MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in 'Reckless'.

MUA recently released a 'Luxe' line to add to their make up collection and this included Velvet Lips, Power Brow, Precision Liner and Glitter Palettes. Upon release these were snapped up instantly and left Superdrug awaiting stock both in store and online, I however persevered and got my hands on one to try. There are five shades available 'Atomic', 'Criminal', 'Funk', 'Kooky' and 'Reckless'. 'Atomic' is a much lighter orange based red, 'Criminal' and 'Funk' are both vibrant pinks, 'Reckless' is a deep, vibrant red and 'Kooky' is a daring purple. These lip lacquers retail at a mere £3 and are already being compared to the Lime Crime Velvetines, Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks and Hourglass Rouge Liquid Lipsticks. Out of the five shades available 'Reckless' is the only shade that really appealed to me, the others are all a little out there and bold - especially for Winter months! I was really surprised by how much I liked the packaging, they've kept it simple with a frosted plastic tube, black lid and gold writing that makes it look more expensive than it is. Similar to the Lime Crime Velvetines, this has a doe foot applicator which I don't hate but you do need a bit of patience when trying to get a precise shape. As with most lip lacquers the consistency is a little thicker and combined with the intense pigmentation you only need one coat for an opaque finish. You'll also want to let these fully dry before you put your lips together as I find any parts that touch wet surfaces completely remove the product. Say for example you licked your licks and then put your lips together, it pulls off the product in that area. To see what I mean in photos, have a look at the Green Story blog post. Once completely dried these wont transfer or bleed but as soon as you start drinking or eating it'll remove the lacquer, particuarly in the centre of your lips. You could carry this with you thanks to its sleek, simple packaging but I wouldn't attempt to reapply more than once or twice because it'll just look uneven. Although these dry to a matte finish, I didn't find them drying to wear at all, they're a little stubborn to get off but you'll just need a firmer hand - no need for extra strength make up removers!   So to round up: These have great pigmentation, lovely packaging, they're affordable, apply easily, they're not drying - BUT they're not at all long lasting as they crumble off as soon as they have contact with any liquids. Nice as they are, I can't imagine a time when I would want a vibrant red lip but not be either drinking or eating and there's no way I'm avoiding a Nandos or a Costa just for a little longevity of my lip lacquer. Not for me. I'll stick to the Stila Liquid Lipsticks - if you're on a budget the Elf Lip Stains are lovely too.
What're your thoughts? Have you suffered with the same problem of the product coming off easily?