BEAUTY: Milani Bella Eyes Review

Okay, the full name of this shadow is Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow, and this recently launched drugstore line is so good that it was actually worth typing all of that out. Gel powder? Yes, gel powder. Those words together make me think more of the flaky leftover residue one might get from an overzealous Dep application, but what it actually means, according to Milani, is that the formula "starts as a gel and then is transformed by a special process into a stunning powder eyeshadow with pure color and power wear."

What this special process is, or what exactly "power wear" might mean, remains a mystery, but I can tell you that the result is opaque, smooth-as-soft-serve eye colors. You can see the true color and tinsel-esque shimmer right there in the pan. With about 30 shades in the line, there are plenty of reasons to suddenly become very interested in new fake-sounding beauty processes.

The Bella Eyes shadows come in three finishes: Satin Matte (Navy), Shimmer (Emerald) and Metallic (Rouge). I picked up one of each to show you, but I honestly didn't notice a major difference between the formulas. Each seems perfectly shimmery to me, and I liked them so much that I can't say I care about the lack of diversity. To me, this is a useful line of shimmer products in every color you might need, at a price you can totally justify even when you're "being good," or whatever, even though being good should never mean talking yourself out of eyeshadow purchases. You might want to write that down on a little piece of paper and stuff it inside your wallet for future reference. I'll wait.

TOP: Swatches of Bella Navy, Bella Emerald and Bella Rouge.
BOTTOM: Swatches of Bella Navy, Bella Emerald and Bella Rouge over Milani eye primer.

Oh, good - you're back. Hi, there! Here's what I think of each shade:

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Emerald

Green is my favorite color (honorable mention to blue!), so I was excited to try this one. I usually reach for my Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette when I do a green eye, but this single shade pops so much on its own (with a little Urban Decay Sellout blended around it) that I don't miss the mix of shades I typically use. If your face is a crown (and IT IS), this color becomes your stunning jewels.

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Navy

Blue eyeshadow scares a lot of people, but this shade is deep and rich enough to totally avoid 1980s babysitter vibes. I really love this one, and tend to use it the most of the three shades. Navy blue is a good alternative to black when you wanna lighten it up a bit. It really makes brown eyes sing (don't worry - not literally), but would look majorly powerful on some icy baby blues, as well. VERSATILE.

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Rouge

This shade is unique, especially for the drugstore. You just don't see a lot of cranberry shades there, and I know this because I was looking for awhile. This performs just as well as the other shades, but I don't love it on me - at least how I've styled it here, with black liner and Urban Decay Half Baked. I'm going to find a way to wear it, though, because it's so GORGEOUS that it's practically glowing:

Straight up: I usually don't even mess with single eyeshadows because, in my opinion, all the value (and fun) lies in palettes, but these are smooth and blend-able and just plain beautiful. Maybe you like single shadows, though, or you just need a great highlight shade (Bella Champagne is your guy) and these would fit nicely in your world. They're less than five bucks and sales are frequent. Plus, the gold looks like melted jewelry and the violet looks like some kind of moon rock. You need this.

Have you tried the Bella Eyes shadows yet? Are you a Milani Fan? What's your favorite drugstore eyeshadow?