Review and Swatches: Makeup Academy (MUA) Heaven and Earth Palette

Thanks for dropping by!:) 2015 is on our doorsteps and of course we are excited! But before we bid adieu to 2014, I'm going to share my review and swatches of one of the makeup stuff I purchased on the first quarter of this year. It's the MUA Heaven and Earth Palette. Now I'm aware that this isn't a new release from MUA and that countless reviews have been made about this and still more bloggers have compared it to the UD Naked Palettes. I can't tell for sure because I don't own any Naked Palette. But UD dupe or not, I heart this palette. I'll tell you more after the jump!

After countless experiments in my younger days, I have proven that I look much prettier when I am wearing neutral colors. Pinkish ones make my eyelids look swollen while greenish or bluish ones make me look like an alien. The right shade of brown does wonders to my 'very Asian' eyelids. But I've been going down the boring road: I stuck to mattes. Add the dictates of the corporate world to that and I've stayed away from shimmers. But not for long.

Earlier this year, I was looking for a matte neutral palette. But when I saw this one, I don't know what got into me and I just jumped the gun and ordered right away. I'm glad I did because for now I've been reformed and I've come to terms with throwing in a few sparklers here and there.

Makeup Academy Eyeshadow Palette in Heaven and Earth

Price: 480.00 from Kering Keri Store for 9.6g

Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacylapidate-1,Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polybutene, Dimethicone, Methyl Paraben, Propylparaben

MUA says:

"A beautiful collection of eyeshadows that will enhance your eyes to give the perfect natural look."

Impressions

Packaging - It comes in a sleek black casing which looks classy enough but I'm afraid is not that sturdy.  I'm beginning to see traces of wear and tear here and there and it would be a shame if the case breaks before I hit the pans.

The pans are a bit smaller than a 1 peso coin and for someone like me who doesn't do that much eye makeup in my daily life, I think it will take some time for me to consume it. A double ended applicator is included but I am not a fan of those foam applicator so I don't get to use it that much.

Scent -  Nothing in particular which makes my nose really happy!

Verdict

I love, love it! The colors are rich and pigmented. The texture is soft. Yes there are small fallouts but just really really tiny bits and nothing that an extra good brush can't solve. While I'm at it, I use MUA's own eye primer to make the color last longer and richer. Even when I'm just at home, I love using this palette just to try out different looks. It's got 3 light colors that can be used as highlighter under the eyebrows, then there are Browns from light ones to deeper, almost chocolatey ones. Two colors that seem different are the Chrome and the orangey one.

Highlighter: Left most, top row; the Chrome one, right most, top row

The Orangey one:Top Row, Right Most

Staying power is about 4 hours in a very hot Philippine weather. Inside air-conditioned places, I believe it will be much longer.

Swatches

Just see how good the color payoff is! Top and Bottom Rows.

Rating

4.5/5

It's currently my go-to palette. To me it spells fun but still seems natural and wearable. Color payoff is good as well as its staying power. It doesn't smell overwhelming. It's very versatile because of the many colors available, which can take you from day to night. The only downside for me is the packaging: I would have loved it to be more durable, because I'm a bit of a rogue!

Repurchase?

Not in a very long time because I haven't even hit the pans yet! :)

Last Look

Overall, for the amount that I paid for this product, I am very much satisfied. As  I said earlier, I can't tell if this is really a dupe of those pricier palettes that I mentioned earlier. But I think this palette can stand on its own without being referenced as the 'dupe' or the 'cheaper version of' because it's a really good product.

So if you're looking for somehing fun and good, without breaking the bank, this palette would be a great addition to your collection.

How about you, have you tried this palette?

What are your thoughts about it?

XO, 

Cassie