Milani HD Advanced Concealer in 02 Medium & 04 Medium Honey Swatches, Review, and Dupe Alert!

I've been eyeing these Milani HD Advanced Concealer Pens for quite some time but I didn't want to spend the $9.39 (8.49 on the Milani website) for each pen. Luckily Nouveau Cheap just posted about some Milani products on sale for 75% off at CVS so I managed to get each pen for $2.35. I actually only paid 99 cents since I had $4.00 in Extrabucks (You can combine extra bucks if you weren't aware of that, just ask your cashier first!) Each pen has .045 oz of product.

I've seen this compared to the YSL Touche Eclat but having never tried it, I can't attest to the similarities. Still though, they do look similar because both are encased in a gold metal tube with a brush dispenser and a click mechanism.

All pictures have been taken under an Ottlite!

02 Medium (the tube in the back) is more peachy/pink based whereas 04 Medium Honey (the tube closest to you) is much more yellow toned.

Closeup of the brush tip. The bristles are soft, they're not scratchy at all.

and Swatches! 02 Medium is on the left and 04 Medium Honey is on the right. Medium Honey really isn't that yellow toned, it's closer to the shade that's in the pen. Medium is actually pinker/peacher than in the pen!

The concealer "covers imperfections, dark circles, with a weightless, good-for-your-skin liquid formula that leaves a natural finish as it brightens with a soft focus for flawless skin" (From the Milani description)

Indeed, the concealers are liquidy and they don't get cakey on me. I don't have very dark circles under my eyes, just a light hint of blue discoloration and I feel like I get pretty decent coverage out of the concealer., maybe light/medium coverage? I like to use 02 Medium as a color corrector and 04 Medium Honey as a concealer over that. 04 Medium Honey is too yellow toned and dark for the rest of my face but when over 02 Medium, it works out perfectly. I didn't see any shimmer in the product. I feel like the peachy undertones in 02 do do a good job at brightening up the area, I'd say 04 Medium Honey is better as a light concealer.

I've read of people saying that it does have some longevity issues but personally I didn't experience that. I took some time lapse pictures and it lasted about 8 hours and there was still some residue after about 10 (but not enough to cover).

Here's a gif showing what my undereye area looks by itself, after an application of 02 Medium, and after an application of 02 Medium and 04 Medium Honey

The only caveat is the packaging, it's a little finicky. The first time you use it, you'll have to click quite a few times to get it to dispense. 60-80 clicks to be precise (I counted it out) and it rapidly dispenses all at once you've gotten it started the first time. When you go to use it after it's dispensed the first time, it tends to continue dispensing a little bit after you've stopped clicking. I usually do a few clicks, check to see if any has come out, and then click again. The pens do have a bit of weight to them which makes them feel a little more luxe and not cheap.

I should note that the name of the color is on the shrink wrap and there's only a small sticker on the end of the click mechanism that tells you which color number it is. There is a small window showing you which color you're using, but if you do like to have the color name on the product, you're out of luck.

Dupe alert time! I occasionally like to use the Benefit Erase Paste in No.2 Medium to help color correct the slight darkness around my eyes. I had a feeling that the Erase Paste and the Milani Concealer Pen were a little similar so I did swatches of the two.

Erase Paste is on the left, HD Concealer is on the right.

Erase Paste is a little lighter/brighter than the HD Concealer but it's a rather subtle difference. For me, I prefer the HD Concealer since I find that the Erase Paste can sometimes look cakey on my undereye. I'd say they're pretty on par with pigmentation and coverage, I couldn't really tell the difference. Also since Erase Paste is a cream, it took a little longer to dry down than the HD Concealer, which felt dryer faster. It's not a big deal but something to point out.

Would I repurchase? For $2.35 hell yes I would. In fact, I may just go to CVS to pick up a few more!