Milani is not a brand that is easily attainable in the UK so in 2011 when my good friend asked me if I wanted her to pick up anything from the States for me, I did not ask for jeans, or technology, I asked for Milani make up. Specifically, the Liquif’eye Metallic Eyeliners.
I am someone whose made up face needs eyeliner. It is not just that I like eyeliner, because of course I do… my face does not look finished without it. My eyelashes and eyebrows are black, apart from the greys that are creeping in ( yes, really!). Not all black eyeliner pencils are created equally. Some which claim to be black, are actually dark brown, or very dark grey and others which are black are not highly pigmented so the result is a washed out black. After two decades of searching for a proper black, black eyeliner pencil, I have finally found it. Milani’s Liquif’eye is the blackest eyeliner pencil that I have come across to date. It makes my very dark brown eyes ‘pop’ like no other kohl or liner that I have used. The ‘Metallic’ in the title still confuses me slightly. Generally when cosmetics are labelled ‘metallic’, there is a sheen, iridescence or bronze, silver of gold element to the product. This black is just intense black
Milani is a drugstore range, but the pigmentation in their products is really really high, which as a black woman I both appreciate and need. This eyeliner as a two-year shelf life and it is paraben free.
It is one of the softest pencils I have ever used. The product literally glides on the skin, which is very important for an eye product. This is also helped by the fact that the pencil is not super thin. You get a good point when you sharpen it, but not enough to do serious damage if you poke your eye with it. It sets after about 15 seconds which means that you can touch up any unevenness or smudge it out to your heart’s content before it sets and it lasts ALLLLLLL DAY. It does not come off until you take it off and if you accidentally fall asleep in front of the telly in your make up, the next day your eyeliner is still on your eyes and not on the sofa cushion! It is great on minimal make up days but equally on full on days. If you are doing an intense smokey eye, the eyeliner element of the look is really important. It needs to be strong enough to balance the intensity of the shadow. Liquif’eye fits right in. I tend to use liquid eyeliner on my lid but I have used Liquif’eye with great success on my lids to intensify the lashline to create flicks, and because it sets there is no smudging.
I also have the aqua from this range – an AMAZING tightline colour. There are several online stores where you can get hold of Milani, but I really wish there were more UK stockists because the range, especially these eyeliners are great. So good in fact, that I buy this it in triplicate. Yes, I buy three at a time. There is one in my make up bag, one in my bathroom and one in my beauty cupboard in readiness. I can’t be without it.