Milani Eyeshadow Primer ~Review

When I first discovered the wonders of eye-primer I was instantly in love. I have oily eyes that cause quite a bit of creasing and fading fairly quickly and with allergies I touch my eyes more than I should which causes smearing. The only downfall I found was that most primers were expensive. I tried the Urban Decay primer potion first, which worked but caused my sensitive skin to sting where I applied it. I really did like the Too Faced Shadow Insurance (TFSI), however I found that while it worked at first for some reason my second tube didn't work as well. Still better than without the primer for sure but not as nice as before. Nars eye primer was reccommended to me but it is quite a price increase over the other two which are really kind of high up there. I know they last a long time but here in Canada the Nars one is about $30, such a huge hit!

The Milani Eyeshadow Primer however is under $10 and actually works better than the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

More than enough for both eyes

Okay well I suppose if you want more information, hehe. Firstly there is currently only one shade, 01-nude. This primer is also light-weight, goes on clear (though it does appear nude once you squirt it out once blended it has no colour), and I experience no irritation on my eyes at all. It comes in a silver-white tube with a weird eye drawing on it and clearly states Milani Eyeshadow Primer on it. There is a small opening for the primer to come out of which easily allows you to control the amount, which is good as you don't need much at all to do the job.

Here are other things I like about the Milani primer. It comes in a wide, squat, tube and contains 0.3 fl oz. of product for $6.49 USD- that's like one really fancy coffee. For comparison the Too Face Shadow Insurance contains 0.35 fl. oz. for $24 CND or $18 USD (why such a huge price difference! We are almost the same worth in money between Canada and the USA!) or Urban decay Primer Potion with 0.37 fl. oz. at $24 CND or $20 USD.  Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base is a whopping $29 CND or $24 USD for only 0.29 fl. oz.

The texture of the Milani is lovely, sort of velvety and it dries down quicker than the TFSI. It intensifies the eyeshadow you place over it and it helps it stay in place as well as preventing creasing. If I'm wearing my eyeshadow of course during a particularly active time period or a very long time (i.e. over 10 hours) then I do get minor creasing but nothing unmanageable. Considering they promise 8 hours of wear I'd say they meet expectations!

Now for the few issues with it, like other primers this doesn't hold glitter in place particularly well, but it isn't designed too. If you want something to hold glitter in place or make the shadow look wet and thus uber intense you need to use something like Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy or Darling Girl's Glitter Glue. Just a reminder though neither of these prevent creasing.

The formula of the Milani Eyeshadow Primer also (like the TFSI) has a tendency of separating in the tube after a while. This has an easy fix though (thankfully!) and all you need to do is have the little twist tube cap closed and kneed the plastic tube a couple times and the problem is fixed, no big deal.

Rating: 9.5/10

Overall, For the price you seriously can't do better than this in my experience! (Though I have heard good things about the Wet n' Wild primer here in Canada I have not been able to get my hands on it). The texture, the longevity, and the eyeshadow increase in intensity of the product all live up to any hype you've heard. Non-irritating and light weight as well as being suited for every skin-tone as it blends out clear it won't change the colour of your eyeshadow. The only possible negative this thing has is that you can't tell how much you have left in the tube because it's opaque and every once in a while you need to smoosh the plastic together to mix the formula again.

Would I buy this again? YES! I certainly won't be buying any of the higher end versions of eye primers again as this one does better than the ones I've tried and is much less money. In fact I reach for this over the old TFSI I have.

Blogger Love! Nouveau Cheap

If you don't know Blogger Love! is a series here on Hebridean Sprite Beauty that features some of my favourite bloggers that feature nail polish, skin care and cosmetics. Today's is G from Nouveau Cheap who only features items under $20 and is the drugstore and coupon Queen! She's also really friendly and approachable which I think in a big time blogger (she's very popular!) is a really great virtue to have.

1) Are you more of a Morning, Day, or Night time person?
Definitely a night owl. 

2) Something you struggle with on a day to day basis?
Responding to email. There is never enough time in the day, unfortunately.

3) Favourite Animal?
Elephant.

4) Favourite Colour?
Very pale pink.

5) Preferred foundation coverage and finish ex. Heavy coverage, matte
Full coverage.

6) How old are you?
40.

7) First makeup brand that really got you interested in cosmetics?
It was the L'Oreal Shadow Riche eyeshadows from the 80s. Once I tried those, I was hooked.

8) Do you have any makeup, nail polish or skin care items that are perfect for you? (HG items) If so which- include shade names please.Maybelline Define-A-Brow eyebrow pencil in Dark Blonde is the PERFECT match for my brows. I have tried a zillion others but always come back to it. (G has just posted a full set of her HG items! You can check out them all and her reviews here!)

9) What is your favourite food? Drink?
Food: Nothing compares to homemade baked macaroni and cheese.
Drink: The Good Earth Peach Black Tea. I could drink a gallon a day.

10) Favourite Gem Stone?
I'm not really a jewelry person but I love opals.

11) Do you have any pets in your life? If yes, what are their names (and can we have pictures?)
Sadly, I do not. But I used to have a boxer named JD. :)

12) One place you’ve never been that you want to visit?
I cannot believe I've still never been to NYC. That's at the top of my list.

13) What inspired you to start your blog?
I used to work in an office where I was kind of the go-to person for all things beauty-related. One day one of my colleagues urged me to start a blog, so I eventually did it!

14) What are some of the most useful things you’ve learned about since you started blogging?
If you work hard, you're passionate and you write from the heart, the rest will fall into place. 

15) Favourite Season?
Winter.

16) What do you use to take your blog photos? What type of computer?
I have two cameras and neither of them is fancy. One is quite old but excellent for close-ups, while the other is newer but under $100 and I use it for outdoor shots. I have a very standard PC--nothing fancy there either.

17) What genre of movies/books do you like?
I'm all over the place when it comes to books. I just finished re-reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, and then I read Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. I love fiction and nonfiction equally, but there are some genres that just don't appeal to me such as romance and chick-lit. I like difficult books that force me to think critically. If I want fluff, I'd rather turn on the TV!

18) Other hobbies or events that you’re involved in?
Blogging is my number one hobby, but I love to cook and bake (I'm a better cook than baker) and I love arts and crafts. I was really into jewelry making a while ago and I'm kind of doing that again in my free time.

19) Most unique eyeshadow you own?
Probably my original Urban Decay eyeshadow single in Road Stripe. I bought it when Urban Decay first came out in the early 90s (when the packaging was made of metal) and it's been long-since discontinued.

20) Most unique lip product?
I have a few MAC lipsticks that are quite old and were discontinued many years ago. They're pretty unique.

21) Favourite colour combinations?
I'm an earth-tone gal. I love soft, well-blended looks with lots of browns, taupes, golds, bronzes and olives.

22) Favourite piece of jewelry? Why is it your favourite?
All of the women on my mom's side of the family wear the same bracelet on their left wrist. As soon as you're old enough to wear a bracelet you get one from your mother and when you outgrow it, you get a larger one. We literally never take them off, so that's my favorite piece of jewelry ever.

23) Best drugstore product you’ve tried?
I can't possibly answer that, given the theme of my blog! 

24) Random fact you'd like to share about yourself?
I hate tomatoes in sandwiches, yet I love them in salads.

25) Favourite Nail Polish Brand and why?
Oh wow..I don't think I can narrow that down! But some of my favorites are China Glaze, Sally Hansen, Wet n Wild and Maybelline.

26) Most unique polish you own, why?
It's actually not too unique but it's one of those coveted flakies: Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure.

27) Favourite polish colour to wear?
A year ago I would have said taupe/greige/mushroom, but I'm afraid I've burned myself out on those lately. So I'll go with a nice olive green shimmer.

28) What are the best top coat, base coat, treatments you’ve tried for your nails?
I really love the Essie quick-dry top coat for when I have zero time to wait for my nails to dry, but I also LOVE the new Milani top and base coats. They work beautifully together and really extend the life of my manis.

29) What is your favourite finish of polish? (ie. Cream, holographic, matte, etc.)
I'm a sucker for a beautiful creme, but I also love holos of course.


I want to thank G so much for taking the time to do this! If you've got the time you should definitely check out her blog- she's my drugstore go to girl for sure!

Wet n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Brulee~ Review and Swatch

Many of you will have heard me rave about this little eyeshadow in the past, Wet n' Wild's Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Brulee. Let me start off this review by saying this is my HG (Holy Grail) nude shade. That really does give you a good idea of how this review is going to go doesn't it?

Sorry! The corner of the eyeshadow broke, but I'm still using it. I've got quite a bit left despite the fact you can see pan!

Here is my very well loved Brulee single. Brulee is a square about 2cm by 2cm big in a matte nude shade. This means it has no shimmer to it at all. Brulee is the only matte single in the line and really is the  standout shade in my opinion. Wet n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Singles cost $2.99 CND or $1.99 USD (it's amazing how much more expensive everything is in Canada isn't it? Plus in the US Wet n' Wild is often on sale). You get 0.06 oz of product in total.

For reference I'm N10 on the Mac Scale and this is the perfect skin shade for me (the skin around my eyes is just a touch darker than the rest of my face). If I'm in a hurry I use this all over the lid to even out discolouration of my eyelids. Similarly, if I've got a subtle look going on I like to use it as a highlight shade- which really just hides more discolouration. In a pinch I've used it as an under-eye concealer powder and it works fantastic as a shade to blend out darker colours edges, or mistakes. For darker skin girls I think this would make a lovely highlighter shade. 

L-R: Brulee over Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy (PE), Brulee dry on skin.

With Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy beneath you can see the colour Brulee turns when it's used wet. It goes just slightly darker. I personally prefer it dry and by itself over my everyday primer TFSI (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) but as you can see it's rather difficult to see on my skin that way.

L-R: Brulee over PE, Brulee Dry on skin. Indoors, natural light. Best colour representation.

Brulee over PE, sunlight.

I personally love the matte texture of this shadow. Really silky smooth, excellent pigmentation and easy to blend. Some people say it's a bit powdery but I don't really mind that in my matte shades as I find this one fantastic and super easy to blend because of the slight powderiness.

Many people have compared this to a couple different Mac matte eyeshadow shades. I've heard it compared to both Brule and Blanc Type from Mac though I think it's a dupe for Blanc Type myself. Plus these are a way better deal price wise in my opinion!

The packaging on these is sturdy and you do get quite a bit of shadow (I've had mine a long time as you can see on the wear of my package in the pictures). There is a slight trick to opening the package without digging your nail into the shadow (you need to open the tab from below and pop it up with your nail), but once you get the hang of it there is no issue. 

This was the shade that convinced me that I need more matte shades in my life as well as more neutral/skintone shades. How subtle and pretty the "nude" or "bare-faced" look can be. 

Overall, I adore this eyeshadow shade. Best colour for my skin, and so many uses! Plus it's super cheap, how can you complain! 

Sprite Rating: 10/10- even though mine broke a bit, I really think that's because it is quite old and doesn't get handled with a ton of care (i.e. it's my fault not the product). Fantastic matte shade that really converted me the the major benefits of not only matte finish eyeshadows but neutral shades in general. 

Would I buy this again? I don't think I can say it enough. YES, Yes, Yes! I can see myself repurchasing over and over! And stocking up if they think of discontinuing this product! I truly think it is a shade everyone needs, especially for the price.

As always Wet n' Wild is a cruelty-free company, though not vegan. As a side note, Nouveau Cheap mentioned lately that Wet n' Wild is planning on releasing a all matte shade palette! How exciting is that! Whoot!