Sunday 19 June 2011

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.

8 comments:

  1. I want to get this palette as well if I can find a superdrug that sells mua pro :)

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  2. If you don't have a MUA Pro stand at your local superdrug you can always buy online =) You can pay through paypal too ^^

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  3. Hey x I was just wondering if the MUA eyeshadows were at all waterproof? What about the rest of the range? Thanks xxx

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  4. They aren't marketed as waterproof but I'm sure they're splashproof (I got caught in the rain and my eyeshadow didn't streak)- you couldn't go swimming with these shadows on though. I've tried trios from MUA Pro (rubbish IMO, not as pigmented as this palette and also very dusty) and I've also tried a couple of other palettes which I'm doing reviews on soon but nothing compared to this palette. ^^

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  5. Hi peaches choi,
    You were saying that the trios are rubbish and dusty! That's because they are baked! Wet your eyeshadow brush before picking up some of the product! It should work much better!
    Amba

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  6. I did try them wet but I still don't think they were half as pigmented as MUA's other offerings - I like really strong colour. I also felt that my brushes didn't really pick up the colour so well with the trios, they applied better using a sponge and I dislike sponges. Everyone has their own preferences though, it doesn't work for me but if it works for you go for it as I'd still say MUA trios are better than Bourjois or more pricey trios!^^

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  7. What drugstores do they sell mua cosmetics?..wall greens?..Harmon?

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  8. It's a British brand and I've not heard anything across the pond about them selling stateside yet. I'm sure makeup swappers and ebayers would have them available though.

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