Tuesday 4 February 2014

SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT: MUA 'UNDRESSED' PALETTE


Price: £4.00

The first Monday in February seems the perfect time for me to announce my spotlight product of this month. I felt that, since the last spotlight was fairly bold in its use of colour and finish, it seemed only right to change it up with a neutral eyeshadow palette. So, this month, my beauty focus will be the MUA 'Undressed' palette. 

Let's face it, as far as eyeshadow collections go, the demand for neutral shades is unquestionable. Sure, us beauty junkies like to be a bit experimental at times, but there's nothing better than a good, natural look to make you look a million bucks. Certainly, the beauty retail industry has begun to realise how lucrative this area is and many are reaping the benefits of a carefully crafted neutral palette. Possibly the best example of this is the Urban Decay 'Naked' collection, which has been raved about by practically every beauty guru I can think of. 

Here's some great news for you: the MUA 'Undressed' palette is an outstanding value dupe for the first  eyeshadow collection in Urban Decay's 'Naked' range. Yes, the branding is anything but original (why think of a unique name when you can just pick up a thesaurus). However, we'll forgive them for their audacious and oh-so unsubtle replication since the product is just so darn outstanding for the price you pay. Consequently, those 'Naked' palette admirers, who are too intimidated by the icy glare of its £37 price tag, can pick up pretty much the same shades for a fraction of the price.


There are, of course, some downsides that come with the enormous cut in cost. As with many cheaper products I've tried, the packaging is fairly low quality and doesn't, in my opinion, look particularly expensive. It gets dirty and scratched very easily, though I am particularly terrible at keeping my makeup in pristine condition (well, at looking after my stuff in general) so perhaps you'll have more luck than me here. Additionally, there is no mirror included, which can be a pain if you're hoping to travel anywhere with this as your staple palette. Nevertheless, I believe much of the cheapness in price might be down to the newness of the brand; the mark-up is likely to be a lot lower than other, more established highstreet makeup companies. 

When I first tested out this product, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that, despite the minimal cost, the shadows themselves are a very nice texture, extremely pigmented, and have scarcely any fallout. They also wear very well, though I would apply a base underneath to prevent creasing. Anyway, let me show you how they appear on the skin in a swatch photo.


I was impressed that even the lightest colours are clearly visible and do not appear chalky in the slightest. Actually, all the shades are creamy and have a lovely depth of colour. It is also a plus that you get a mixture of finishes in the collection. Sometimes value makeup brands tend to forget the importance of a few matte shades in a practical day-to-day palette, yet, here, you have matte, frosted, and glitter finishes. Although I do keep talking about the quotidian aspect of this collection, it is more than suited to all sorts of occasions. The variety of shades will certainly allow you to create just as many party looks as natural ones. 

All in all, I would recommend this product to anyone, from a beauty beginner to a full-on veteran of makeup application. Quite frankly, you can never go wrong with a neutral eyeshadow palette. Especially one that produces such long-lasting looks for mere pennies. Still not sold? Over the next few weeks, I will be showing you exactly what you can create with this palette, and, believe me, I will be spoilt for choice. X

3 comments:

  1. Such a pretty palette just love the shades x

    www.krystelcouture.com x

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    Replies
    1. It really is a winning combination of shades! :) x

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  2. I have this palette too, and shade 1 is the perfect highlight shade - I love using it so much that I'm almost hitting pan on it!

    Yet Another Makeup Blog.

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