MUA Ever after matte palette

Remember my 'Fairly thrifty haul' I posted just over a week ago?  Well, I know a week is pretty fast to review a makeup product, I wouldn't normally review one this quickly, but I've worn it everyday since and how it's performed has been consistent every day, so I figured I'd jump in and do the review :)

** I don't proclaim to be a professional at applying shadow, so excuse the imperfection of it **

I'm really liking this palette.  I wouldn't say the formulation is creamy, but they're not dry, somewhere in between.  What I have found is that I've reached for this instead of my UD Naked basics palette, there's a much better variety of shades in this and they really are a decent quality.  They blend pretty well, of course, if they were creamier they'd blend a bit better but they still blend pretty well.  I tend to use a light colour all over the lid and up to the brows, then the shade Chino over most of the lid (not to the brows), then I work Truffle through the crease and warm it up with that, and taking that shade down under the water line as well to connect it all up.

In the Autumn I'm a big fan of matte looks, I think they compliment a dark lip really nicely and look more classic.  There's a lovely range of shades here, from the cool row at the top which are great for highlighting and creating a nice light base for the darker shades to sit on, then you have the bottom row, 5 warm shades perfect for creating a smokey eye, or 'Chino' and 'Penny' which are great just to add a small amount of warmth to your look.

Pigmentation is surprisingly decent, I think some people have thought that the light colours weren't pigmented enough, but when you swatch them on pale skin they're not likely to look as strong, personally I think they're just fine, anything more intense than that will be harder to work with, and this is supposed to be more of an everyday palette, which for me, it is.

I really like this palette, and find myself reaching for it most days at the moment, MUA have really outdone themselves with this one, I now can't wait to see the MUA Luxe range, especially the liquid matte lipsticks.

And before you go, if you haven't seen it yet, here's my September Favourites :)

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Karen from Liverpool Lashes

 

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Silver & gold makeup shoot

Last night I got to play at being a makeup artist again and had so so so much fun!  The model is one of my colleagues from work, and as I'm sure you'll agree she's stunning and with utterly flawless skin!  The photographer duo are Cross-Jones photography, you may recognise them from the previous shoot I did a post about :)  I'll write at the bottom of the post all the products I used :)

 

Products used
Face - Nivea primer, Mary Kay powder foundation (the models' own)
Eyes - BarryM Dazzle dust in Silver & yellow gold. Maybelline colour tattoo in Eternal gold.  And a combination of other gold shadows from MUA, Sleek and Coastal Scents palettes. Badgal mascara.  Illamasqua precision ink black liquid liner.
Lips - MakeBelieve gloss with the BarryM yellow gold Dazzle dust pressed over the top.

Let me know what you think :D

This months Bigest-Pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Shang from The Feminine Crusade

 

Written by Georgina Kent

The day I became a...

... makeup artist.

Yep, you read that right!  A week ago I got to spend a fantastic evening being super creative being an MUA on a photo shoot.

The photographer and his wife make up Cross-Jones photography (located here in Cardiff).  They wanted to do a shoot inspired by the recent series of Americas Next top Model where the models had pigment all over their face.  The difference was, instead of using the peachy-red that was originally used on Alison, they wanted blue.

The model was Laura from What Laura Did (a local South Wales beauty and lifestyle blogger).  So, we rocked up at Laura's house, the Cross-Jones team set up their studio in Laura's spare room and I got to work on Laura!

I won't bore you with too many details of what I used, but it was basically a combination of 3 different blue eyeshadows as well as a silver one. Eyes started off very light with just mascara, and as the shoot progressed we added lots more eye shadow to the face, and darkened the eyes with black kohl liner, added a bit of gloss to the lips for the blue pigment to stick to too :)

I had a fantastic time, I loved every second of it, so thanks to Laura for being a great model, and thanks to Chantelle and Jonathan for being great photographers and inviting me to take part.

I hope you enjoy these photo's and be gentle, it was my first time being an MUA (not my first time doing makeup on others, but first time for a photographer)

 

This months bigest pixi3 advertiser is the lovely Laura from A Scottish Lass,
And be sure to check out my lovely middle-pixi3 advertisers who this month are Sarah from Life in a Breakdown, Angelica from One Little Vice, Fiona from La Belle Dame Sans Merci, and Sally from The Human Mannequin, and the lovely Luchessa from Beauty Expression by Luchessa - be sure to head over to check out their beautiful blogs <3

 

My lip product collection

Hey guys!  Ok a couple of things about this post, it's my lip product collection (excluding lip balms), now, I haven't listed every item because there's too many too list.  Similarly I haven't swatched them all either :p  What I will be doing over the coming weeks is lots of posts on Top 5 (lipsticks, glosses, glitter glosses, reds, pinks etc etc) but I just wanted to start that series off by showing you the collection I'll be making my picks from :)  So without further ado here's the collection :)

There were a few I missed out which I found afterwards, but not many :) So over the coming weeks, be prepared to see lots of posts featuring these items :)  I'm also making a pledge to myself, a pledge to wear a lip product from this collection every day :)  Clearly judging by the size of the collection, I love lip products and need to make better use of them :)

You'll notice I've got quite a mix of products, from MUA to Chanel - when it comes to lip products, I'm not loyal anywhere, if it's good and I like it that's all that matters.  When it comes to skincare it's a little different, things need to be a little better, the ingredients need to be right etc - that doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be expensive, just good quality :)

I might do a Project Lip Pan - so using 5 lip products lots and not allowing myself to buy any more until they're gone :)  Food for thought :)

Pixi3 out

xXx

MUA Lipstick Shade 13

Hey guys, I recently purchased a few bits from MUA online, and part of that was a bunch of lipsticks :)  So bit by bit I'll be reviewing them :)  The first of this series is the bright red colour, Shade 13.  

My Thoughts

When I saw this shade in real life, I wasn't sure I'd like it, it was a bit bright for me!  However, once I'd put it on I loved it!  As most of their lipsticks are, they're very hydrating with amazing colour payoff, and if you can believe it, it's only £1!!!!  Such great value.  MUA just seem to keep knocking them out of the park, there's very little of theirs I don't like, their products seem to be continuously improving too :)  I love this lipstick and the colour was a pleasant surprise.

Pixi3 out

xXx

MUA Undressed palette

So when the Undressed palette launched, I was on my Project 10 Pan and for once wasn't able to jump on the 'omgilovethis' bandwagon when I wanted to.  I patiently waited and waited, and then bought one online to add to my giveaway (all done and dusted now), I sneakily added an extra one to the shopping basket, even though I was on P10P (I know, naughty!) for me, the way I looked at it - I wasn't going to use it, or even open it to swatch until P10P was over, and this way it would save me 2 lots of P&P.

I stuck to it and didn't use it until I'd finished P10P, yay!  And about 3 weeks ago (ish) I discovered the wonder that is the Undressed palette... and OH... MY... GOD... I love it!  Here's some shiny pics, and I'll tell you in more and better words, why I love it so much underneath them ;)

My Thoughts

Where do I begin?  Ok, colours - they are an almost exact dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palette, and if you haven't been living with your head buried in the sand, or kidnapped by Russian spies, then you'll already know that.  Blog after blog have swatched them side by side showing how close they are, in fact Beauty Boutique did a great post about it, and yet the costs of both are worlds apart (£4 v £36).

Because of the range of colours (lights to darks, smokeys, mattes and shimmers) you can create so many different looks with them, from easy everyday light soft colours, to more dramatic smokey browns/blacks and greys.  As for durability, they last as well as any high end eyeshadow I've ever used.  I use Urban Decay primer potion underneath it as I do with any other shadow, the vibrancy is great, you'll look as good when you go to bed, as you do when you first put it on. 

Seriously, I can't tell you how much I love this - it's my go-to palette that at the moment, I'm using 5-6 days out of 7... (and no, they're not paying me to say this and I did buy it with my own money - I just love it!) as far as I'm concerned, it's a no-brainer, and I'm a die-hard Urban Decay fan, but MUA you've won me over ;)

Nice on MUA - knocked it out of the park again!

Pixi3 out

xXx

MUA Bronzed Perfection

Hey guys!  Hope you're all have a great day?

So, I managed to get my paws on an MUA Bronzed Perfection the other day, I was super happy and, couldn't quite get over how mahoosive it is!  It retails for £3 I believe, which given the size (and quality) is very reasonable.

Thoughts

Well, these are only initial impressions as I've not used it on my skin yet - I'll update this post with a link to a full review when I've done one, which will probably be a little while yet.  First impressions are that I like it, it's really well pigmented and very soft.  The only reservation I have, is more to do with it working with my skin tone, so that's really more my issue than the bronzers :)  I think you really do get your money's worth given the sheer size of this.  I'll be using it, as well as my new Sleek contour/blusher trio over the next couple of weeks and I'll report back with a more accurate review - but for now, like the rest of MUA's products, I really like it - tip of the cap to you MUA!

Pixi3 out

xXx

ANNOUNCEMENT! New Item added to Giveaway!

Yep, you heard it, I'm adding ANOTHER item to the giveaway :)  I simply couldn't resist, it's a product with amazing reviews and is frequently compared to the Naked 2 palette.  Drumroll...... it's the MUA Undressed palette :)  I'm sorry the quality of the photo's aren't great, but at least you'll get an idea :)

To see a comparison shade for shade to the Naked 2 palette, have a look at Leanne's blog at 'Do Not Refreeze' she compares both together shade against shade.

Why you ask?
Because I'm amazed how well this giveaway is going, and can't believe how much people are getting involved with it, its fantastic and makes me super happy :)  So as a further thank you, I wanted to add this item.  Now, I did buy one for myself too (yes I know I'm on project 10 pan, but I didn't want to pay postage & packaging twice (sold out in my superdrug) so it's sitting on the side, unopened until P10P has finished)  :)

So, thank you all for making this giveaway a roaring success, keep up the good work, and keep sharing, tweeting etc :)

Pixi3 out
xXx

MUA Haul / Review

Hey everyone!  I have a mini Birthday haul that I wanted to share with you :)

I've been a bit slow updating my blog recently, sorry about that.  I've basically had 3.5 weeks off work and have just been enjoying them so much, I haven't done much else (other than go to Ireland of course).  Now, this post is purely about MUA - and I would like to state that I am not in any way affiliated with the brand, and that I purchased all these products with my own money.  I haven not been paid to do this blog, these are my own thoughts and opinions.

So, MUA ran an amazing offer, because they hit 20k likes, they did an offer that if you purchased anything from their online store, they would give away with every order a FREE immaculate palette.  Now, that palette was worth £8 which is pretty much their most expensive item as it's a budget brand.  An offer you definitely didn't want to miss!  So, I took the opportunity to be brave, and get a few things I've been meaning to try, things like a white pencil liner, MUA lipstick etc etc.  Here's what I got:

MUA Extreme Volume Mascara £2
MUA Lipstick in Shade 6 £1
MUA Intense Colour Liner Pencil in Snow White £1
MUA Extreme Felt Liner in Black £2
MUA Eye Dust in Shade 5 £1

I've also since purchased 2 of their Lip Boom's from their online store which turned up today, which is great timing so I can include them in this post too!  I purchased 2 colours, ok.com and Doin Good.  They are retailing at £3 each.

Extreme Volume Mascara

I've only worn this volume mascara a couple of times, so I can't give a full in-depth review - however, these are my thoughts so far.  It's a really nice formulation, quite a wet formula and gives very pretty eyelashes.  My hangup is the brush, it doesn't grip the lashes that well.  This can be combated by purchasing lash brushes - you can pick them up for a few pounds on the web and generally come in large packs - if you can find ones you like this would be a great solution as the actual product itself is lovely.

Lipstick

I'm really impressed with thier lipstick.  This is the first lipstick in their line that I've tried, it feels very hydrating and buttery in texture.  The colour range is nice and contemporary.  I purchased Shade 6, which has small silvery glitter in it, this helps give it a nice sparkle and make it look more glossy.  A definite thumbs up from me, especially for £1.

Extreme Felt Eyeliner

Now, this felt eyeliner has some staying power, even with makeup wipes it doesn't shift easily, which is a good thing.  All too many felt eyeliners either transfer on to my top lid, or wear off very quickly.  I always end up reaching for my trusty Chanel liquid eyeliner after trying so many others, but with this one I didn't as much.  The only negative for me, was that I didn't find it black enough.  When I use liquid eyeliner, I like it to be jet black, whereas I found this to be more of a charcoal black.  The brush was quite firm too, so if you're going back over your liner to try to make it blacker, you might find it gets a bit sore, but I'm sure with use that roughness will wear off.

Intense Colour Eyeliner

So far, I've used this Intense Colour Eyeliner twice.  It was good, it stayed on for a reasonable amount of time.  It's very soft and creamy in texture and blends really well.  I don't see it lasting too long because of that fact.  Again I refer back to Chanel, I love thier Khol eyeliner, I've had it for ages and it takes a long time to go down.  But, there is also a massive price difference between the two, and it's unfair of me to compare MUA to High end brands.  In some areas, they do compare (lipstick, liquid eyeliner), and in others, not quite as much.  But that's not a bad thing - MUA own the fact that they're a budget brand and they embrace that, as they should.  They have some fantastic proudcts, and some I wouldn't re-purchase, but hey, you get that with every brand (even my favourite, Chanel).

Eye Dust

So far I've only used this one eye dust.  I love, love, love the colour, the only thing I didn't like as much was that it didn't seem to carry it's intensity through to the application and wear on the lid.  It did dull after a short while, and even after blending.  It's still a beautiful colour, even after all that.  I would like to try more of their colours in that range, maybe a sea / aqua blue or a bright purple, it would be nice to compare.

Immaculte Eye Shadow Palette

What a great palette for them to give away, The Immaculate!  24 colours, most are shimmery, and a couple are matt.  Some winners, and sadly, some losers which is to be expected.  The below picture I've circled the ones that I think are great, and the ones that aren't so great.  Green circles are good, red are bad :)

Oh, and here's some swatches.  All swatches were done on clean skin, and without primer.  So, these colours would of course intensify when using a primer underneath like Urban Decay's Eye Shadow Primer Potion or the Two Faced Shadow Insurance etc.

One of my favourite colours was the colour, 2nd from the right on the 2nd row down.  A shimmary blue colour with gold flecks in it, really stunning - I can't wait to use this one.

Last, and certainly not least, LIP BOOM!

Now, here's a product they've hit the home run with!  Lip Boom is in collaboration with Alexander Burke. They've launched in 8 shades (It's a Situation, LMK, OK.com, Vibe, Cheeky, Doin Good, OMG and Bring It), I purchased 2 of them in OK.com and Doin Good.  

 with lip gloss

 without lip gloss

 with lip gloss

without lip gloss

Both are beautiful colours, but I do have a favourite!  Doin Good is definitely the winner out of these two for me, I feel that the other one is just too light for my skin tone.  When you add the gloss over the top it's much better, but the base lipstick is just to fair.  However, with Doin Good, the colour alone is stunning, and then when adding the gloss over the top it's double stunning.  One thing I'd also like to mention is that both gloss's smell amazing!  They smell like ice cream, really delish :)

Pixi3 out
xXx