A Change of Heart: MUA

I've been pretty bad at updating this blog lately thanks to one of the most time consuming activities on the planet - job hunting (thankfully I'm now soon to be employed, woohoo!) so there are a few posts I'm hoping to write up in the next few days.

Today I thought I'd have a little bit of a moan, and unfortunately retract some of the positive things I've said on this blog about one of my ex-favourite brands, MUA. I've mentioned quite a few of their products, but over time I've been finding one recurring problem that has really put me off of buying anything more from the brand - the packaging of nearly every product I've bought has broken within a few days/weeks.

The first breakage came immediately after buying one of their lipsticks last year. Each lipstick is meant to have a little bit at the bottom that shows the shade of the product, but this part of the packaging snapped off almost immediately once I got the lipstick home. No big loss as I wasn't too sold on the shade anyway.

I wrote a rave review of MUA's Undress Me eyeshadow palette back in November, and I remain impressed with the product quality to this day. The packaging was never anything special, but this didn't bother me - until the lid broke a couple of months ago. I'm now left with a pretty useless palette that I can't carry around or keep in my makeup box without making a massive mess.

I recently wrote a post about the combination of MUA's Undress Me Highlighter and Bronzed Perfection bronzer, both £3. I loved both of the products and found that they worked really well together, and couldn't beleive that they were such a brilliant bargain. Unfortunately, the reason the products retail so cheaply seems once again to be due to cutting corners on packaging - the lids of BOTH of these products have for some time now been broken. As with the eyeshadow palette, this renders them pretty useless - I can't take them anywhere and have to keep them seperately to the rest of my makeup.

 I'm absolutely gutted to think that such lovely products are rendered unusable by such a stupid detail as shoddy packaging. Just to be clear, I do look after my makeup - I don't keep products loose in my bag and store them in a box and home. It's only my MUA products that I've had any trouble with - I recently tweeted the company about this issue, but sadly got no response.

In future I will probably avoid MUA, and stick to my other budget favourites such as Sleek and e.l.f. Shame.

Five under a Fiver

Hello! I thought I'd do a quick post to share my five favourite products of the moment that cost under £5, so here they are:

Top row: Superdrug Coconut oil - Nivea Express Hydration Primer - St. Moritz Tanning Mousse. Bottom row: Model's Own Kohl Eyeliner Pencil - MUA Shimmer Highlighter

I know I keep bannging on about the Superdrug Coconut oil so I'm not going to waffle on about it agian here, but if you want to know more about my current favourite beauty bargain then you can read my original review here. As for the other four.....

Nivea Express Hydration Primer, £4.99

I love this primer,  and it's a brilliant steal at £4.99. It creates a lovely smooth base for your makeup, and if you have normal to dry skin then it will provide a lovely burst of moisture too. The only thing I would say about this product is to wait a minute or two after applying it before adding foundation on top, or it may start to peel and it won't be attractive.

Model's Own Kohn Eyeliner Pencil, £4

These pencils are great because they glide on smoothly, are easily smudgable (is smudgable even a word? If not then it is now) with the attached tool at the end of the pencil, and last throughout the entire day. It also comes with a sharpener built into the lid which you may not be able to see too clearly in this picture, but it works perfectly and means that you will always have a beautifully sharp pencil. Also available in white, pink, blue and brown. 

MUA 'Undress Your Skin' Shimmer Highlighter, £3

This is an ideal budget highlighter. The picture doesn't really do justice to how big it is, so you're getting plenty of product for not a lot of money. Sweep a little product across the top of your cheekbones or smudge a teeny bit into the corners of your eyes for a fresh-faced look.









St. Moritz Instant Self Tanning Mousse, £2.99

This fake tan is probably one of the worst kept secrets in beauty, but since we've actually had a little taster of summer this week with some sunnier weather I thought it was definitely worth a mention to refresh your memories. St. Moritz is a brilliant dupe for St. Tropez tanning mousse, and at a tiny wee fraction of the price - what's not to love? Wait for the tan to dry and then whack a small amount of Coconut oil on top for lovely supple-looking legs.





Have you tried any of these products? Or are there any bargains you think I should have included on this list? Let me know! :) xx

Bargain Alert - Seventeen Doll'd Up mascara & 3-way Liquid Eyeliner

I'm thoroughly ashamed of how long it's been since I updated this blog - unfortunately, Chritsmas and my dissertation have had to take priority! That said, I want to make everybody aware of a great offer going in Boots at the moment when you buy their brand new 'Doll'd Up' mascara by Seventeen.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I'm a massive fan of Seventee's 'Wild Curls' mascara - it's by far the best value budget mascara I've found to date. Interestingly, the 'Doll'd Up' mascara is also being marketed as a curling mascara, which made me curious to try it out to see if it matched up to my old favourite. Boots is currently selling the mascara at the introductory price of £5.29, which will go up to £6.29 after this period. However, the thing that sealed the deal for me was the added incentive of a free gift - for a limited time, when you buy this mascara you receive Seventeen's 'Doll'd Up' 3-way liquid eyeliner free of charge. Both of these products (particularly the mascara) are packaged beautifully, and having had some very positive experience of Seventeen in the past, I couldn't wait to try these babies out.


As you can see from the photo (excuse the shoddy quality - in order to speed up the process of blogging I've been lazy and used my iPhone camera) the eyeliner has three prongs, which allows you to create graphic lines simply and without fuss. The pen can also be used to create a dotted effect, which is great when applied to the upper lash line in order to give a little added thickness to the look of lashes without committing to full eyeliner. I tend to use this pen when I want winged eyeliner - with a normal liquid or gel liner I am HOPELESS at creating neat, matching flicks, but this tool makes it easy. The liner does not smudge or fade throughout the day, and is easily applied over eyeshadow. This is by far the most pain-free experience I have ever had when it comes to winged applying winged eyeliner - result!

The mascara has not impressed me quite as much - although it's perfectly adequate for shoving on for days when I'm not really doing anything, I find it to be a little too lacking in volume for everyday use. To remedy this problem I simply add a top coat of 'Wild Curls' for a fuller effect. When this amazing offer ends, the 'Doll'd up' mascara will be the same price as 'Wild Curls', and there's no doubt in my mind as to which one I'll be buying. (Oh, and it doesn't curl my lashes either. Neither of them do. Do curling mascaras simply not work, or do I have the most poker-straight lashes known to man?)

I'm unsure how Seventeen will price the eyeliner once the offer ends, but based on the liquid eyeliners that they currently sell I don't imagine it will cost more than a fiver, which is OUTSTANDING value. In the mean time, I urge everyone to get down to Boots and snap up the offer while it lasts - think of it as paying £5.29 for a fantastic eyeliner, with a free mascara to stick in your handbag as a spare.

Seventeen 'Doll'd Up' Mascara - 2.5/5
Seventeen 'Doll'd Up' 3-way Graphic Liner - 5/5

Budget vs Blowout - Hair Strenghtening Treatments

Even though I'm a big-time bargain lover, I always find myself tempted by the bigger name brands which tend to carry the higher price tag. Luckily, when it comes to hair products, I rarely have to splurge to try a higher end product thanks to my Aunt, an ex-hairdresser who likes to sample every shampoo, conditioner and treatment going, then pass them on to me after a few uses reveal that they aren't suitable for her super fussy hair.

 The last time I saw her, she donated a 250ml bottle of Redken Anti-Snap Leave In Conditioner. I was pretty pleased with this result as I'd been longing to try a Redken product for some time, but could never quite bring myself to spend twice as I'd usually pay for a highstreet alternative. At over £13 a bottle on Amazon, I'd usually consider this product to be out of my poverty stricken student budget (sobs).

In contrast, I recently decided I wanted to give coconut oil a try in wake of Moroccan Oil Mania (see my review of Avon's budget friendly version here), as it sounded like it could be a purse-friendly alternative. To quench my curiosity, I picked up Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Hair Repair Treatment from Amazon for £2.36, in the hope that I may have found a new favourite that I can actually afford!

The Redken treatment promises to strengthen hair and prevent split ends, as well as hydrating for instant results. I found that I didn't need to use too many pumps of the conditioner to be able to get good coverage of my ends, and the smell was pleasant too.
I didn't notice a massive difference in the feel of my hair immediately after using the Redken conditioner, but in the long term I have noticed a reduction in the amount of split ends - whether this is down to the conditioner or the fact that I have shorter hair than I used to, I'm not entirely sure. 

The Coconut Oil Hair Repair Treatment is a masque rather than a leave in conditioner, making it more of a hassle to use than the Redken strengthener, which you can just apply to hair and then blow dry as normal. The packaging promises that the treatment will nourish and hydrate hair making it softer and stronger, helping to prevent breakage and split ends. The smell of the Inecto product is divine (providing you like the smell of coconut as much as I do), and the scent lingers on your hair until you next wash it. My hair did feel immediately softer and shinier after rinsing the masque - more so than after using the Redken treatment - but the feeling fades fast, leaving me wondering whether the product is actually benefiting my hair at all in the long run.

Despite promising the same results,  I've found that I've been using these products for different reasons. The Redken Anti-Snap conditioner won't provide immediate benefits but will instead work its magic in the long run, whereas the Inecto conditioner is perfect for using before a special occasion, as it will leave your hair shiney, soft and smelling gorgeous. For under three quid I'd recommend investing in the Coconut Oil masque, but in light of the £13 price tag I probably won't be re-purchasing the Redken treatment when it runs out.

Kate Moss Matte Lipstick by Rimmel

I'd read a fair few rave reviews of Kate Moss' new lipstick range for Rimmel when they first launched a few months ago, and couldn't wait to try one out. I'd already decided that I wanted to try shade #107, a deep, vampy red, but unfortunately it seemed that I lot of people had had the same idea - it took several trips into town before I managed to track one down. I finally found one (the last one in the shop!) in Boots a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to write a review ever since. 

The lipstick costs £5.49, which I think is very reasonable for a decent lipstick. The packaging is beautiful - the case is a lovely matte red with Kate's autograph written on the lid in black; very elegant. Once applied the lipstick feels thick and creamy on the lips, appears perfectly matte, and the pigmentation is incredible - one coat gives complete coverage, and the colour appears bottomless. It won't last all day, but its staying power is better than most - perhaps I notice the fading more as I went for such a dark shade. That said,  I absolutely love the colour of this particular lipstick, it's a perfect for this season's trends - although I'll be completely honest and say I haven't worn it out yet, as when I leave the house it tends to be to go either to a lecture or the gym (#thirdyearproblems), and so this shade would be much too much. This week however I don't think it's going to leave my lips - two friends are celebrating their birthdays and it's my work Christmas do, perfect excuse much?!

This lipstick is an absolute steal for £5.49, and there are so many seasonal offers floating around at Boots and Superdrug that you're bound to be able to pick one up cheaply. Happy shopping! 

4.5/5

MUA: Undressed Palette / Lipsticks

I tend to buy my beauty products from Boots above anywhere else, simply because I love their generous Advantage Card scheme. For this reason I'd never really heard much about MUA, a brand only available online or in Superdrug, until I started reading some other beauty blogs. After reading one particularly complimentary review, I knew I had to try some of their stuff out - partly because it seemed as if the products were half decent, and partly because they are simply TOO CHEAP not to try.

When the MUA range launched, all products retailed at the too-good-to-be-true price of £1 each. As the brand became successful, a new range was launched - MUA Professional - and although these items are slightly more expensive, I couldn't spot anything that costs more than £4. Prodcuts from the original range still cost £1 a pop.

I picked up two lipsticks, a coral-ish pink (shade 14) and a plummy purple (shade 2) from the original range, as well as the Professional 'Undressed' eyeshadow palette. As the name suggests, this palette is an unapologetic copycat version of Urban Decay's £35  'Naked' palette - except this MUA alternative comes in at just £4 (£3 if you're quick - I bought mine on a special offer instore at Superdrug, although I'm not sure how long this deal will last).

First off, the lipsticks. The first thing I noticed when I used either shade is the smell - although not particularly unpleasant, there's no denying that it has that cheapo lipstick odour. Strangely, I noticed a big difference in the pigmentation of the two lipsticks despite them being from the same range - the coral shade never seemed to fully coat my lips even after a few coats, whereas the plum appeared nicely pigmented after just one coat - odd! Maybe it didn't help that I wasn't all too keen on the coral to start with - for a start it's a very summery shade, and I think it would have suited me far better if I'd kept my blonde hair. I completely love the plum though - the shade suits me far better, and lasts longer than the coral, probably because it actually fully coated my lips to start with.

Now for the palette - and I am delighted to say that this is one of my favourite beauty bargains of the moment!  (At this point I would love to whip out a Naked palette and do a direct comparison, but alas - the only thing I can justify spending £35 on is my fortnightly Tesco shop.) The range of colours is lovely (nigh on identical to the Naked shades), with a nice balance of matte and shimmer shadows. They are easy to apply without sending shadow-dust flying everywhere, and are robust once you're wearing them - I haven't had to retouch my eyeshadow at all when wearing this palette. The only thing I would say is that the applicator that comes with the palette is useless, so use a nicer brush for best results. 


What a result, eh? I'll definitely be repurchasing the palette when it eventually runs out, and despite the hit or miss results from the lipsticks, I'll  be buying them to test out new shades or for general day to day wear. Check out the full range of MUA products at muastore.co.uk, or pop into a Superdrug store.

'Undressed' Palette: 5/5
Lipstick: 2.5/5 

eBay False Lashes

I'd never worn fake lashes when I arrived at uni two years ago, having been put off my a terrible experience of buying a huuuuge pair to wear to a Lady Gaga gig which made me look like a drag queen. It was my flatmate Nat who introduced me to them properly, by buying me a few pairs as part of an 'Essex starter-kit' (she's from Brentwood, FYI), and even stuck them on for me the first few times when I wasn't feeling confident.

I started off buying Eyelure lashes, which were easy to apply and looked beautiful, but at £6 a pair I couldn't afford to keep using them every time I went out. So I turned to the one place that you can usually snap up a bargain - eBay. 

There are almost 3000 search results for 'fake lashes' on eBay, and most sellers offer the same products, so it's worth having a poke around to make sure you're getting the best price. When buying lashes from eBay, I always go for the boxes of ten pairs, which you can usually pick up for just £2.50.

The lashes come presented in a white box, and are easily detatched without causing damage. The quality of the lashes is clearly not up to the same standard as brands like Eyelure, but nobody will know from a distance - if you're concerned that the lashes don't look real enough, simply add a few coats of mascara.

The lashes come in a massive range of styles, so whether you're looking for something to wear day to day or to complete your look for a big night out, you'll be able to find a suitable style. In the picture, I am wearing lash style no.6 from this listing. I am also a fan of style no.13 for a more natural look. My housemate Anna has a larger gap between her lashline and her eyebrows than I do and finds that style no.10 suits her better, whereas on me the lashes appear far too long.

I find that the length of the strip for adhesive on these lashes is far too long for my eyes, so I always trim them with scissors before applying to ensure that they will fit better, and therefore last longer. The lashes are also much straighter than the curvature of my lashline, but pressing the base strip into a curve with your nail before applying the glue makes it much easier for you to position them correctly on your lids.

Another downside of these cheapo lashes is that they don't come with glue, so unless you have a tube left over from a different pair, you'll need to buy some - luckily, you can easily pick a large tube up on eBay for a few quid - just search 'eyelash glue'.

All things considered, these lashes are a good buy - perfect for if you enjoy wearing falsies regularly but can't afford the pricey highstreet options. I still like to use Eyelure lashes if I'm going anywhere particularly special, but for your standard night out these are ideal!

3.5/5