Chalk Paint

Chalk paint gives a lime-washed look to painted surfaces. If you like the look of old fashioned plaster walls you would like chalk paint. It is also nice to use on damaged furniture as it's thick texture covers a multitude of sin with no preparation beforehand. It will even adhere to varnished surfaces.
If you paint cabinets with it you can seal it with several coats of a good wax. But if you like a bit of sheen to whatever you paint a coat of wax is essential. They say you can only use Briwax or Annie Sloan soft wax but I don't know really.
Chalk paint, like old fashioned milk paint,  eliminates the need to sand and strip furniture. The stripping part can be dangerous to health so, I think using chalk paint is a great alternative.
You can buy chalk paint ready made from Annie Sloane but it is expensive.
You can also make your own. HERE is one way to do it using calcium carbonate. Notice the gorgeous job she did on the vanity!

Here is another 'recipe' using plaster of Paris or non sanded grout:
2 parts flat or egg shell paint to 1 part plaster of Paris or non sanded grout. Another recipe calls for  baking soda!
You can use  soft bees wax to wax the piece .  You can lightly sand before waxing also.

You can use chalk paint on walls, doors , furniture and in kid's rooms it is great for their art work.
Some people even paint their refrigerator doors and use that as a message board.
I am going to paint my bedroom furniture using it, if I get up the energy that is.

This video shows how to mix paint using the baking soda but you can follow the recipe to use the calcium carbonate, grout or plaster. 
She does a very distressed piece , which is not my taste at all, but it is a good example of how to mix the paint.