New in: MUA, Bourjois, Miss Sporty

Since April, Dutch drugstore Kruidvat has been carrying UK makeup brand MUA. All beauty loving Dutchies rejoiced, until we found out not all stores would carry it. When we found out which stores did, it turned out that most of the stores carrying the brand were the not so logical places. Not a single drugstore in Leiden sells MUA, and in many other major cities you have to travel to a suburb to get to it. When I had a look at the list I saw that one of the drugstores in my parents’ village sells MUA and so when I was last there to see my family, I decided to hit up the store to check out the MUA offerings. Of course, I then wound up finding a bit more than I bargained for, but hey, these things were all new to me. Here are my first impressions of some new make up goodies.

My wish was to buy an MUA eyeshadow palette. However, once I got there, the matte palette which I had my heart set on had sold out. Instead I took home an eye pencil, two lipsticks, a highlighter, a nude colored matte eyeshadow and a mint green nail polish. From a different drugstore I got a new Bourjois nail polish remover pot which now has an extra sponge for easy toe nail polish removal and a liquid lipstick. From Miss Sporty I just bought two nail polishes: one a glitter and one a liquid sand type nail polish.

Bourjois Nail Magic Polish Remover Hands & Feet Instant Removal (€7.99)

Starting off with nail polish bits. I was in the market for a new nail polish remover pot. Ever since finding these things I’ve not used a regular nail polish remover. The Bourjois one is my favorite. It doesn’t smell so foul and the remover is gentle on your nails. It contains oils to keep your nails hydrated and I like the sponge. It’s not too soft, nor too coarse and it makes nail polish removal a dream. And they just released a new variety. This pot comes in a purple color and in the top there is a sponge which you can use to remove nail polish from your toes. Genius! I still have to try it though…

MUA Pistachio Ice Cream (€2.49)
Miss Sporty Oh My Gem 005 (€1.99)
Miss Sporty Crush on You 061 (€1.99)

Whenever I find new brands of make up I am instantly drawn towards their nail polish collection. I love a good nail polish and this cute little bottle by MUA looks very much like an Essie bottle. Paired with the most adorable name and pretty minty green color: I could I pass this one up? Miss Sporty is another budget brand and I always veer towards their nail polish. I found a newly refilled rack full of them and took home a bright green glitter and liquid sand texture one in a pretty brownish red with golden flecks. Coverage for all three of these look great. These swatches are two coats each.

MUA Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter (€6.99)
MUA Eyeshadow Matt in shade 16 (€2.49)
MUA Eye liner pencil in Malt Chocolate (€1.79)

On the MUA bits. The highlighter instantly caught my eye when I stood in front of the display. It reminds me of a MAC Extra Dimension Skin Finish with its wavy pattern. And a pretty pinky toned highlighter is always a foolproof product to try out. MUA single eyeshadows are great. I already own a purple shade, and since the palette I wanted was sold out, I opted for this pretty flesh toned, nude, matte eyeshadow. The pencils were right at eye level for me, and I found a pretty brown shimmery one. At less than €2 it was a steal, no matter how well it would perform.

MUA Lipstick Shade 13 (€2.99)
MUA Lipstick Shade 1 (€2.99)
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Matte Finish Hot Pepper (€13.99)

I had read multiple reviews of MUA lipsticks. When I swatched their matte lipsticks on the back of my hand I was shocked at how little color came off. When I tried the regular line I was surprised at the great pigmentation. The color range is a bit meh, but I found two pretty reds nonetheless: a pinky red and a pretty berry color. Another raved about product are the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Matte finish lipsticks. Especially British youtubers, ViviAnnaDoesMakeup and LilyPebbles can’t stop raving about these and so I wanted to try them. At almost 14 euros the price is pretty steep, but I figured that I can always buy more when I’m traveling this summer. Bourjois tends to be cheaper overseas.

Swatches (from left to right):
highlighter, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick shade 13, lipstick shade 1, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet

Time to see the quality and I have to say, I’m quite impressed. The highlighter gives a very pretty sheen of color. The eyeshadow is a barely noticeable against my skin, but that’s exactly what I had expected. This will be a great blending or highlighting shade and a nice change up from my everlasting love for The Body Shop eyeshadow in no. 13 which has been discontinued. The eyeliner is a bit hard, but I love this reddish brown color. I think it will look nice as an eyeliner on the top lashl ine. Last but not least, are the lipsticks. Can you see why I picked up two of the MUA ones? And the Bourjois one also looks promising. When I removed these lipsticks with tissues after swatching, they had all stained my arm slightly and I really had to scrub off the Bourjois one under the shower to take it all off.

Have you tried any MUA make up? What are your favorite products?