Milani Eyeshadow Primer Review October 8, 2019
When it comes to everyday beauty staples I prefer to spend my money on affordable products. Is Milani’s Eyeshadow Primer an affordable dupe to the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion? Please keep reading for a Milani Eyeshadow Primer review
Milani Brand Ethos
Founded in 2001, Milani is an affordable American brand that takes its inspiration from the art and culture of Milan. Even though Milani is an affordable brand, their products embody the style and essence of Milan. Also, Milani continuously aims to releases products that reflect the needs of the multicultural consumer.
Milani Eyeshadow Primer Claims
The Milani Eyeshadow Primer promises to intensify the color shadow. Also, it promises to increase the wear-time of eyeshadow on the lids.
The formula is described as lightweight and crease-proof. This nude primer will make shadows look smooth on the eye and dry invisibly.

Milani Eyeshadow Primer
Price & Packaging
The Milani Eyeshadow Primer retails for $6.99 USD online in the brand’s online shop and at Ulta, for $8.19 USD at CVS, for $6.39 USD at Target and Walmart.
From a packaging perspective, the primer is simple. The primer comes in a small grey squeeze tube.
Ingredients & Cruelty-Free Status
Talc is one of the top ingredients in this primer likely due to the mattifying properties of Talc in cosmetics products. All Milani products are Cruelty-Free and this primer is Vegan.
Milani Eyeshadow Primer Swatch & Demonstration
In the below swatch photos, I’ve squeezed out a tiny amount of product (enough for me to apply to both eyes) and blended the primer on my arm.
The below photo is a demonstration of how a red shimmer shadow from ColourPop swatches over top the Milani primer versus how the shadow swatches over bare skin.

Top: ColourPop Maraschino Eyeshadow (Main Squeeze Eyeshadow Palette) applied over the Milani Eyeshadow Primer; Bottom: applied over bare skin
Hopefully, you can see that the shadow applied over the primer looks more vibrant and even than the shadow swatched solely on my bare arm.
Milani Eyeshadow Primer Application & Wear-Time
For the best application, squeeze a small amount of product on your fingers. Next, dab the primer onto the eyelid area and let it dry.
Personally, I don’t set eyeshadow primer with powder. Not setting primer makes eyeshadow colors brighter. However, shadows may require more blending when the base is not set.
The Milani Eyeshadow Primer is not translucent on my skin. Please keep this in mind if you have a very fair or medium-to-deep skin tone.
But the real question is: does the Milani Eyeshadow Primer help your eyeshadow to last all day? Hell yeah, it does!
The Milani Eyeshadow Primer works better than many prestige primers. The primer makes my eyeshadows look vibrant. More importantly, the shadows last all day (12+ hours) on my oil-slick eyelids. No creased, cracked, or faded shadows. Additionally, this primer doesn’t add any unwanted texture to the eye area.
Where is the Milani Eyeshadow Primer Sold?
As mentioned briefly above, Milani Cosmetics is sold in drugstores and big-box retailers across the US, including CVS Health, Target, Walgreens, Walmart. Also, Milani is sold at Ulta and MilaniCosmetics.com.
Additionally, to purchase the full range of products, visit the Milani website. Currently, Milani only ships to the United States and Canada. However, Milani Cosmetics can be purchased on Beauty Bay in Europe.
Finally, to find the closest Milani distributor in the US, check out the brand’s store locator.
Is the Milani Eyeshadow Primer a Dupe for the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion?
The Milani Eyeshadow Primer is one of the best drugstore eye primers I’ve used. Is this the Milani Eyeshadow Primer a dupe for the Urban Decay Primer Potion? Yes (and no). The formulas of the two primers are incredibly similar. However, Milani lacks the primer variety that Urban Decay offers.
Overall, I recommend the Milani Eye Primer to anyone in the market for a new shadow primer.
Let’s connect on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin’ | Influenster
Did you enjoy my Milani Eyeshadow Primer Review? Check out my Milani Soft & Sultry Eyeshadow Review, Glossier Brand Review, or ColourPop Sweet Talk Eyeshadow Palette Review.
Do you wear eyeshadow primer to make your shadows last all day? What is a staple that you love purchasing at the drugstore? Please let me know in the comments below.
affordable beauty Affordable Primer Potion Dupe beauty beauty review drugstore makeup makeup milani Milani Cosmetics Review Milani Eyeshadow Primer Milani Eyeshadow Primer Review Urban Decay Primer Potion Dupe
Yay! So glad to read that you like this primer. I’ve been using this one for a while now, and it’s really the only primer I bother with because of its price point and how useful it is.
Girl, this primer is a hidden gem 💎… I don’t understand why more YouTubers don’t rave about this!! Glad you love it, too! 💜
Aww, yay! So happy to hear this held up to the UD. I really need a product like this. Fab review, LP!
This was such a lovely find – I feel confident this would work well on most people given my eyes can get so oily without primer!! 💜
So good to know! I don’t think I’ve ever tried another eye primer since I just love the UD one. Recently I’ve bought the ABH eye primer and so far I’ve been loving that one too. This Milani one goes on my ‘to buy list’ for sure!
Omg girl – why are we so similar lmao!! I stopped buying primers for a while bc morning compared to my UD one… I did grab a mini of the ABH primer so I’m curious to see how it compares to UD, too! But so far, this Milani Primer is the only thing I’ve used that could compare
Omg girl – why are we so similar lmao!! I stopped buying primers for a while bc morning compared to my UD one… I did grab a mini of the ABH primer so I’m curious to see how it compares to UD, too! But so far, this Milani Primer is the only thing I’ve used that could compare!
I’ve never tried Milani but, I’ve seen it at the stores. I never knew they were CF & vegan– that’s awesome. I can totally see the difference in the swatches on your arm. So glad this has worked out so well for you! Personally, I’m not a fan of UD’s primer potion. I’ve never found one I do like though. Maybe you’ve convinced me to give this one a go, it’s so inexpensive, I may as well, right? Great review, as always!! 💗