I’d been waiting and wanting to try the Milani Conceal + Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation and concealer* for ages! Especially after seeing so much buzz about it on YouTube/ Instagram and how it looked unreal on the people I’d seen apply and wear it! Usually, I’d pick up the lightest shade and in most things I’d be OK really, even if slightly too dark I’d make it work with lighter concealer/ blending it further down my neck etc, grand. The Issue with this…their lightest colour, 01 Creamy Vanilla was at least 2 shades too dark for my skin tone (I sit somewhere around a MAC NC15, KVD Light 43, UD 1.0, fair with a golden undertone) and considering I embrace the pale and don’t wear fake tan there was no way I could really get away with wearing it to give it a fair and proper review!
Milani as a brand, as well as quality/ affordable pricing, prides itself on having more diversity in shade range/ colour. Geared towards medium – dark tones I feel (which is great obviously, especially as far too many affordable brands aren’t!) but their shades for fair skin tones are unfortunately a bit more limited at the moment. I think that’s an area they’re looking to improve on with the recent launch of the new lighter shade 00 Light Natural of Conceal + Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation + Concealer* though. Obviously I had to pick it up and finally have been able to try it out for myself!
Milani’s product details:
• Foundation and concealer in one.
• Conceals under eye shadows, redness, imperfections/ blemishes with a full coverage.
• Water resistant.
• Long wearing.
• Built in no mess, no drip pump dispenses just the right amount of product.
• Cruelty free.
Milani’s application suggestions:
• As foundation – Apply a dime/ 2 cent/ 5p sized amount of product with fingertips or a brush beginning at the centre of the face and blend outwards.
• As concealer – Use a small amount of product and apply where additional coverage is needed in a tapping motion until blended.
Besides the whole issue of the shades running dark, I’d only really heard good things about the Milani 2 in 1, so was hopeful about the formula itself, just a bit concerned about the colour. Even though it was a new lighter shade I’d still heard people say it was too dark. Anyway, when I first pumped some out on to the back of my hand, it did look a bit darker than my skin tone and did have quite a bit more warmth than I’d usually prefer to it. The consistency of the foundation on first impression…thick!
When I’m trialing new foundations/ face products, I always try to just incorporate it in to my regular base routine. In my opinion, it gives a truer/ fairer test on it’s performance and I like to wear it for a full busy work day of makeup too…that really weeds out the not so great products from the unreal ones!
So packaging…for a ‘drugstore’/ affordable brand, it looks way more comparable to high end in its sleek glass black ombre effect bottle. The lid feels really secure, so although the bottle itself is a little heavier, it’s still good for travel and I love how it comes fitted with a pump. The pump also seems to distribute the perfect amount of product too, which is always good and eliminates any waste.
The 00 Light Natural shade surprisingly works for me! It doesn’t blend on to the skin as dark as it looks when first pumped out! It’s not so much too dark for me, maybe a fraction but just a little warmer than I’d usually wear (a light more yellow base) which isn’t that much of an issue. I actually like the way it warms my skin up a bit, but most importantly looks natural. I was still worried about possible oxidisation (the foundation appearing darker with wear/ reacting to your skins natural oils) but it doesn’t seem to (and I’ve worn it a lot!) which is good! I haven’t felt the need to add any lightening drops (I absolutely thought I would!), but if your skin tone is any lighter than mine and you want to try it, I’d say you’d need some. I really like to mix in some Kat Von D Beauty Lock It Concealer Creme in the White Out* or the NYX Pro Foundation Mixer in White (Available from Cult Beauty* or Boots*) is a great pale person product! These come in 6 different purpose shades, all a staple in my kit but my skin tone calls for the white shade the most often! I have a dedicated blog post about the NYX Pro Foundation Mixers, you can read more about them all here.
So, getting on to application, it applies smoothly and blends really well! Considering the thick consistency, you do get quite a bit of play/ blend time and can dot it all over your face before blending without worrying about it setting to quickly. The amount that Milani specify is about right and that works out at 2 pumps for a fuller coverage. 1 pump still gives a good natural medium coverage for day to day/ if you don’t want or need a full coverage. I do use brushes to apply my foundation, but more often than not go for a Beauty Blender*…in my opinion it usually just works the product in to the skin so much better and especially for thicker/ fuller coverage products. I actually don’t like this applied with a sponge though, it’s so much better applied with a brush! I love the Morphe M439* for a smooth even finish. The finish of the Milani 2 in 1 foundation is beautiful! It doesn’t look flat or too matte and instead gives you a natural healthy glow. That said, it doesn’t make your oily bits oilier either! It lasts all day with no disturbance when using the odd blot paper and survives a powder touch up without going caked. No more touch ups needed than any of my other go to foundations, it’s just a norm with my oily nose.
And is it actually 2 in 1-able? Well it’s buildable and doesn’t cake, so that’s a yes. I would spot conceal with this and just add a bit extra where needed, but personally prefer to use a different under eye concealer anyway. It means less product build up around the eyes as well as normally using something a bit lighter to brighten.
(Shade comparison L-R: Kat Von D Beauty Lock It Foundation in Light 43, Milani 00 Light Natural, Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Snow)
Milani have worked some magic with their Conceal + Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation in my opinion. I’m impressed with the coverage, feel, finish and for the price, it’s amazing! Although their lightest shade works for me, I still think a few more lighter shades again wouldn’t hurt and would make this perfection and probably a lot of peoples holy grail! Hopefully they’ll come out with some lighter shades soon and for now, I’d definitely recommend giving this a go with some lightening drops, you might like it as much as I do! Find Milani Conceal + Perfect 2 in 1 Foundation + Concealer here* and let me know what you think!
Lyd x
PLEASE NOTE:
I’m now based in Cork, Ireland. Although I do still take select bookings for North Wales/ Cheshire and Dublin (get in touch for more info) and am available to travel country wide…I’m mainly taking makeup bookings for Cork City and surrounding areas.
As a bridal makeup specialist, I do get booked up well in advance so if you’re looking for wedding makeup in Cork contact me asap to check availability, secure your date and avoid disappointment! I’m freelance and travel to your home/ venue of choice.
Also available for makeup for any occasion/ event, lessons and master class makeup…find more information and a full list of services here.
Contact us for enquiries/ bookings and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Cruelty free.