Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow Review + Swatches (Bella Rouge, Bella Navy, Bella Emerald, Bella Gold and Bella Copper)!

Hi lovelies!

Woohoo for the first post of 2016! Where does the time fly?!

I've been dithering over which topic to post about first, as I'm brimming with beautiful products to tell you about, but I decided to just dive in and write about one of the products I've been loving of late, the Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows! Whew, that was quite a mouthful, wasn't it?

Milani Cosmetics Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow.

What exactly IS a gel powder, you ask? According to the Milani website, it's thus named because the eyeshadow formula starts off as a gel that is then transformed by a 'special process' into a powder eyeshadow. It's quite a unique formula as it feels quite dry and powdery to the touch, yet applies beautifully to the eyelid without much fallout. It's incredibly pigmented, smooth and buttery! The formula is also designed to be used wet or dry, and applied either with your fingertips or with a brush. I'm generally not a fan of applying my eye makeup with my fingers (unless I'm using a cream shadow, that is) but I actually do like using my finger tips with these for a more subtle wash of colour, and a brush for when I'm after a more intense look!

Keep reading after the jump!

I've got five shades in my collection, Bella Rouge, Bella Navy, Bella Emerald, Bella Gold and Bella Copper. I actually started off with just Bella Emerald and Bella Rouge, but both shades were so beautiful that I couldn't resist picking up the other three on my recent trip to New York (more on my haul in this post). Aren't they gorgeous?! There's a total of 31 shades in this collection, with varying finishes comprising of matte, shimmer and metallic finishes, so there's something to suit everyone.

Going clockwise, starting at the top: Bella Gold, Bella Navy, Bella Emerald, Bella Rouge and Bella Copper.

Each shadow is housed in a small, but sturdy compact, which clicks shut securely. We all know how much I love travel-friendly products, so this one gets a big tick of approval from me! The compact is metallic gold on the outside, but matte gold on the inside, which I find quite simple, but stylish. It also doesn't take up much space in your makeup bag.

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Shadow.

Bella Navy has a matte finish, while Bella Rouge, Bella Copper and Bella Gold are metallic. Bella Emerald is a shimmer finish shadow. As I mentioned earlier, all five are incredibly pigmented, as you can see from the swatches below (applied to bare skin, with two swipes). These are even more pigmented when applied over an eye primer.

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Shadow Swatches (L-R): Bella Navy, Bella Rouge, Bella Copper, Bella Emerald & Bella Gold.

Bella Navy, Bella Rouge, Bella Copper, Bella Emerald & Bella Gold.

There you have it, lovelies! Aren't they gorgeous? Which one of these is your favourite? Mine has to be Bella Rouge, though I do love the others as well!

I bought mine in the US for $4.99 USD each, from the Milani website and from CVS pharmacies when I was in New York. However, my Australian readers can also choose to pick these up from Crush Cosmetics for $13 each. The price is a little on the steep side, even when accounting for the strong US dollar conversion, but it does make it a lot easier to order these beauties on this side of the planet, plus the customer service that Crush Cosmetics offer is amazing! I usually receive my orders within a day or two!

Much love,
MM.
x