MUA Lipsticks - #1, #3, #13, #16 Nectar Swatches & Review

Purchased by me/Contains affiliate links

Hey lovelies,

Today I'd like to share swatches and a review of the MUA lipsticks I recently picked up during MUA's massive 50,000 Facebook fans special.

I looked at a few swatches before purchasing, but ultimately decided to try my luck - especially as they were on sale for only 50p each. It was worth the gamble, as for the most part, I really like the shades I got!

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#1. This a semi-sheer deep cranberry red that leans pink at times - the closest thing in my collection is Revlon Raspberry Bite, but this is redder. The sheerness gives it a juicy look, and it builds up to opacity well, or fill your lips in entirely with lipliner before adding lipstick. I did notice feathering after a few hours while wearing this, despite concealing my lip line and using lipliner. I also found out a bit drying. But for the price point - I can put up with both of those things!
FOTD using #1 is here.

#3 In the swatch above, #3 reminds me of MAC Lustering. On the lips however, it's a completely different story. It appears cooler on the lips and has a pearl finish which I found quite unflattering - that finish appears to be completely undetectable in the swatch above! The lipstick looked and felt cheap when I applied it, and the product felt as if it was just sitting on the lips. The pearl finish also emphasised every flaw in my lips, and if that wasn't bad enough, I found it horribly drying. Within 20 minutes of application, it was noticeably uncomfortably drying, and by the time I had driven to work today, 30 minutes after application, I'd already given up and wiped it off at a stop light in favour of MAC Lustering. Disappoint!
No lip swatch as I have already given it away to Nikita (don't worry, I warned her of the formula issues)!
FOTD using #3 here.

#13. This lippy is bright! I adore this shade of red - it puts me in mind of Lime Crime's Retrofuturist. Opacity was pretty good when I wore this, with the tiniest bit of feathering after several hours wear. You'd need to be squinting to see it though! Like #1, this was drying, but not uncomfortably so.
FOTD with #13 is here.

A FOTD featuring #16 Nectar

#16 Nectar. This was supposed to be #16 Nectar, which is what the outside packaging said. When I opened that however, the packaging underneath showed #14 Bare. The MUA customer support team ended up sending me Bare after there was quite a bit of confusion as to which shade I actually got, and Bare turned out to be a nude (making it very aptly named). Nectar is a very orange-leaning coral, much lighter and yellower than anything I own.
Pigmentation was so-so, it's not opaque and as you can see, it's hard to get even. I didn't find it drying during wear, but it wasn't moisturising either. I did find this shade a little unforgiving of any flaws in your lips, so you may wish to prep your lips with lip scrub, or layer it over a balm.

I do wish all the colours had names. Perhaps I'll have to name them myself! :)

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Sun

Shade

Extra for experts: a comparison of Lime Crime Retrofuturist (Shop) and Shade #13. Retrofuturist is glossier, more opaque and slightly cooler in tone. The MUA would make a great budget friendly alternative!

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Lani