August 23, 2011

Milani Marbleized Baked Eyeshadow Review, Swatches, Photos

As you probably already know Milani released several shades of Marbleized Baked Eyeshadow recently (pssttt I got mine as far back as February when CVS began stocking them).

As I was testing them last week (finally!) I felt like some of them were comparable to the blackened shadows released with the Bobbi Brown Black Velvet Collection for Fall 2010.

If you’re on a bit of a budget and you’re one for wearing single shades of color rather than several at a time these might be your ticket to gorgeous Fall eyes.

Check ’em!


A selection of powder eyeshadow that that features multiple infusion of colors in a baked formula which can be used wet or dry.


Milani Marbleized Baked Eyeshadow are a gorgeous line up of shadows that have decent color pay off and an interesting formula. Depending on how you go into your purchase you should either very happy or a little disappointed.

The shadows all have different formulas and color pay off. I don’t think the formula is consistent and each shade seems to have a different formula, different amount of sparkle, different application, and different pigmentation so it’s kinda a mixed bag. I wouldn’t call these a metallic finish even when they are wet I fail to seen the sheen of metallic but I will say most of the shades prove very shimmery and some even have healthy doses of glittery bits in them a la Urban Decay Eyeshadow.

In most cases the colors all have excellent pigmentation although some of the darker shades apply a bit on the patchy side so I do recommend a sponge applicator and blending with a brush after. I also feel like the colors apply best alone but not together or in conjunction with other eyeshadows simply because it’s difficult to define or get any contrast when you apply several shades since they have a tendency to run together badly and go a bit muddy. Formulation also varies here, some shades were silky and others were a little bit on the gritty side but nothing too bad. All the shades have very good pigmentation!

Shades:

  • Intermix: My favorite shade in this lot. A mix of beige, brown, and gold. Applies smoothly with nice pigmentation all around, blends out easily.
  • Together 4Ever: A mix of blue and a hint of bronze-y orange which is barely noticeable. The shade is smooth, silky, and has very nic pigmentation, no issues with blending.
  • Melange: Deep, dark black with silver and golden swirls and sparkle. This formula feels matte to me and thus applied a bit on the patchy side.
  • Mingling: Sky blue with swirls of purple and white. Probably the pretty shade visually but not easily worn by many due to the pastel color. This one is a shimmering shade of very light blue. It applies smooth but the color tends to migrate a bit during wear so be sure to use a proper base.
  • Medley: Deep, rich black with silver sparkle, alot like Melange so no need to haul both. Also same application method here as Melange with a bit of a patchiness due to the mostly matte finish of the product.
  • Mix It Up: This is a blackened turquoise with silver shimmer. I find it patchy and needs to be built up for the best finish. The finished shade is black but reflects turquoise. The texture is a little gritty.
  • Famous Duo: This is a blackened red with swirls of black, silver, and red. It has the most fall out of all the shades reviewed here and has a bit of a patchy finish but can be built up to avoid this drama.

One thing about this collection is the shades are all richer and range in the black zone so if you have darker circles or simply can’t wear such shades you’ll kinda be out of the loop here but I will say that Intemix is a must have for fans of nudes and natural shades of color.


The mixed bag of textures, formulas, and pigments may be considered bad but for the price point I don’t necessarily see it as a con as the quality is here so long as you have the proper skill to get the shades on correctly and you don’t mind a few minor quirks in the formula.

  • Back to Schoolers on a budget (this is a wide selection of shades and finishes to play with at a budget price).
  • Those who like shimmery, baked shadows with beautiful marble designs.
  • Those who enjoy MAC Mineralized Eyeshadows, Bobbi Brown’s Black Velvet Shimmer Shadows (Fall 2010), etc…these are along the same vein as those formulas.

  • Those who aren’t skilled with matte or semi-matte shadow application (you may find these a tad too patchy).
  • Those who do not like fall out or dealing with it (I experienced minor fall out with these and one shade had some heavier fall out that left me cleaning up after use).
  • Those who want a smooth application and blend straight through (some shades required a little more work on my part to get these on properly).
  • Those who aren’t keen on darker shades (more than half of the shade selection are made up of a blacker base).


Overall, Milani Marbleized Baked Eyeshadows aren’t great but they aren’t bad either thus I’m fitting them into the good category as for drugstore quality these are pretty top. The shades are a mixed bag so it does take some testing and eliminating to find out which will work best for you. I felt like the shades were an ickle to dark for me as I can’t pull off smoky looks as well as I used to without looking tired however I’d be on these like white on rice if Milani did more nude, natural shades of color as that I can get on board with. If you like edger shadow looks I think these will fit the bill particularly if you’re on a budget as they are around $4.99-$5 each at CVS with sales that pop up constantly for BOGO offers.

Or you can grab them online at www.milanicosmetics.com

Intermix gets a big Muse Approval from me however, the other shades are a hit or miss for me personally.

Have you tried these?

Love them?

Do share!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Musebeliever

    Hum… I’m not really convinced. I think I’d rather buy some pallettes of the Kiko new collection.

  • Katherine

    I saw these swatched at another blog. I fell in love with the blue one wet swatched. I have been searching for it on this Island for months. We don’t have the baked here :(. I want it! 🙂

  • Amyboo

    In the pan, these do look really pretty! I might want to try these. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  • LINDARRAGNAR

    I have to agree with Courtney your eyes look great with the blue eyeshadow on!!

  • deb

    Wow Muse, Together4ever looks beautiful on you! I have Intermix and wear it quite a lot.

  • JenJ

    I have two MAC ones that I rarely reach for. So ehh *shrugs*. Both looks on you are really pretty. The drugstores that carry Milani don’t have the best selection. I think the rare occasion I was in Walmart they have a pretty good selection. They had the baked blushes.

  • LaurieS

    I bought “intermix” and “mingling” a few months ago when CVS had a little display. They were the only two light colors, the dark ones scared me a bit. I use intermix wet nearly every day, love it, it has amazing staying power but I never reach for mingling and if I do I use it sparingly under the eye or as an accent. I just can’t work that shade of light blue with me blue eyes.

    • the Muse

      laurie I hear you on the darker shades…they are a bit too much for me too!

  • jenn s.

    Bang! Who knew that blue could look so stunning on brown eyes! Would be awesome for a smokey eye at night!

  • Cece

    Wow! These are amazing! The together 4ever is my favorite and it looks great with your skin tone!
    Anyway, how do you apply eyeshadow wet? I’ve seen this phrase everywhere but can’t figure it out.

    • the Muse

      thanks cece. Simply wet the applicator and dip into the shadow and apply hun or you can use a mixing medium if you prefer over water.

  • Sílvia

    That shade looks awesome on you!
    Oh! Lordy! Here I go collecting all these! I’m pale/very cool toned with hazel greenish eyes. Nude anything does not look good on this ghost I love colors so here I go! I will be hunting these those blues mixed with silver and the other with reds! Oh my! These are what makes my heart tic, toc and Milani is doing great I’ll take my chances. Maybe applying the little white shade from WetnWild might help brighten them underneath as a base? I love that teeny brûlée also! I use them as primers.

    • Isabella Muse

      aw thanks! I don’t think they make these anymore though do they!?

      • Silvia

        The WetnWild teeny eyeshadows you mean? Yes, they still have them I see them at Rite Aid and on WetnWild website all the time and they disappear quickly. The glitter ones remeain for much longer on the stores. But they have the new Coloricon formulation I have not tried since I got back ups of the other two Brûlée and Nutty. I still might get these also. I don’t see them at Target.