Make-up Academy have recently been expanding their range and with it created these new cream blushers. Being a make-up artist I love using cream products and trying out all the new releases, and this was no exception.

I picked up Dolly which is a really pretty peachy shade, perfect for that subtle natural blush.

Swatched you can see how pretty the colour is, such a nice shade of pinky peach. The product itself is suuuuuuper creamy and so easy to blend, you only need a small amount as it spreads into the skin and is buildable.

Blended out it gives a really natural tint to the skin which isn’t too overbearing or harsh. I think this colour is very versatile and can look good on all skin tones. 

MY TIPS ON USING A CREAM BLUSH

• You always want to use your fingers when applying a cream blusher. This is because the warmth of your hands helps to heat the product allowing it to blend into the skin easier.
• Remember- less is more. This definitely applies when using creams as the products are normally super pigmented. You want to start by blending a really small amount and then adding more until you are happy.
• If you feel you have applied too much and are looking a bit ‘clown’ like- buff the blusher with a translucent powder. This will help to dull down the colour and set the cream.
• The best place to apply a cream blush is just on the outer apples of the cheeks. This way when you blend, it will cover all the surrounding areas.
• If you want to set your blusher (it is a cream so it does not set) try using a similar colour blusher over the top, or just a translucent powder. Do note however that the colour will be less vivid with a translucent powder over the top.

Cream products have amazing staying powder and will be in place all day, especially if you have set the product. 

MUA have the matching powder blusher in their £1 range so you can set it with the perfect colour!

(picture taken from MUA Blog)

Overall MUA have come up with another fab product and I will definitely be buying more of these!! 

They are available online at www.muastore.co.uk and selected Superdrug stores for just £2!!!!

Get shopping people!

Stay creative,

MUA have teamed up with X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke to create this new range of Lipsticks with a Lipgloss highlighter. I was lucky enough to be invited to the Lip Boom launch and get my hands on all 8 shades! This is a long post but I have swatched and reviewed each shade so you lovely people can choose your faves. :) 

They retail at £3 each and are available online at www.muastore.co.uk. They launch in selected Superdrug stores on May 9th.

SHADE NAME:OK.COM

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Peachy Nude

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Peachy Orange Glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

Lipstick on its own                                With Highlighter on top

SHADE: I love the colour of this lipstick, it is a really nice peachy nude and is similar to MAC’s Fleshpot. Its always a struggle to find a good nude at a reasonable price and this one is a little gem! Because of the peachy tone it doesn’t wash the skin out as some nude’s can often make the wearer look pale and unwell. The highlighter adds a nice warm tint and a golden sheen. The great thing about this colour is that it is suitable for darker skins as well as lighter skins as you can see from Alexandra’s picture on the packaging.

COVERAGE: The coverage is good considering the price and is buildable from a light coverage to an opaque one.

OVERALL: Overall I really like the shade of this product and its wearability.

SHADE NAME:CHEEKY

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Light Pale Pink

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Pink glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

Lipstick on its own                                 With highlighter on top

SHADE: The shade of this colour is great because it doesn’t wash the skin out even though it is such a pale pink. The highlight adds a subtle shimmer and gloss to the lips making the colour pop.

COVERAGE: The lipstick is opaque but can tend to sit in the creases of the lips. Its not overly noticable and can be sorted by swiping a brush across the lips to even out application.

OVERALL: Pink isn’t really my colour but I do like the shade and I think it can be very versatile on different skin tones.

SHADE NAME:OMG

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Bright Coral

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Peachy Orange Glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

Lipstick on its own                                    With highlighter on top

SHADE: This is a really beautiful shade for the summer! It is a hot bright coral which would look amazing in the sunshine next to a sizzling beach! There are lots of coral lippys around but I love this one because even though its bright, its not in your face. Its perfect for a subtle pop of colour. The highlighter is perfect for this shade as it is a golden shimmer which naturally gives the skin a glow.

COVERAGE: The coverage is similar to Cheeky where it tends to sit in the creases of the lips. By making sure the lips are primed and smooth will help to stop this from happening.

OVERALL: A great summer shade! And for only £3 there is no excuse why you shouldn’t have one!

SHADE NAME: DOIN’ GOOD

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Deep Coral Pink

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Bronze Glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

SHADE: Its difficult to describe this shade, I would call it a kind of deep coral pink. But whatever you call it, it is a pretty colour! It is perfect if you don’t feel daring enough to wear red as it is subtle and feminine with a more natural look. However still provides a flash of colour. The highlighter gives a nice shimmer without taking away from the lipstick.
COVERAGE: The coverage and pigment of this lipstick is surprisingly good! It is very opaque and doesn’t need a lot of build up to get a good colour.
OVERALL: A really nice shade that is quite unusual but definitely wearable and suitable for lots of occasions.

SHADE NAME: VIBE

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Pinky Brown

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Brown Multi Glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

Lipstick on its own                                     With highlighter on top

SHADE: This is another shade I struggled to describe the colour of, I went with a pinky brown but I can also see shades of coral in there too. I think this shade is perfect for a nude on darker skins. It has a beautiful pink undertone and as you can see on Alexandra’s picture looks great as a nude. It also works great on lighter skin tone’s too, working as a natural muted pink, I think shades like this are perfect for the office as they can add colour without being too noticeable. I love the highlighter on this shade because it has multi-tonal glitter which picks up the light beautifully!

COVERAGE: The coverage is great on this shade and it provides a smooth opaque finish.
OVERALL: A really nice shade to give a natural look on all skin tones.

SHADE NAME: BRING IT

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Bright Red

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Peachy Glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

Lipstick on its own                                     With highlighter on top

SHADE: This has got to be my FAVE of the whole range, how stunning is this colour?! Its so bright and bold it is perfect for those party nights out if you’re looking to make a statement. Everybody needs a red in their handbag and for £3 I could not recommend enough that this should be the one! The highlighter works to add a warm glow to the lipstick meaning it makes the skin look more tanned, perfect for holiday sun!

COVERAGE: The coverage of this lipstick is amazing, it is so pigmented and you could get the result with just one swipe.

OVERALL: I can’t be enthusiastic enough about this product! The shade is beautiful and it looks different on every skin tone meaning its great for everyone! If you are going to buy any of the shades, buy this one!

SHADE NAME: IT’S A SITUATION

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Plum

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Pink Glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

Lipstick on its own                                     With highlighter on top

SHADE: For a highstreet brand, this colour is amazing! It is really hard to find shades like this from highstreet brands to thank goodness for MUA! It is a beautiful shade of plum and looks very sophisticated especially teamed up with a gorgeous gown! It is very daring but surprisingly suits most skin tones because of the purplish colour. The highlighter adds a pretty pink sparkle making lips stand out.

COVERAGE: The pigment of this shade is amazing however I did find the colour to go slightly patchy when I applied. This could be due to the condition of my lips as I do tend to have dry skin. For £3 though I can not complain!

OVERALL: A very sophisticated colour without the horrendous price tag! Looks great on all skin tones even very pale skins!

SHADE NAME: LMK

LIPSTICK COLOUR: Deep Wine

LIPGLOSS COLOUR: Pink Glitter

SWATCH

Swatched in natural sunlight with one swipe of each.

Lipstick on its own                                     With highlighter on top

SHADE: This shade is so vampy! It is a rich wine colour which again is unheard of in highstreet brands! I love the richness of this shade and it to me it screams luxuriousness. It is very daring and may look slightly frightening but everybody should try a shade like this as you might be surprised how much it suits your skin tone! This is another one of my favourite colours from the range and the pink sparkle adds a beautiful sheen to top of the lips.

COVERAGE: Again the pigment of this lipstick for £3 is incredible! It does tend to go patchy aswell but it almost looks as though it is shaded rather than uneven? 
OVERALL: A beautiful deep shade-amazing for a high fashion look!

AN OVERALL THOUGHT ON THE RANGE:

The lipsticks themselves are really creamy and easy to apply. They are slightly drying, but all matte lipsticks are and these are not as bad as others that I have tried. The glitter in the highlighter is quite big and can feel grainy in texture but it doesn’t affect the wear of the lipstick. One of my favourite aspects of these lipsticks is that each shade is suitable for every skin tone which makes them perfect for individuals as well as make-up artists like myself. The product is very versatile as you can wear the lipstick on its own, with the highliter, with the highlighter all over the lips as a gloss or the gloss on its own.

For £3 you really need this product in your life! 

MUA’s Head of Make-up Artistry Karla Powell suggests applying the highlighter on top of the cupid’s bow for a fuller top lip, or applying on the centre of both lips for a plumped out full lip look.

Check them out on the website here-www.muastore.com

Hope this tutorial was useful! Get shopping people!

Stay Creative,

Grace <3

So my latest obsession is MUA Cosmetics. Available from Superdrug everything in their range is UNDER £5!!! That is amazing value for money considering the high quality products they produce. I love their products so much and you can see by the picture, I kind of went a bit crazy…

But anyway, I thought I would share with you my review on the products and voice my love for them!

PALETTES:

These are the MUA palettes that I have and they all cost £4 except for their new 24 shade Immaculate Collection which is £8. From top to bottom, left to right they are:

Immaculate Collection- £8

Heaven and Earth- £4

Pretty Pastels- £4

Pop Tastic- £4

Glamour Nights- £4

Starry Night- £4

Glitter Ball -£4

Their palettes are very highly pigmented and have a great range of colours! My favourite palette is Heaven and Earth and it is one of MUA’s best sellers. It consists of all natural colours no matter what your skin tone, eye colour or hair colour, their will be a shade in there to suit you. Considering the price the packaging is very sturdy plastic and its great that you can see all the colours without having to open all the lids. I would definitely recommend these palettes as I use them on my make-up jobs they are that good!

Single and Trio Eyeshadows:

The single eyeshadows are only £1!! They are great value for money as they are VERY highly pigmented and quite large. The Trio Eyeshadows are £2.50 each and you get 3 colours, one is a highlight, then a lighter colour and a darker colour. They are perfect for doing a smoky eye because all the colours are together and for the price its too good to miss!! 

These mosaic bronzers are my absolute fave! They are also £2.50 and I use mine everyday on myself as the colour is great for my skin. There is a light pink one which goes on quite pearly and sheer, my fave goes on a warm bronze and the bottom one is a cool bronze. These are great to have in your kit as they can be quite expensive from other brands.

In the middle in the black is the MUA eyeshadow primer. I’m not sure on the price for this but I would guess at around £1-2, and it is FAB! I would go as far to say it is just as good as the Urban Decay primer but at a ridiculously low price! Above is also the coloured mascaras, they are okay but can stain the skin so be careful not to get any on your lid when applying. The glitter eyeliners are £1 and I love them! My favourite one is the Black with silver glitter as it comes out as a black liquid liner but with sparkles! What is better than that!? The others are great to add a bit of glitter either under the lashline or dabbed onto eyeshadow. I havent yet tried their liquid liners but purchased some anyway, but I am sure they are great! In the middle is the MUA Professional Extreme Quad in Go Getter and these are £3. The pigments are super metallic and you only need a small amount as it goes a long way. They come in loads of different colours and are also great for doing smoky eyes.

Finally we have the lipsticks and lipglosses all retailing at £1! I am in love with the glosses, especially the peach in the middle as it has a gorgeous golden undertone! Beautiful for the summer when your bronzed up on a beach! The other colours are also nice but quite sheer, they don’t come out the colours in the tubes but almost a transparent shade of that colour. But for a quid, who can complain!? The lipsticks are hit and miss, some being great others being not so highly pigmented. My favourite is shade 1 a deep red that is just stunning for this time of year! Especially for all those winter parties. 

Next time your out and you have a bit of loose change, why not treat yourself? They are also fab for building a make-up kit as it costs next to nothing to buy.

This brand is definitely great value for money and has some true gems within its collection! I would recommend till I turn blue! What are you waiting for!? Go and purchaseeeee!!!!

Stay creative,

Grace <3