Review: Milani HD Advanced Concealer

I know it seems to be Milani-mania here on Nouveau Cheap this week, but I can't help the fact that Milani has released so many new and interesting products lately that I'm drawn to them like a moth to a flame!

Today I'd like to share my thoughts about the new HD Advanced Concealer, which I purchased at my local CVS a while back for $7. I've been using it every day for a few weeks because I really wanted to give it a proper test-drive before I shared my thoughts.

The obvious comparisons to YSL Touche Eclat aside (the packaging is so similar!), I'm not going to try and review this by comparing it to Touche Eclat, because it's been a while since I have used the YSL product and my memory of it is foggy. I do remember that Touche Eclat is really more of a highlighter that brings light to darkness as opposed to concealing darkness, and in that respect, I think Milani HD Advance Concealer works in a very similar way (and btw, Touche Eclat retails for a whopping $40 so if you love T.E. I would say you owe it to yourself to at least try the Milani version).

Milani HD Advanced Concealer comes in standard click-pen delivery system, and the shade I purchased above is Medium.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, let's get right to some before-and-afters:

Here's my sleepy-morning-eye, complete with puffiness and bags. This is my freshly-cleansed face with nothing more than moisturizer and eye cream. As you can see, I have darkness under my eyes that really needs concealing. Gah! I hate this picture! But I love you guys, so I'm posting it anyway. Please don't judge. :)

Here I am, applying Milani HD Advance Concealer...

And here I am, just seconds after having blended this concealer into my eye area.

As you can see in this "after" pic, the light from my camera's flash really picks up on the tiny light-refracting particles that are in this concealer. While I can still see my dark circles (especially near the inside corner of my eye), I do like how this product generally makes my entire under-eye area seem a bit more bright. In fact, I think that Milani should have called this something like a "luminous highlighter" (which is how YSL describes its product) as opposed to a "concealer" because I don't find that it conceals at all, per say.

And why does it not conceal? Well, for me, the formula is just too thin to do any true concealing. Also, it's not a very pigmented product, so it really can't conceal in the way that my beloved Maybelline SuperStay Concealer does. I tried using this product on problematic areas on other parts of my face (old acne scars, new blemishes, etc.) and the results were less than stellar.

I also want to mention that this product settled into my fine lines within just an hour or two of application. I did find a way to remedy this: foundation primer. On the days that I used my Black Radiance Complexion Perfection primer, this concealer did not settle into my fine lines one bit. But without primer? It was kind of a mess.

So to whom would I recommend this product? Well I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone who has my caliber of under-eye darkness or worse. If you're looking for something that is truly going to conceal your darkness, this might not be your product. BUT, if you're looking for something that's going to bring general lightness and luminosity to your skin (perhaps even on top of your usual concealer) then this might be a great fit for you. For me, it truly is a highlighter and not a concealer. In fact, I think it would be a good product to use if you're a person who likes to contour your face. For that, it just might work. But again, I do want to warn those of you who have fine lines that this product, at least for me, required a good primer beforehand.

Have you tried Milani HD Advanced Concealer? Did it work for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts!