Makeup Academy Professional range (MUA Pro) - Heaven & Earth Palette Review

Makeup Academy or MUA is a reasonably new makeup line that launched in Superdrug in the UK last year. It boasts a range of products all at the very low price of £1 per item. This is the kind of makeup line I DREAMED about as a teenager when I was living on a meager student budget. I purchased the £1 eyeshadows last year and was very pleasantly surprised by how pigmented they are. Buttery smooth and packed full of colour I have nothing negative to say about the quality. The shadows are, however, also packed full of all those ingredients we are always being warned against (like talc and mineral oil). I guess that's what makes the shadows so affordable. I'm no scientist so I can't comment on the negative effects of these ingredients but I know many are saying that since MUA is a British company their makeup would have passed certain health standards so it should be perfectly safe to use. Personally I'd prefer it if makeup didn't have such ingredients but I guess they added them as such ingredients are cheap and they are making an affordable range. It hasn't stopped me from buying from MUA but I can't say it'll be my go-to everyday brand. Anyhoo, I would recommend these shadows to those who are just starting out with makeup and would like some new shades to add to their collection.

Just last week MUA launched a new sub unit of their makeup line called MUA Professional. All the products are meant to be £4 or under which is AMAZING value for money. I went to my local Superdrug after work to check out the stands and all they had on display were the testers - nearly everything was sold out! The testers for the trios and palettes looked great though, so I am definitely going to go back and check out their re-stocked stands next week.

I managed to pick up their last remaining Heaven & Earth Palette which is a shimmery neutral palette.

Packaging wise it's just okay. I like that it's clear plastic at the front so you can see the shades. It's a bit difficult to open though, maybe I just stumbled across a difficult clasp but it's a chore opening it everytime, it feels like it's jammed shut.

Shades with flash

Shades without flash

 There are a lot of darker browns in this palette but also a few cream coloured highlight shades. A couple shades are more glittery than others but it's nothing you can't work worth (like, for example, UD's Midnight Cowboy Rides Again) - there isn't a sensational amount of fallout or anything. The colours are very pigmented and go on smoothly, much like their £1 single shadow counterparts. So overall, do I like this palette? Yes. Would I recommend to others? Perhaps. It would depend on how much makeup you already own. For those with a dozen neutral brown palettes this offers nothing new at all. But for those looking for some shimmery neutrals I would definitely recommend it. And at £4 if there are a few shades you dislike you won't feel too bad about spending this small sum.

Swatches without flash

Yes, I know, i am rubbish at swatching :(

If this palette had some matte shades it would have been on par with something like the Urban Decay Naked palette but I know you can't really compare them since this is only £4 and the Urban Decay is £32. Still, for the price I think this palette is fantastic and I am definitely going to pick up a few other items from MUA Pro's line.