MUA makeup review: Primer, Contour Pen, Eyeshadow and more!

* edited to add - MUA's website seems to be down right now, so try clicking here in the meantime to check out their products - sorry! *

I'll admit it: I'm a cheapskate when it comes to makeup. My only real splurge is the two products I rely upon the most: lipstick (Mac's Ruby Woo) and foundation (Revlon Colorstay), and at around £15 every few months they're hardly breaking the bank. Yes, I like a bargain, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the most bargainous brand of all: MUA!

Their products may be ridiculously cheap - everything's priced at £1.00, apart from their 'Pro' range, where the most you'll shell out is (gasp!) £4.00 - but do some Googling and you'll find that quite a few of their offerings are, well, really quite good!

Three of their products in particular are so good, in fact, that I use them every single day for my 50s makeup look: their Matte Eyeshadow, their Eye Primer, and their 3-in-1 Contour Pen, plus a few others that I keep handy! Read on for my mini-reviews of these fabulous yet affordable wonders!

First up: Matte Eyeshadow in shade 17.

I use this matte eyeshadow pretty much every day and it's quickly become one of my staples! MUA have gotten good press for the quality, blendability and pigmentation of their eyeshadows and this one is no exception. It's a matte light beige that comes up almost skintone on my fairish skin. It's the perfect neutral shade to use as a base for brighter colours, or just on its own. The pot (palette? what do you call it?) is surprisingly big- it's lasted me a good few months. Highly recommended and just £1!

Next, something I often use with the eyeshadow: the Eye Primer!


It used to be the case, it seems, that primers were the preserve of high-end makeup brands - so naturally, being a tightwad, I had never used them! Until I came across this gem! It claims to provide a smooth base for your eyeshadow and prevent creasing, and at £2.50 it was definitely worth a shot!

And what a discovery! Even long-lasting eyeshadows would crease on my ridiculously oily lids well before the end of the day- no more the case with this fantastic product! It's a creamy paste with a lipgloss-style wand that you apply to your lids and blend, then apply your shadow over the top! Et voila- no-budge eyeshadow through heat, sweat and oil. I especially love it for shimmery shades. Like the eyeshadow it has lasted through months of daily use. Get it now, girlies! :)

I also recommend their Face Primer- does what it says on the tin and lasts forever!

Now for my third daily staple: the 3-in-1 Contour Pen in Dark Brown!

A big secret of my Fifties makeup look is a barely-there line of dark-brown - not black - pencil eyeliner right along my lower lash line (not on the waterline). I've often found this hard to do and keep neat with a regular kohl pencil but this nifty piece of kit makes it easy, for just £1.50! It's a twist-up crayon-style liner with a flat, angled tip that makes lining your eyes a piece of cake- so much easier than using a normal pencil! It's also a decent brown colour - not orange, red or purple-toned like some other cheap liners, and whilst its staying power isn't fantastic, I have never found any pencil liner that hasn't faded on my oily skin by the end of the day. Again, it lasts for ages, and unlike other crayons I've used, has never broken, which is quite something! So ingenious that I can't believe there aren't more like this!

Honorable mentions also go to the following - I might not use them every day, but I like to have them on hand for when I want a bit of glitz!

Glitter Eyeliner in Shade 2 (clear with gold glitter)

and Liquid Eyeliner in Shade 3 (metallic bronze), just £1 each! Apparently, one of Marilyn Monroe's makeup secrets was a fine line of gold liner above her darker liner on her top lash line. I like to do the same with one or the other of these and have always received compliments! Super-flattering on blue-eyes!

MUA is available at Superdrug and via their website, and they ship internationally for those outside the UK!

Have you tried these or any other MUA products? Will you be giving any of my recommendations a whirl? What do you think?

TFG x