mua lipstick review and swatches- shades 1, 2, 10, 11

 Oh, am I gonna give you two budget lippy posts in one day? Yes I am. Thank me later.

      It's the MUA one pound lipsticks that have taken our makeup bags and out skint wallets by storm. Everyone seems to be talking about them, and now I'm gonna add my lipstick-edged voice to the hubbub. Thing is, each one of these are different, so I'm gonna take you through them shade by shade. First things first, here they are: 

L-R- shade 1, shade 2, shade 10, shade 11

L-R- shade 1, shade 2, shade 10, shade 11

And, just to be annoying, in a different order:

L-R- Shade 2, Shade 10, Shade 11, Shade 1

Packaging, as you can see, is impressive for the price. Lightweight and sleek and sturdy, with a lipstick filled cap to show the colour. It can be unscrewed! Woo. A handy little extra product for touchups and such. Nice touch.

    Now, my first disappointment was that none of these had names (though a few in the collection do). I know it's no biggie, but I like my lipsticks to be more than just numbers. It's the little obsessive streak in me. So I'm gonna christen them! Yay.

Shade 1 is a deep, blue toned, almost maroon red. It glides on smoothly and imparts coverage that is entirely, flawlessly opaque. It's actually quite ridiculous- one pound lipsticks shouldn't get you colour payoff like this, and the end result is classic, classy womanliness with a satin finish. It's theft. Blot and reapply this one, and you've got some impressive longevity. I'm gonna call this one SOPHISTICAT.

Shade 2 is the lovechild of a deep lilac and a pink. It's creamy to apply, and gives soft coverage that's decently pigmented. I'd compare it to a NYX round lipstick in texture, as it has a similar finish, a similar wear time (average), and a similar level of slip. I'd describe the finish as more of a creme. I really like this shade and wear it quite often, and can see it suiting pretty much every skin tone, every season. I'm gonna call this one SUGAR LICK.

Shade 10 is a lovely rusty red which lends medium coverage with gorgeous, subtle gold shimmer. Not glitter, Shimmer. I found this shade to be beautifully flattering to my complexion, and to last really well, even through an endless eating and drinking campaign. If you're scared of a full on red, give this one a go, because you can wear it as sheer or as deep as you like and it's fool proof prettiness. This one shall be called GIFTWRAP.

Shade 11. Well, it's my favourite of the bunch, at least as far as wearability is concerned. It's a lovely, creamy, warm everyday shade that you can slick on in a hurry and trust to suit whatever else you're wearing, in terms of outfit or complementary makeup. Formula wise, it's almost identical to shade 2 (sugar lick). The colour is so pretty! It's somewhere between a peach and a tea rose, and could pass for a deep nude. I'm gonna call it PEACHYPIE. 

Overall, I think you should buy a million of them because they are fab. Or at least one. At a quid a stick, you can afford to experiment with some new colours.

Which are your favourite shades? x