MUA Lip Boom in 'Cheeky'

As many of you will already know, MUA have recently launched their latest lip invention, the 'Lip Boom'. The Lip Boom is a multifunctional product, meaning it has different uses. I don't think I've ever seen anything like the Lip Booms so as you can imagine I was VERY excited to try/review them.
The lovely Maggie sent me the shades 'Cheeky', 'Doin Good' and 'Bring It' to review so I thought I'd start by reviewing the shade 'Cheeky' as it's my favourite out of the three.

Lip Boom: "Lipstick and highlighting gloss that creates fuller curvaceous lips for a dramatic illusion of volume."

What MUA have to say about their Lip Boom...

"Created with Alexandra Burke by MUA!! Lipstick and highlighting gloss that creates fuller curvaceous lips for a dramatic illusion of volume. There are 4 amazing ways to transform your lips and give them some Boom! 1. Lipstick alone for a matte look. 2. Lipstick with highlighter applied just to the centre of your lips to create a full volume illusion. 3. Lipstick with highlighter all over for a super-glossy look. 4. Highlighter alone for a sheer pearl finish. There are 8 amazing shades in the range so grab yourself some BOOM!'

What are the different ways of applying the Lip Boom?

1. The lipstick can be worn alone for a matte look.
2. Whilst wearing the lipstick, the highlighter can be applied just to the centre of the lips to create a full volume illusion. 
3. The highlighter can be applied directly over the top of the lipstick for a super-glossy look.
4. The highlighter can be worn alone for a sheer pearl finish.

Where can you buy the Lip Booms and how much do they retail at?

The MUA Lip Booms retail at £3.00 and can be purchased online at MUA. They will also be available in-store and online at Superdrug from the 5th of May. MUA currently have an offer where you receive an Immaculate Palette for free by using the code 'FB20000' so now is the perfect chance to buy one or two of the Lip Booms. The offer ends tonight at midnight night so get buying! 

How many shades are there?

There are 8 different shades available, ranging from nude to deep vampy red. All of the shades have a matte finish too.

• It's a situation - Berry Red
• LMK (Let Me Know) - Deep Red
• OK.com - Typical Nude
• Vibe - Orange Toned Nude
• Cheeky - Baby Pink
• Doin Good - Orange Toned Red
• OMG - Coral
• Bring It - Typical Red

What does the Lip Boom look like?

Lip Boom in 'Cheeky' - Has a highlighter at one end and a lipstick at the other. There's also a small pot at the bottom which is filled with product. 

I took this photograph to show you all how big the Lip Boom is, in comparison to my hand. 

This is what the Lip Boom looks like separately. 

The lipstick:

Has a blue toned pink shade. A typical barbie pink.

Has a matte finish. 

Extra Pot:

Filled with a creamy product that has the same shade as the lipstick.

 The highlighter:

Has pink/red tone with silver glitter particles.

Has a doe foot applicator. 

Swatches

Top: Lipstick - True Barbie Pink

Bottom: Highlighter - Red Toned Pink With Silver Glitter Particles

Top: Lipstick worn alone

Bottom: Lipstick with highlighter in the middle

Top: Lipstick with highlighter all over

Bottom: Highlighter worn alone

Are the Lip Booms suitable for everyone?

Anyone can buy the Lip Booms but I would primarily recommend them to those who have normal lips and not those who suffer with dry or very dry lips as all Lip Booms have a matte finish. If you're a dry lip sufferer, you'll know that matte lipsticks aren't the best as the colour tends to stick to dry patches making the dryness look more obvious. Lipsticks with a creamy finish cover dry patches as opposed to sticking to them.

I'm also not saying that people with dry lips should disregard the Lip Booms as you could always exfoliate your lips or use a lip butter/balm underneath them. 

If you have soft, supple lips then you will love the Lip Booms.

The Good

• Concept - I love the concept of the Lip Boom as it's something different, a lipstick and highlighter in one. It is argue-able that the Lip Boom has the same concept at the Look Beauty Double Hit Lip but if you think about it, they're both completely different products. The Lip Boom comes with a highlighter and the Double Hit Lip comes with a lipgloss. Out of the two, I prefer the Lip Booms as the highlighter is utterly amazing. I also think it's brilliant how one handy tube enables you to create 4 different looks.
• Pigmentation - The pigmentation of both the lipstick and the highlighter is amazing. The lipstick is more pigmented than the highlighter but you would expect that as it's a lipstick, it needs to be pigmented. I would compare the pigmentation of the highlighter to that of a lipgloss, the only differences are the highlighter has slight better colour pay off than a lipgloss and it also has a high amount of glitter particles unlike lipgloss. I really wish MUA sold the highlighters separately as I feel they are MUCH better than lipglosses. You get an intense shine and subtle colour but you don't get that awful sticky feeling. 
• Longevity - If I had to guess a time frame, I would say that the lipstick would last around 6-8 hours and the highlighter would last around 1-2 hours. If the lipstick and highlighter were worn together I would say 4-6 hours. Both the lipstick and highlighter have good pigmentation meaning they're going to last a while on the lips. The lipstick also has a matte finish and matte lipsticks tend to last a lot longer on the lips than creamy lipsticks. 
• Packaging - I think the packaging is practical, sleek and it certainly doesn't look cheap or tacky despite the VERY appealing price tag. My only issue is that the pot at the bottom of the Lip Boom comes off easily so a screw fastening would have been more appropriate. I also like how the highlighter comes with a doe foot applicator as I find that you're able to apply the highlighter evenly and precisely. 
• Price - £3.00 is such an amazing price, especially for a multi-functional product. I would have expected the Lip Booms to cost a lot more than they actually do. 
• Size - The size of the Lip Boom may be quite hefty and it may be bigger than my hand but it's certainly not so big that it won't fit in your bag or makeup bag. At the end of the day the Lip Boom contains both a highlighter and a lipstick so it's not going to be small. The lipstick also contains a lot of product, more product than most high-end lipsticks! Why pay £17.50 for a minuscule Nars lipstick when you can pay £3.00 for an MUA Lip Boom!
• Shade Selection - There is a good selection of shades and I have to say that I'm very impressed that MUA have included deep, dark shades that are appropriate for A/W as well as bright shades that are appropriate for S/S. I'm impressed with the shade 'Cheeky' as it's pink, girly and right up my street. If I had physically bought the Lip Booms myself, I would have definitely picked up 'Cheeky'. I must admit it looks VERY similar to 'Overtime' by MAC so I think I have found myself a potential dupe. 

The Okay

• Availability - The Lip Booms can be purchased on the MUA online store and will eventually be sold in-store and online at Superdrug. It would be nice if MUA was sold in other stores, for example, Boots but I guess beggars cannot be choosers. Buying MUA products isn't an issue if you live in the UK but I would imagine that it might be a bit of an issue if you live internationally. 
• Texture - I don't know if it's just the shade 'Cheeky' but the lipstick had a really sturdy texture. I  know 'sturdy' isn't the correct word to describe it but the lipstick was really tough. I found it hard to swatch on my hand as I really had to press the lipstick onto my hand and I also had to do the same on my lips. The lipstick doesn't have a smooth texture at all and I think this is primarily due to it having a matte finish. Ideally I'd like the lipstick to have more a smooth texture as it'd be easier to apply. Luckily the highlighter has a nice, non-sticky texture but it does feel very bitty and this is due to the high amount of large glitter particles within the highlighter. 
• Finish - All the Lip Booms have a matte finish and if truth be told, I do genuinely like a matte finish but at the moment I'm really disliking lip products with a matte finish as they all tend to stick to the dry bits on my lips. The only reason why 'finish' is in the 'okay' section is for the fact that the Lip Booms will not be suitable for the majority of people as a lot of people suffer with dry lips. Some matte lipsticks masque dry skin but this particular Lip Boom does not do this, maybe I will have more luck with the other two shades. The highlighter, however, has a glossy finish which looks lovely on the lips, especially when it's worn alone.

The Bad

• Scent - The scent of the highlighter is absolutely horrendous, it's sweet, sickly and generally unpleasant. I personally think it smells of Kellogg's squares bars which some of you may like but I just think it's awful. You cannot smell it once it's on your lips, you can only smell it when applying it which I guess is a bonus. The lipstick also has a scent but I wouldn't necessarily say it was unpleasant or overpowering like the scent of the highlighter. 

Overall...

Overall I like the Lip Booms as they're a handy product to chuck in your handbag as you've got a lipstick and highlighter in one and I especially like the shade selection as there's plenty to choose from. The only two things I do not like are the matte finish and the scent of the highlighter. I also feel that the texture of the lipstick could be a little creamier as it's quite stiff meaning it's hard to apply. Other than that, I like the Lip Booms and I'll definitely be purchasing the shade 'OMG' as it looks perfect for S/S. If you're looking for a matte pink lipstick with the added extra of a super sparkly finish, this Lip Boom will be perfect for you!

Would I recommend? Yes but be careful if you have dry lips!

Would I purchase? Yes
Rating? 7/10

Have you tried any of the MUA Lip Booms?

:)


*The MUA Lip Boom in 'Cheeky' was sent to me for review purposes. This does not affect my thoughts and opinions on the product. As always, my reviews are 100% truthful.