Company Review : Make Up Academy

When British chain Superdrug announced they were releasing a £1 make up range, I was one of the many people who assumed the make up would be of bad quality, with terrible packaging. However, after watching the brand grow over just over a year, I have been continuously impressed by their products!

The brand is most known, I think, for there eyeshadows, which are dupes for many different high end shadows, such as Mac Woodwinked.

They are very pigmented, long lasting, and very blendable. They come in 38 shades, 4 matte, and 34 pearl, so you have large choice for colour! Surprisingly, the packaging is very sturdy, and not tacky looking.

Also with 9 palettes out, some as cheap as £4, it's very easy to get a large collection for even less! The palettes also bare a strong resemblence to Sleek palettes! 

Their neutral pallete, heaven and earth, has been strongly compared to the Naked palette by Urban Decay, which retails at £34, £30 more than the MUA dupe!

Another great product by the brand is their lipsticks! Available in 16 shades, they are very pigmented, but also very buildable for a more dramatic look. They aren't as long lasting as you would hope, but at just £1 they are easy to replace, comparable to the £13.50 for a Mac lipstick. The packaging for the lipsticks looks a lot more high end than the packaging for the eyeshadows, and feels a lot more expensive and less plastic.

Their nail polish which comes in 24 shades, is very easy to apply, and with a top coat, can last up to 5 days. Although you don't get a lot in a bottle, I think its a great way to add to your nail polish collection without breaking the bank on China Glaze or OPI.

The last thing I feel like I need to give a mention is the Face Primer! When I got this, I was going through my 'I DON'T NEED PRIMER COS' IM A BADASS' phase so I didn't want to spend £20 on an Urban Decay primer, or a Benefit one. I wasn't expecting dramatic effects as it was only £4, but oh atlanta was I wrong. It definetly made me see the advantages of primer, especially after my eye primer ordeal which you can read about in an earlier blog post!

I don't want to dwell on every single product, so these are the ones I feel stand out the most. I haven't tried the foundation or concealer beacause I am kind of a make up snob when it comes to things like that... But you guys should definetly check out this brand at your nearest Superdrug if you haven't already! Most of it is only a pound, so its worth giving it a shot!

Review : elf eye primer

I am usually quite a fan of ELF products, i've tried eyeshadows, nail polishes, even a loose face powder, and ever time i've been really happy with the quality of the product.

Give the company its due respect, for the incredibly cheap prices the products are of fantastic quality, however after purchasing the ELF eyelid primer, i've definetly been reminded that you get what you pay for with things like this.

When I first recieved the product, I was actually quite happy, the formula was a little greasy feeling, but the colouring was great, it matched my skin tone perfectly and wasnt visible, it definetly have my eye a 'smoother' complexion. I was doubtful at first, but it actually did help my eyeshadow and eyeliner stay on much longer that it would without primer. Of course it wasn't to the standard of Urban Decay Primer Potion, but for £1.50, I thought it was a miracle product.

It wasn't till using the product for a further week or two that it started to cause problems. I woke up one morning and my left eye was really itchy, it was also quite red, theres was no really visible indication that there was something wrong, but my eye was definetly irritated from something. I thought nothing of it at the time and done my make up as I usually did. I applied my 'miracle product' and everything else, and left for school. During the day, my eye was becoming more and more irritated feeling and I was rubbing at it constantly.

Over the next few days, my eye worsened. The on my left eyelind became incredibly dry and flaky, just as my right eye was beginning also to become itchy and irritated. More fool me, I carried on using the product, thinking it was just the cold weather chapping at my skin. I actually got the flu just as my eyes were at there worst, and over my 2 weeks of sickness and not applying make up, my eyes cleared up. After talking to my Mum about what could of been causing it, we decided it would be best if I boycotted the Primer for a week or 2 after going back to school to see how my eye went.

And surprise surprise, it actually didn't become horrible and dry again. I have since binned the primer and plan on never buying a product like that from ELF again.

So, bit of advice, things like primer are definetly something you should be prepared to spend a little bit more money on, or none at all, because most of the cheap ones I think, are only going to waste your money, and not give you the full benefit of what primer can do for your daily make up routine.