MUA Lip Collection | Velvet Matte, Matte, Satin and Velvet Lipsticks Review and Swatches

MUA is 100% cruelty free, with a large collection of vegan makeup products. MUA recently made a massive announcement that they are in the process of reformulating their entire product range so their entire product range is 100% vegan from the 1st of November 2019. As part of their move to transform their entire product line to vegan formulas, they’ve relaunched their whole lip product range which is completely vegan, and I have three shades from all of the four formulas within the MUA Lip Collection.

When Hourglass announced they were transforming their product range to be completely vegan, their prices all elevated considerably and the prices of the lip products within this new lip collection have increased too. It’s not ideal for those of us on a budget, but I guess we have to appreciate that vegan ingredients are more expensive so a price increase is to be expected.

The collection consists of four lipstick formulas, but I guess the collection will be extended in the coming weeks to include vegan glosses and liners too. I have three shades from the four formulas so keep on reading to see them..

MUA Lip Collection

MUA Velvet Matte Long Wear Liquid Lipstick £3

“Full pigment, velvet matte liquid lip. This long-wear, quick dry formula is richly pigmented for an intense colour finish.“

The first product within the MUA Lip Collection are their liquid lipsticks. They have really nice, frosted plastic packaging that looks a lot more chic than a £3 lip product. The lipstick has a long, narrow doefoot applicator and the valve around the top of the tubes are too large, so they don’t remove excess product.

You can see in the photo above, the applicator becomes very messy with each use and the doefoot is saturated in product making application pretty messy which isn’t the best with super bold shades like Reckless.

The formula is very thin, and quite sheer which I didn’t expect but Harmony had an intense colour payoff with almost full opacity in just one layer on the lips. Both Reckless and Devotion, the bolder of the three had a sheerer and streakier formula so you have to apply a light layer, allow it to fully dry and then apply a second very light layer. If you apply too much, it can begin to flake but I haven’t had any issues with Harmony at all.

In terms of shades, Harmony is a peachy brown nude, Reckless is a very bright and vibrant neutral toned red and Devotion is a purple toned berry. I’d like to try a couple more of their more nude shade options as I prefer the formula of Harmony.

The bolder shades do perform better when layered over a lip liner, and it does help to minimise bleeding too. It’s not the best liquid lipstick I’ve tried, but I do rate the Matte and Satin formulas I’ve got featured later on within this post…

MUA Satin Lipstick £1.50

“Curated mix of classic shades in a creamy satin formula. Easy to apply with a shade for every occasion – collect them all!“

I love a satin formula so I knew this range would be one of my favourites from the MUA Lip Collection, and it is. I would comfort over longevity any day of the week, and I hate lip products that make my lips look or feel dry which is why the Satin formula from the MUA Lip Collection is the one I’d recommend the most.

The packaging is simple yet functional, with a traditional bullet shape that glides across the lips. The colour is very sheer, and these swatches are four swipes of each bullet to give you an idea of their colour intensity.

The lipstick has a subtle vanilla scent which doesn’t linger, and they feel comfortable on the lips. If you liked the old formula of the MUA lipsticks, I think you’ll really like the MUA Satin lipstick range as they’re essentially the same formula but perhaps a little less waxier now.

The three shades I have are; Fancy which is an orange toned red, TLC a peachy brown nude and almost a lipstick version of the Harmony shade within the liquid lipstick range. Dream Girl is a warm toned medium pink. Fancy is the sheerest shade from the three, but they’re all very lovely and well worth the £3 price.

MUA Velvet Lipstick Smooth Matte Finish £3

“Full coverage, high pigment, matte finish lipstick. With a unique crystal bullet design that is ideal for lining on application for ultimate precision.“

These lipsticks have really luxe packaging for £3, and the design very much reminds me of the MAC Intensity Lipsticks, with heavy coloured metal casing although the shape of the lipsticks, and formulas do differ. This lipstick formula is a fail for me unfortunately from the MUA Lip Collection, which is such a shame as I really like the packaging and the formula sounded so pleasant from the description.

The biggest flaw for me is the shape of the lipstick bullet. It has been designed to be an ‘unique crystal bullet design that is ideal for lining on application’ but the angled applicator makes it impossible to apply an even layer of colour. In the swatches above you can clearly see that in the centre of each of the three swatches, there’s an intense ridge of product where the pointed tip applies considerably more product than either side and this happens on the lips too.

The bullet doesn’t line the lips unless you want to line the centre of your lips and if you try to use the edge of the bullet it ends up being very difficult to apply, and messy too. I don’t know why they’ve made the centre of the bullet raised, as with regular use that raised point will blunt over time and you’re then left with a thin, narrow almost spatula to apply the lipstick.

The formula isn’t bad at all, it’s just the design that lets it down. They have a powder matte formula which is super pigmented and feels like velvet on the lips. They don’t dry down completely like the MUA Matte Lipstick formula, but a little blotting helps them to set and improve longevity. The colours I have are Crush which is a neon coral, Couture a bright neutral pink and Sassy which looks so similar to MAC Rebel.

MUA Matte Lipstick £1.50

“Curated mix of classic shades in a comfortable matte finish. Easy to apply with a shade for every occasion – collect them all!“

The last formula from the MUA Lip Collection is the MUA Matte Lipstick formula, and one of the best in my opinion. I was very kindly sent three shades at random, but these three shades are giving me serious Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte vibes, with her 90’s nude collection. The packaging and design is identical to their satin collection, and the price too except these obviously have a matte finish.

I have three shades; Sincere which is a light brown nude, Obsession a deep brown and Mystic a pinky terracotta shade. There are some non-nude shades within the colour range, but if you have been contemplating one of the Huda mattes, it might be worth trying one of these.

They have a lovely, comfortable creamy matte formula which glides across the lips without tugging. It’s definitely one of the better drugstore matte formulas I’ve tried, and I’ll definitely be checking out the other shades.

The whole MUA Lip Collection is available on the MUA website, and in Superdrug stores.

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