When it comes to creating that perfect base for applying your makeup, MUA/Makeup Academy has a whole host of products ranging from powders and creams to concealers and sticks to help and until very recently, I hadn't tried anything from the range.
Within my collection, I have been using and trying six different base products and I am really impressed that there is so much to choose from.
One item I never seem to switch from is Concealer. I have my favourite two and it is rare I would look for something else. I was colour matched for this Pro Base Concealer from MUA at their launch event a few months ago.
Described as being lightweight this concealer offers buildable coverage. What I like about this concealer is that it doesn't have that horrid wet paint smell, the only way I can think to describe a few other highstreet concealers. On application, it is lightweight but you can build it up to give pretty full coverage. It doesn't crease as much as other concealers but I have found the more you apply the more it will crease.
With 10 different shade options within the collection, the price point of £2.50 is pretty darn good!
Moving on from Concealers we have the Pro/Base Full Coverage Matte Pressed Powder. Described as being long-lasting, this powder has a talc-free formula.
If like me you have combination skin which leads to the oily side, having a powder which sets makeup and prolongs it for a shine free complexion ticks the box for me. I have a shade which is slightly too dark for my skin tone, but I have given it a try around the house and I do like how it sits on my skin. Again it has a price of £2.50 which is impressive.
Lightweight on the skin, what I like about this primer, is that although it isn't blurring as I expected it to be, it does make my liquid foundation sit really nicely on my skin. Alongside the Banana Primer, there is also the option of having an Oil Free Primer which is also Silicone Free or the Moisturising Primer which has added Vitamin A and E as well as Tea Tree.
Each Primer is priced at £4 and again available from Superdrug.
I am a huge fan of stick products, be it a concealer, cleanser, foundation, bronzer and so on. MUA have a Balm Stick primer which looks similar to a roll on deodorant in style and size.
I have the soothe and cool Primer Stick which I loved the minute I tried it. As a solid balm it is incredibly easy to apply and if you have tried anything in stick form, you will get the gist pretty quickly. Once you have cleansed and moisturised, the idea is that you apply this primer to the areas you need to prime and the Soothe & Cool Stick gives a slight cooling sensation on the skin and the idea with this is to help reduce puffiness whilst soothing skin.
It does a pretty good job at being a primer and I tend to apply to my tzone as I find that is where it works best. Also within the range, there is the Soothe, Set & Blur Prime Stick, the Softening Facial Oil Stick and the one which intrigues me the most and I intend to pick it up to try is the Make Up Remover Stick. All priced at £5 via Superdrug.
Setting Sprays and Mists are items I always have in my stash and I have a few highstreet products and a few high-end options to choose from. MUA have two within their range which I have also been trying and the first is the Mattifying Fixing Spray.
I have the Mattifying Mist Spray and it is worth noting that there is also the option to have the Cooling Spray, The Fixing Spray or the Primer Spray too. This Spray is a lightweight spray when spritzed and although it doesn't soak you through, you definitely notice that it has hit your skin. Whilst it does mattify my skin after using, I didn't find that the effect lasted all day and come mid-afternoon, the oil slick appeared that I had hoped to keep at bay. So for me, this would be a product I would need to carry with me to use more than one if I was to ensure I had an oil-free finish for the entire day.
Each product within this range is priced at £4 and you can find them.
The final item within my MUA Pro Base Collection is the Fixing Mist and the big difference between this and the product above is how it feels when spritzed onto the skin because this one is definitely more of a light mist than a spray.
Described as being a Micro-fine mist for easy application and up to 8 hours fixing time, the one thing I would state is that I have found it gives 4-5 hours fixing time rather than the 8 but I have been using it during the warmer weather and I think once the cooler Autumn days arrive, then that 8 hour time will be much more achievable. I like that there is no chemical scent to this and its selling point for me, other than being just £5, is just how lightweight the mist is.
You can find this Mattifying Fixing Mist and the rest of the Makeup setting sprays at Superdrug.
So there you have my little collection of MUA Pro Base products that I have tried over the Summer and more recently and I would love to know if you have tried any of them for yourself?!
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