Mini MUA Haul

Hello Ladies,

Be prepared for a long post!!

I've been reading loads of reviews of MUA products lately and everyone seems to be raving about them so I thought I'd better jump on board and see what all the hype is about. MUA (Makeup Academy) is an English cosmetics brand available at Superdrug or online here. It offers international shipping at very low prices and they always seem to have different offers on. The products themselves are extremely cheap and quite good quality. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised when I recieved my little package and got swatching! So, here's what I got;

Heaven & Earth Eyeshadow Palette

This palette contains 12 neutral shimmery shades. I normally lean towards matte shadows but I do like a bit of shimmer in summer! To be honest despite reading great reviews of this palette I still wasn't convinced that I was going to like it, at a mere €4.68 (£4) I wasn't expecting much from it. When it arrived it looked great in the pan but I was still sceptical right up until I swatched it! I couldn't get over the highly pigmented colours! They're incredibly soft and fine and so easy to blend. The palette also comes with a double ended sponge applicator which I don't use, I prefer to use a brush instead. I do have to admit that there is a small amount of fall out, but nothing a fan brush won't sort out! The range of shades makes this palette great for both day and evening wear and its just amazing for doing a smokey eye! For £4 it's an absolute steal and if you haven't tried it already I urge you to get your mitts on it!

Blusher - Shade 5

This is a gorgeous peachy-coral blush with a very subtle gold shimmer. I love my coral blushes and this one is no different! Its a soft, finely milled powder blush which blends easily to give a beautiful warm glow to the cheeks leaving a lovely healthy sheen. It looks slightly orangey in the pan and I was a bit nervous about putting it on my face but I can honestly say that once applied the colour is gorgeous! It's quite well pigmented , one swipe of the my brush across the palette does the job for me but it can be easily built up to give more of a pop of colour to the cheeks too. At only €1.17/ £1 (!!!) I think I'm going to have to pick up the other 5 shades too!!

Lipsticks - Shade 3 & Shade 14

Shade 3 is a fab hot pink colour with blue undertones and an extremely slight silver shimmer and Shade 14 is a natural, nude colour perfect for daywear. First and foremost the thing I love most about these lipsticks is the fact that theres a little pot of lipstick that can be unscrewed from the end to be used with a lip brush, that way you don't mess your lipstick up! I love it! The formula of the lipsticks is gorgeously smooth, buttery, they  apply really easily without dragging or bleeding. I find that the longevity of shade 3 is greater than that of shade 14 as it sort of stains yours lips but both are good! The best part is yet to come, these too only cost €1.17/ £1 each!!! MUA where have you been all my life?!!

Sheer Finish Lipgloss - Happy Days

I'm not usually a gloss kinda girl as I hate my hair sticking to my lips when it's windy but thats not a problem when we get our 2 weeks of summer in Ireland!! This gloss is a lovely sheer pinky-coral shade with a hint of shimmer. When applied the colour is very subtle but it gives a high gloss finish which I like. It has a fruity scent and flavour which personally I like although some may not. I find that its slightly sticky on my lips but I'm yet to find a gloss that's not and saying that it's not nearly as bad as some others I've had! I really like it and it's also part of their £1/ €1.17 range!

Extreme Felt Eyeliner - Black

I have quite mixed feelings about this, the applicator is fantastic, its the perfect shape and size and has a lovely thin point so application is really easy however it's not quite as black as it could be. I find in order to get it opaque jet black I have to go over the line twice, maybe even 3 times but once that's done is does stay in place. I cant really complain because it only cost €1.17/£1 but I don't think I'll be buying it again.

MUA Nail Polish

Just by looking at these polishes it's clear that they're meant to be Essie dupes so at €1.17/£1 each I had to pick up not one but four! I got them in Pistachio Ice Cream, Natural Days, Ameretto Crush and Bright Coral. Pistachio Ice Cream is a lovely pastel green shade, Natural Days is a soft pastel baby pink, Ameretto Crush is a dusky deep pink, and well Bright Coral is a bright coral (they weren't too imaginative with that one!). Now, I wasn't expecting Essie quality with these but they're not too far behind! After 2 coats the polish is fully opaque and with a top coat is lasts me 4 days chip free (which is very good for me). They've also gotten new brushes, I was reading before that some people has problems with streaking but these apply really evenly for me. I'm impressed with them and will definitely be buying more!

So there you have it! My little haul and I have to say I'm very impressed! Considering the price the majority of these products are great quality and I will definitely be trying more of the range! Are you a fan of MUA?

Zara

xx