Super Drug MUA Lipstick Review

I love a bit of lippy and was when I saw the super cheap range of MUA (Make Up Academy) lipsticks available at Super Drug, I had to get them. There are 13 shades in the range, none of them have names they are listed by number 1 to 13.  I paid €1.05 for each one, so with 13 in the range that’s a super reasonable €13.65. Sure you’d have to buy them all for that price, even just to play with. They are slightly smaller at 3.8g than the standard lipstick size of 4g.

The pigments are okay.  The range of colours is good, with only one or two really dodgy ones, I’m not sure where or when you would wear shade 4 or 5, perhaps handy to have for fancy dress? Some of them are slightly shimmery, notably 5, 10 and 12.    My favourite shade is 11, I wear it a lot during the day, it doesn’t look much in the swatch but there’s a hint of coral in it that is quite natural looking when on.

These are nice soft and creamy lipsticks, In terms of longevity, I get about 3 hours out it before it needs reapplication but then again I’m not much of a ‘lip licker’ or ‘face toucher’ so I tend to get longer out of product that some people I know. In fact at times they feel more like a heavily coloured lipgloss.

 

Cruelty Free Foundation – MAC Studio Sculpt

Since writing about animal testing for cosmetics I have been trying to find more cruelty free makeup both for person and professional use, I delved into my makeup kit and came out with MAC Studio Sculpt, one of a frankly ridiculous amount of foundations I own.  MAC are listed on the USA PETA site as not being tested on animals but aren’t on the UK site, I can only imagine that this might because MAC products are made across the world, in Italy, France, Japan, etc. and perhaps the products made in the USA by MAC are not tested on animals.  I can’t get a clear picture on this, this is just my estimation, if you know for sure, let me know.  Anyway MAC Studio Sculpt is made in the USA so I reckon I’m safe from a cruelty free perspective.  While I have this product in my kit it’s not one that I have worn too often.  So I thought I’d revisit it and do a bit of a review.

Understanding MAC Foundation Codes: Just a quick note on NC and NW codes used by MAC for those of you who are unfamiliar with them, NC is Neutral Cool and is for skin with yellow undertones and NW is Neutral Warm and is for skin with pink undertones.  

 

Urge EU to Stick to Deadline for Banning Animal-Tested Cosmetics

A few days ago I did a post listing all the ingredients I was wearing on my face via my makeup, and it got me thinking about the products I use without a thought as to what’s in them, where they come from, how they are made, and if they are tested on animals or not…. So I checked out PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and I’ve just learned that the European Union is threatening to delay its total ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.

The final deadline to ban the marketing of every cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals is 11 March 2013, after which the shelves of every shop and internet supplier in Europe will be free of animal-tested cosmetics, which would be fantastic, but this ban is now likely to be delayed, some reports say by up to 10 years.

No animal should ever be subjected to testing for cosmetics or their ingredients, and I’ve taken action online to e-mail the European Commission and demand that there be no delay on the deadline.  It’s really important that as many people as possible contact them so that they understand how deeply people oppose cosmetics testing on animals. If you feel this way, then please find two minutes to take online action via the peta website.

Look, far be it from me to tell anyone what to do or what to buy, that’s a decision we all have to make for ourselves.  But since going through the PETA website I now know that quite a lot of the cosmetics I own are not 100% animal testing free and I’ve made the decision to no longer buy anything that has been tested on animals or has ingredients that have been tested on animals.

The good news is that there are lots of cosmetic suppliers that don’t test on animals and are Peta approved, for example, Urban Decay, The Body Shop, Burts Bees, Lush, Marks & Spencers and more companies.  If you have a few moments, check out the PETA website for products that they approve, it might change what you buy and how you feel about certain products.

Oh and I will be revisiting all my old posts/reviews over the coming week or so to add in if the product is PETA approved or not, so any readers will have the full facts before purchasing a product I’ve reviewed.

 

Revlon ColorStay V’s Make Up Forever Mat Velvet +

Revlon ColorStay is quite often compared to Make Up Forever Mat Velvet +, I own and wear both foundations and thought I would do a review comparing the two.  For the review I’ve used Revlon ColorStay in Sand Beige (180) and Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + (30) as the colours are quite similar.  I wouldn’t ordinarily wear these shades as they are a tiny bit too dark for me unless I have a small bit of fake tan on.

Price:  Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + €36 for 30ml.  Revlon ColorStay also in 30ml bottle is usually €17.50 but from time to time it is on offer for €13.50, so keep an eye out for this offer.  I wouldn’t pay €17.50, but for €13.50 that makes it a great buy in my opinion.

Texture: Both have a similar texture and are quick to dry. Be careful around the eye area as both can settle into fine lines and wrinkles ensure you apply a light eye cream first.  Both are good if you have oily/combination skin, but avoid if your skin is at all dry.  Revlon ColorStay also comes in a normal/combination formulation but it’s not great for dry skin either.

 

A Few Of My Favourite Things From ELF

I have bought several items from ELF – Eyes Lips Face, an online makeup store, but my three favourite items that I think are really worth shouting about are: ELF Eyelid Primer (€1.70),  ELF High Definition Face Powder (€6.80), and ELF Professional Shine Eraser Sheets (€1.70).

ELF Eyelid Primer

ELF Eyelid primer costs €1.70, that’s right only €1.70 for 5ml which lasts for ages.  I got this by mistake, thinking I had ordered the ELF Mineral Eye Shadow Primer which is meant for use prior to applying mineral eye shadow but I liked the fact that the mineral Eye Shadow Primer has no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes.  The mineral eyeshadow primer is €3.50. Having used both, I can say that they are just as effective as each other.