MUA The Artiste Collection Palette – Fab or Drab?

When MUA Cosmetics announced they’d launched their new Fur Effect Nails, we couldn’t resist jumping straight online that afternoon and getting our order in (review coming soon). As is often the case with MUA, when our package arrived, there was a little extra present. This time it was the Artiste Collection.

Being addicted to their Undressed Palette, which is one of our daily staples, we’ve been meaning to try some more of their shadow palettes for a while. The Artiste Collection is slightly different, as it also contains two blushers, a bronzer and a highlighting shade as well as the six eyeshadows.

Firstly, we have to say thanks to the little elves that work in the MUA warehouse! The palette was wrapped in so much bubble wrap, the postman could have thrown it at the front door and it still wouldn’t have broken! The palette is a little bigger than MUA’s standard shadow palettes due to the extra products, and it comes with a sponge applicator. Not something we use, but some people do find they get a good finish from them.

Once we actually managed to wrestle it from the bubble wrap, we were instantly struck by how pretty the palette is. The six eyeshadows are all in bright, colourful shades with a marbling effect throughout each one. The shades looked very wearable with a good range of neutral tones to complement the brighter ones.

As you can see from the swatches, even when dry, all the shadows are well pigmented with lots of shimmer.

For a more dramatic look, when we swatched them wet, the shades really pop! Perfect if you wanted to glam up your look for the evening.

The blushers come in two shades of dusky pink, which would suit almost all skintones. You could follow the top tip from Karla Powell, MUA’s resident makeup artist, who recommends always using two shades of blusher to define the cheeks. (Read our interview with her here).

The bronzer is matt without shimmer, so would be great to use alongside the highlighter as a contouring shade. You can read how to Conquer Contouring here.

In regards to ingredients, the palette does contain a lot of talcs and parabens, but considering the quality of the product and the fact that the Artiste Collection is usually only £6, we are incredibly impressed.

Definitely FAB in our opinion! You can purchase the Artiste Collection online from the MUAStore or in Superdrug.

November TBO Awards!

November is over and we’re already in the final month of the year! Who can believe it?

Here are thebeautyobsession’s Top 10 products out of everything we tried and tested in November…..

No. 10

In first at number 10, it’s anatomicals Java Lava Coffee Buzz Body Cleanser, we can’t wake up in the morning without this, and we love how the scent stays with us all day! 

No. 9

Up next it’s our new favourite lipbalm. Balmi is attached to our keyring and follows us everywhere! 

No. 8

We love this gorgeous scent from Paco Rabanne and we’re wearing it day and night! 

No. 7

If you’re looking for nails that attract attention, you should take a look at our three favourite magnetic polishes.

No. 6

At No. 6, it’s the AnarKitty Denman D3 brush. Not only do we love the Limited Edition design, we love how well the brush allows us to style our hair and keep it smooth and sleek. 

Our Top 5 were really difficult to choose between as we love all of them, but here it goes….

No. 5

We have to credit the Guy Kremer Hydro Rescue Shampoo & Conditioner with improving the condition of our dry, damaged hair. Not only is it shinier, smoother and stronger – it smells lovely! 

No. 4

Our fourth favourite product this month goes to Temple Spa In the Beginning Deep Cleansing Melt. We can’t live without this, especially at this time of year. Our skin thanks the guys & girls at Temple Spa unreservedly! 

No. 3

In at No. 3, it’s a product we use every single day – MUA Cosmetics Brow Kit! We love the mix of colours and the wax that makes it stay put all day. We also really love the price – £3.50!

No. 2

Second place goes to the best foundation we’ve ever used! Chanel Vitalumiere gives a flawless finish and feels lovely on the skin. 

So, which product makes it to the No. 1 spot for November?

No. 1 – Winner!

We’ve been blown away by how good the Real Techniques brushes are. They make all makeup appear so much more flawless, they’re excellently priced and they don’t shed. We also love the video tutorials by the brush creator Samantha Chapman, there’s one for every brush! 

Which products would make your Top 10? Have you tried any of the ones we’ve featured?

#MeetThe……..Celebrity Makeup Artist

Our next interview in our #MeetThe…. series is with the lovely Karla Powell, professional celebrity, photographic and fashion makeup artist and Head of Makeup Artistry for MUA Cosmetics. One of the hottest names in makeup artistry at the moment, Karla has an impressive portfolio which is testiment to her passion for the industry and her unwavering creative streak. We couldn’t wait to talk to her…..

“We love your work Karla and we know how busy you are, so thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Tell us about what made you decide to become a professional makeup artist?”

I studied beauty, fashion, media and theatre makeup straight after school, learning new skills and building my confidence. realising this is what I want to do every day, which eventually lead to teaching make-up and hair at a local college for 3 years which was the best experience in my first years of being a make-up artist as I love to inspire aspiring make-up artists.

“How have you gone from teaching to being MUA’s Head of Makeup Artistry and a sucessful freelance artist?”

I have pushed myself over the last four years to get my work noticed. From networking with industry people to building my portfolio, whilst still teaching make-up. I am now living the dream working in London as MUA Cosmetics Head of Makeup Artistry – all from getting my work out there and getting noticed through social media!

“It’s amazing to see how your hard work has paid off. Have you ever struggled getting to where you want to be?”

Despite this profession being very appealing to most people, the competition among makeup artists is extremely high, so I find I have to be very assertive and creative. There is no working schedule, so a makeup artist may be asked to work even at night and there may be problems with regular work. So you need to keep on top of this career and passion and hard work is a must!

“So other than working really hard, what does a typical day actually involve for you?” 

My work life is varied and exciting – but also challenging at times. When I am doing freelance work, days can vary from getting models ready for photo shoots, followed by 10-12 hours of work that same day and lots of travelling which sometimes can be in hot exotic countries. Other times it’s an easy 10am call, shoot for a few hours and then you are done. When I’m at MUA Towers the day will involve picking new shades for new upcoming MUA products, naming the shades, and of course creating makeup and nail looks to inspire others to use MUA Cosmetics on our social media platforms. This is then put into a daily blog at MUA Towers. One thing for sure is it’s never a boring job!

“It sounds amazing and we can tell you love it! What’s the best thing about your career at the moment?”

I love everything about my career! One of the best parts of my career is getting to work with people all day long and playing with makeup!  I have met some wonderful people in this industry and made friends for life who inspire me daily to pursue my dream even further. 

“If others want to follow in your footsteps, what would you advise them to do?”

Assist makeup artists and get as much work experience as you can! You’ll see the good, bad and everything else in between! My three key tips would be; Assist, Always continue learning and Network your butt off!

“So out of all the goodies in your makeup kit at the moment what’s your must have makeup product?”

It has to be MUA Cosmetics Undressed Palette. My go to palette that can take you from a day time look all the way to an evening look. And it’s only £4!

“We love a bit of MUA Cosmetics here at thebeautyobsession! What’s your top makeup tip for all of us addicts out there?”

You should use two colours of blush to get extra dimension in the face. Layer a lighter shade over a darker, or just blend two similar shades.

“Brilliant, we’ll be trying that! Thank you so much for talking to us, we’ll be keeping an eye on your work and can’t wait to share more of it with our readers!”

You can find out more about Karla and her work on her website www.karlapowell.co.uk. To see what exciting things Karla has been working on with the guys at MUA Cosmetics, and to buy online, visit the MUA store here. If you’re on Facebook you can check out what they get up to at MUA Towers, and see Karla at work!

Tweet Karla @KarlaPowellMUA or @MUA_Karla and tell the MUA guys if you love the Undress Palette too @MUACosmetics

Don’t foget to look out for next week’s #MeetThe…. interview with Dani Guinsberg, Founder of The Session School.