle look might leave you with barely any product on your skin at all. This could be a great thing if you're very fair or pale though, so it's something to keep in mind if you want to apply the softest, most subtle amount of product possible.

FINAL THOUGHTS: If you're looking for a drugstore product that can "perk up" your skin without adding sparkle, glitter or frost, I think the Milani Illuminating Face Powders would be a very nice choice.  Basically, you can't overdo it with these powders. A few strokes quickly applied to the cheekbone region and above the eyebrows can work wonders, so I love that you really don't have to think too hard about using these. I also love that on the days when I find myself needing more color, I can build, and build, and build to my heart's delight. In other words, these are so subtle that it would take a lot of building before I looked like a shimmery clown.  I find each shade to be beautiful, so I honestly couldn't recommend just one. I think that it really depends on what your skintone is like, and what types of shades you usually wear on your eyes and lips. If you're a pink lover, go for Beauty's Touch. If you normally gravitate toward more bronzy-brown shades, Hermosa Rose is the one for you. If you're a peach or coral addict, give Amber Nectar a whirl.

Do you already own any Milani Illuminating Face Powders? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.