Milani Color Statement Lipstick – review, photos and swatches

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A look at the red, orange, pink & coral side of the lipstick rainbow

 
 

Sometimes I get up crazy early in the morning, like 4:30 am, for a job where I am counseling patients and expected to look professional at such a horrid hour. And honestly a lot of the time at 4:30, I am not quite yet awake enough to handle the complications of pointy products being millimeters from my eyeballs. This is where lipstick becomes my savior.

I adore how well applied lipstick (not gloss) can make a look seem polished. Just pulling my hair back and applying lip color gives me an air of professionalism in 5 minutes flat. So of course I was absolutely giddy to receive a box full of “gold” in the form of Milani’s new Color Statement Lipsticks.

Their latest lipsticks (and coordinating lip liners) are super saturated in color and have multiple finishes. Best of all Milani’s new collection retails at just $5.49 per tube and offers an astonishing 38 shades of lipstick! Today we’re taking a look at some Milani lippies in the red, orange, pink and coral range – let’s start with the reds and oranges:

Cherry Crave (06/metallic) – metallic bright cherry
Ruby Valentine (08/vinyl) – pure blue-based red
Best Red (07/matte) – pure blue-based red
Red Label (05/cream) – pure blue-based red (yes, these 3 shades are nearly identical except for finish)
High Voltage (04/vinyl) – shiny orange red
Orange-gina (03/pearl) – burnt orange frost
Sweet Nectar (01/cream) – safety cone orange

Cherry Crave, Ruby Valentine, Best Red, Red Label

High Voltage, Orange-gina, Sweet Nectar

When I first opened these lipsticks I was struck by the scent and it did take me a little while to place why it seemed so familiar. I swear this lip color found the exact formula for watermelon Jolly Ranchers, that’s exactly what they smell like! I found it interesting and not a distraction after applied. The texture was lightweight and silky smooth, the kind of lipstick that makes it difficult not to keep pressing your lips together.

Cherry Crave, Ruby Valentine, Best Red, Red Label, High Voltage, Orange-gina, Sweet Nectar

I’m still loving the bright color trend so I instantly gravitated toward Sweet Nectar, an orange cream. I also couldn’t resist the boldness of Best Red, a true-red matte.

A closer look at Cherry Crave, Ruby Valentine, Best Red and Red Label

As well as Cherry Crave, Ruby Valentine, Best Red and Red Label

Ready to take a gander at some of the pink and coral hues available in Color Statement Lipsticks ?

Flamingo Rose (12/cream) – bright pinky coral
Pink Frost (09/metallic) – light icy pink
Fruit Punch (11/cream) – bright rosy pink
Rose Amour (33/cream) – bright cool pink
Hot Pink Rage (15/matte) – bright hot pink
Flirty Fuschia (16/vinyl) -shimmery magenta pink
Rose Hip (14/cream) – bright magenta

Flamingo Rose, Pink Frost, Fruit Punch, Rose Amour

From the pink and coral family I feel for Flamingo Rose, a flamingo coral cream and Fruit Punch, a bright pink cream. Overall I find lipsticks with a cream finish to be the most flattering.

Hot Pink Rage, Flirty Fuschia, Rose Hip

I put these shades to the “work-day” test. That means at least 4 solid hours of sporadic coffee sipping and multiple patient counseling without being able to stop for mirror checks or a touch-up.

With the help of vitamins A, C & E my lips remained moisturized and happy with only minor wear from coffee sipping. A quick touch-up kept my lips rockin’ bright, bold colors for 8 hours straight before retiring them, along with my heels for the day.

Flamingo Rose, Pink Frost, Fruit Punch, Rose Amour, Hot Pink Rage, Flirty Fuschia, Rose Hip

My only complaints about the Color Statement collection might be the thing that draws others in, but I have never been a fan of pearl or frost finishes in lipsticks as it tends to accent lip lines. However the other finishes such as cream, vinyl and matte had enough variation to give a different look to the multiples of shades.

A closer look at Flamingo Rose, Pink Frost, Fruit Punch and Rose Amour

Rose Amour, Hot Pink Rage, Flirty Fuschia and Rose Hip

I am always looking for new ways to expand my lip color collection and indulge in the latest color trends without investing in high-end cosmetics. Milani’s Color Statement collection let’s me do just that at just under $6 a lipstick so I can experiment with different looks easily. I plan on searching out more of the naturals, browns and berries like PlumRose, Naturally Chic, and Teddy Bare to round out my vibrant shades (reviews coming soon!)

we heartsters and testers – what are your favorite shades from Milani’s new Color Statement collection?

Lucy loves Lady Gaga, lattes, trashy television and anything zombies. She’s a geeky girl who likes tech gadgets, reading tons of books, playing with gender roles and is constantly surrounded by a small army of cats.

photos: we heart this

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.

Author

  • lucylemonade

    Lucy loves Lady Gaga, lattes, trashy television and anything zombies. She’s a geeky girl who likes tech gadgets, reading tons of books, playing with gender roles and is constantly surrounded by a small army of cats. skin tone: NC15 skin type: Dry to Normal favorite beauty product: lip balms of all flavors and colors

17 Comments

  1. So many shades of red and pink! LOVE it. There’s a color (or two… or ten…) for everyone. For some reason I’ve got eczema on my eye, so eye makeup is out for awhile. I’ll be resorting to bright lipstick to perk up my face!

    1. Eczema on your eye? That does not sound fun @lipglossandspandex – hope it gets better soon! Good call on the bright lipstick – draw attention to that pretty pout of yours!

    2. @Tyna–it’s on my eyelid. :( I’ve been using Aveeno eczema lotion and it’s starting to clear up. I’ve been doing just mascara in terms of eye makeup, and have been throwing on some bright lipstick now and then :)

  2. I recently spotted the whole set at a CVS nearby and Naturally Chic was added to my collection, it’s a great neutral shade to go along with these bright and bold colors!

    1. Thanks for that information @lucylemonade – I’ll be hitting my local CVS this weekend to check out the other shades!

  3. It’s very true that lipstick can make you look “pulled together” in a flash; I rarely leave the house without makeup, but if I do, I will always swipe lipstick on and it makes a huge difference. Oh, what shades! And the scent sounds enticing! I would normally have a hard time wearing deep colors with very fair skin, but I learned that choosing the correct base undertone makes all the difference. Thanks for breaking these beautiful shades down for us , @lucy!

  4. I rarely ever wear lipstick, but Milani is great because it’s such a good price that I don’t mind if it hardly gets worn! I need to replace my red standby, so I might need to try Best Red or Red Label. And, strangely, Orange-gina looks like a fun color to try and I never wear orange. But at $5.49, I see not reason not to try it…

  5. I tested 06 Cherry Crave, and was impressed with everything about it. It’s such a rich, bright, cherry red that’s long-lasting, too. The finish has a heavy sheen without being frosty, which is a great change from my usual preference for cream reds. In addition to the pretty finish, it stains the lips a little so the color lingers for a long time. The scent is pleasant but I couldn’t nail it down until I read your review, @lucylemonade — you nailed it! Watermelon! I love the gold tube, which feels way more expensive than an under-$6 lipstick has any right to. Another 5-star winner from Milani!

  6. These are really nice–I have Fruit Punch and Rose Hip and they are both in regular rotation. The color payoff is great, and such a creamy, rich texture.

  7. I got the Red Valentine shade for review and passed it along to one of my bff’s because I had a couple unfortunate allergic reactions to Milani (I’m crazy sensitive to certain brands), so I didn’t want to risk it. While I didn’t use this lippie, the color looked like a gorgeous, true blue red–a perfect shade for my pale self with dark hair. Too bad I belong in a plastic bubble :( Hopefully my friend shows up and gives her impression of this sassy lipstick :)

  8. I’m currently testing out the Plums, and these really give you a big bang for your buck. Totally impressed with the color coverage and creamy formula. Great review!

  9. Krista’s sassy friend here and….I love the Miliani Ruby Valentine lip color, I have been wearing it everyday and I think the color looks so good with my skin tone and it makes my lips feel smooth :) I swear it smells like candy but maybe not…but gorgeous color and I mean I wear it everyday….Thanks Krista! I wear it for the both of us!

  10. Those lipsticks do look to die for but I’m not a fan of Jolly Ranchers (or candy scented lip products but for Bonnie Bell Dr. Pepper lip balm which will always be near and dear to my heart). For some reason as I’ve gotten older I’ve gravited toward old-school lipstick smells and natural floral scents. Maybe it’s just something that comes with age. When I’m 80 I’ll probably smell like lilly of the valley and Tic Tacs, as it should be. Anyhoo, I love Milani’s quality on just about everything for their price. In fact, when my husband forgot to load our bag of makeup and toiletries on our anniversary road trip to Vegas last year (I’m over it, ahem…) I couldn’t replace all my makeup at Sephora and not dig into my gambling budget, so I trusted my face to Milani. One stop shopping at Walgreens and I had my face on and nary a dent to my pocketbook. good stuff.

  11. I received Rose Amour to try and for a cool pink, it definitely blended nicely with my pigmented lips for a pretty pink! It applied like butter and I was really impressed with the formula. I LOVE that it smells like candy. To me, the packaging makes me feel very dated, it is quite funny! I give this 5 stars – these are great lipsticks to reach for when you just need something at the moment or to keep in your drawer at work for a pick me up!

  12. You’re SO RIGHT- Milani lipsticks smell exactly like watermelon Jolly Ranchers!! Personally I love it…

    I tried out Hot Pink Rage and every time I wear it I can’t stop smiling! Its a beautiful, bright color that really perks up my look. Add a little dollop of Crystal Gloss in Fruit Punch on top and you have the perfect lip.

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