Rustoleum Milk Paint Review – Better Than Chalk Paint?

I have a love/hate thing going on with paint. It can be super time consuming and messy. But, it’s also totally magical right? I mean, nothing really transforms a space or furniture quite like paint. When painting furniture, I usually opt for matte or flat finishes. So after years of chalk paint, I was ready to try something new! I landed upon Rustoleum Milk Paint in Eclipse and have used it on 3 different projects. After trying it out, here is my honest Rustoleum Milk Paint review!

Rustoleum milk paint review

(First, let me say that this post is not sponsored – it’s my honest to goodness Rustoleum Milk Paint review. That said, some of my content includes affiliate links, which means, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click and purchase.  This commission supports my coffee and plant addiction and allows me to write more home decor content and support my little family, so thank you!)

painted dresser with Rustoluem Milk Paint in Eclipse

So, what exactly is milk paint? It’s been been used for hundreds of years and was made from mixing a powder and water to create a rich, velvety finish. There are still powder options you can use, but here, I opted for the pre-mixed Rustoleum Milk Paint in Eclipse.

In many ways, it’s really similar to chalk paint. For both paints, most projects don’t need sanding and they provide a nice , matte flat finish.

painted piano with Rustoluem Milk Paint in Eclipse

If you’ve been here awhile, you might remember this from my Painted Black Piano project and little cabinet makeover. I also recently used milk paint to refresh a boring dresser for my bedroom! 

Rustoleum Milk Paint Review

milk paint vs chalk paint
Rustoleum Milk Paint in Eclipse (top) vs Rustoleum Chalked Paint in Charcoal (bottom)

Pros: 

  • No sanding needed – Just like chalk paint, sanding is not required for using milk paint on furniture. It magically adheres to surfaces and covers blemishes well. For shinier surfaces, like my piano, I still gave it a brief sanding.
  • Deep Rich Color – Milk paint provides a really rich, deep, almost velvety finish. In this way, I really prefer it to chalk paint which can lack depth and can seem dull even for flat finishes.
  • Easy to apply – The thick viscosity of milk paint makes it easy to apply as it glides on smoothly. Similar to chalk paint, it’s really easy to use which makes a good option for a DIY furniture update.
Milk Paint with Protective Soft Wax Finish

Cons: 

  • Needs protective finish – Although the label suggests that a protective coating is not required, I found that this milk paint scratches easily without that finish. Chalk paint also benefits from a protective coat but seems to wear more naturally while my unprotected milk paint projects scratched easily and quickly, but not in a distressed way, more of an “oops, this is damaged kind of look.”
  • Requires several coats – I found that some of my milk paint projects required several coats (2-3 maybe 4 in some spots). While chalk paint often needs only one coat, to achieve a richer look, milk paint needs more. (This can be a benefit if you’re looking to control the intensity but if you’re hoping for a quick paint project, it may take a bit longer than anticipated.)
  • Some areas can be inconsistent – For reasons I’ve yet to figure out, when dried, some areas seem darker or more intense than others, even with consistent coats applied. In the future, I may be more cautious of sanding evenly or applying the protective wax more smoothly to try and achieve a more consistent finish.

So, is milk paint better than chalk paint?

Weighing all of the pros and cons, I would say YES, I prefer this milk paint over chalk paint. For me, the rich, deep color wins out, even if it takes a wee bit more time to achieve.

Looking for more paint inspiration? Check out my tips on How to Use Black Paint in Your Home and my Favorite Neutral Paint Colors for My Home.