Review: MUA Lip Boom in It's A Situation

I've had this product for a while now and it's taken me a ridiculously long time to get around to reviewing it! MUA is a brand that I can always rely on to make good quality products for very low prices. There are always going to be some hits and misses but I had high hopes for this little duo product because I was so in love with the colour of the lipstick! 

You'll have to excuse the grey smudges every where, the product was taped together and it's made a friggin' mess. It's such a huge turn off for me! That aside, I actually really like the packaging of this product. The cardboard sleeve is neither here nor there for me personally. Alexandra Burke doesn't impinge on my consciousness and I couldn't tell you one of her songs with a gun to my head so I'm not sure why MUA bothered to feature her. They must have had to pay her to "work" with them and I don't think they got their moneys worth. I'm sure she's a lovely person and all but she's not someone that's going to influence what make-up I purchase. Only my fellow beauty bloggers can devastate my bank account like that, and my God I love you for it.

The Lip Booms come in long tubes with a lipstick on one end and a coordinating glittery gloss on the other. I love that the name on the tube is printed in holographic letters. It's sad but it's just so pretty and I definitely wouldn't mind pulling it out of my bag for touch-ups. The rest of the packaging is typical of MUA products, sleek, simple plastic that's either black or clear. It feels really sturdy and the lipstick doesn't slip out of the casing, even when I batter it in my make-up bag. The lipstick itself is a beautiful plummy-wine colour. Very vampy and will suit all skin tones as an evening lipstick or even a deep colour for dark skin tones during the day. It claims to be matte but there's definitely a slight sheen to it. The good news about that is that it doesn't dry out your lips, the bad news is that it doesn't last as long and it transfers very easily. The gloss is a rosy pink that is chock full of glitter. Like ridiculously, massive pieces of glitter. I'll just say straight away that I didn't buy this product for the gloss and I genuinely think that glitter this size shouldn't be anywhere on your face after 2001/the age of 11. It is a pretty colour though and I quite liked the strong sweet vanilla scent though of course it won't be to everyone's taste.

The packaging claims that the product has been designed to be used four ways, as a sheer gloss, full matte colour, colour and gloss or gloss applied to the centre to give the illusion of fuller lips. I honestly think that wearing this gloss in the centre of your lips isn't going to fool anyone. It's glitter for goodness sakes, there's nothing subtle about it. The lipstick is absolutely beautiful though, really creamy and opaque. However, It does cling a little to dry patches. I applied this once and had to take it off and exfoliate my lips before trying again because it just looked awful. It does also feather slightly so it may not be a great one for mature skin without a liner or clear buffer. It lasts a good 2-3 hours or so before fading and requiring touch ups. You absolutely will need to touch up after eating though. It transfers very easily and would need powdering to set it. The gloss isn't overly sticky and doesn't actually look too bad once applied over the lipstick. The only problem is the grittiness and the fact that the glitter clings on long after the lipstick has disappeared, so you end up with a wine coloured stain and bizarre pieces of glitter stuck all over your lips. It's not a good look. I also ended up with glitter on my chin and one of my cheeks and I don't even know how it got there. This product would have been so much better if it had included a sheer gloss in the same colour as the lipstick rather than the glitter. It would have faded much more naturally and looked a heck of a lot more elegant. But, it is only £3, and it's okay for a bit of fun so I can't moan too much!

Final Verdict: A bit "meh" really. I wish MUA had brought out It's A Situation as a regular lipstick in their current line and this could have been a very different review. Nice for younger girls and would make cute party favours.

Have you tried any of the Lip Booms? What's your favourite MUA product?

Lauren