MUA LUXE | Velvet Matte Lip Lacquers - Full Collection Review + Swatches

At the end of last year MUA (Makeup Academy) came out with a brand new LUXE line that included new eyeshadow palettes, brow products, eye liners and some nail foils (you can see a haul of the LUXE items I brought a while back here). Along with those great products came the Velvet Matte Lip Lacquers, following the makeup trends of the moment. I am a huge fan of the MUA brand (do a quick search on my blog to see all the posts I've done about a bunch of their products!), so when I saw this new line I was ordering them right away. I initially started with just the two pink ones, but then couldn't resist getting the other three to complete my collection  - best part is they are so cheap, £3 - so less than NZD $6.

The colour range includes five shades, ranging from hot pink to vampy purple. It is a great capsule collection and many of these would make great dupes for higher end liquid lipsticks, such as the Hourglass ones and especially the Lime Crime Velvetines which are basically the same premise - matte, opaque colour that lasts. The quality of these, considering the price, is just unbelievable. They are pigmented in one swipe, producing rich colour onto the lips. The best way I have found is to do a light coat first and then go over with another equally light coat on top - it ensures the best result and lasting power, so during the day they won't clump up and gather in strange places on the lips.

These lacquers go onto the lips feeling very wet, but they dry to a completely matte finish in about 10-15 seconds. Once they are dried they are a hard thing to budge, making them perfect for nights out, they last whilst drinking and eating and I have found the wear time to be around 5-6 hours depending on how much eating/drinking you are getting up to. As these are a very matte lip product, they are probably not the best option for people with easily dried or chapped lips, use a lip balm about 10 minutes before applying it to ensure it goes on smoothly and you could even use a gloss lightly over top if you don't like a total matte finish. The only downside I found is that it can get a bit flaky during the end of its life cycle (as I said 5-6 hours) and it is a bit hard to top up as that can emphasis the the flakiness due to the matte formula. It is best to do a thin coat and build upon that if you need too. Apart from that, at such a cheap price they are a great alternative to the much more pricier options out there.

FUNK // This shade is a darker pink, which leans to the red side. If you are a little uncomfortable with super dark red lips, this is the shade to get you a little more used to wearing them.

CRIMINAL // Now this one is bright, vivid and in your face. Keep the rest of the makeup simple and have full emphasis on the amazing hot pink lips.

KOOKY // I have yet to muster up the courage to wear this one out, but as the colder month are approaching I think it is about time I did. It is a vampy, dark purple.

ATOMIC // A perfect one for Spring and Summer this is a bright and vivid orange shade.

RECKLESS // If you are after the perfect matte, red lipstick this could be the one for you. It is a true dark, blood red shade.

The labels for Funk + Criminal should actually be swapped around - apologies, and bad editing on my behalf!

As you can see MUA did not skimp out on quality and pigmentation; with great lasting power, amazing matte finish and a great selection of different colours, these are a must have. And lets be honest, how good is the price?! NZD $6 for one of these is a total steal and the best part is that MUA ship worldwide; to NZ it is about $14 but they often have free shipping offers or discounts.

Have you tried these lip lacquers yet? Do you love them as much as me? Spill all your thoughts to me in the comments!