I’ve been following Manny MUA for quite some time. I of course knew he had his own collection of makeup, but the first 2 collections didn’t really have a clear brand identity that made me want to invest in the brand just yet. That all changed when he released his new Strawberry Dream Collection.

After watching Manny’s reveal video I think I waited 3 days after the launch before I pulled the trigger. Not because I was still on the fence, but because I was waiting on a client to pay an invoice 🤣. As soon as it came in, I immediately went to the Lunar Beauty site and purchased the entire Strawberry Dream Collection Bundle ($80) and started playing with it immediately. Here’s what I thought!

Strawberry Dream Color Palette ($48)

The palette has 15 sees, with 9 mattes, 5 shimmers, and 1 pressed glitter. Somehow they were able to make the shadows smell just like strawberries without being overwhelming.

This palette is cruelty free and vegan, meaning the red dyes used to create the hot pink shade, Pink Flash (4th from bottom) will potentially stain your eyelids. This did happen to me, however I was prepared for this going in because Manny was very transparent in his reveal video. In any case, the staining only lasted on my complexion overnight, and came off completely when I washed my face the following morning.

I would imagine someone lighter than me, may experience this staining longer, so it is something to keep in mind. Also, because of the dyes used in this shade, it isn’t as buttery as the other mattes, and may require a little extra work to blend it out.

Additionally, another shade to be conscious of is Blue Dream. In my opinion, it is the most beautiful shadow in the palette and one of the most unique and special eyeshadows I’ve ever seen. It has an almost cream like texture, but it is a pressed glitter. Because of that, you will experience a lot of fall out when using this shade. If you plan on incorporating this shade in any of your looks, you should definitely do your eyeshadow before applying your complexion products.

Strawberry Dream Lip Collection

There are 3 lip products in this collection that are sold individually, or can be purchased in the Strawberry Dream Lip Bundle for $42. Here’s my thoughts on the formulas.

Liquid Lipsticks

There are 2 liquid lipsticks in the collection, Daydream ($18) and Dreamsicle ($18). Daydream is described as a medium nude tone pink liquid lipstick, while dreamsicle is described as a hot coral liquid lipstick.

They both have a satin finish, so they won’t try down completely matte and may transfer. I personally prefer this finish over matte anyways so I rather reapply a color, than have dry lips. Additionally the doe foot applicator makes it extremely easy to get a sharp and precise line when applying.

Lipgloss

Dreamy ($17) is the one lip gloss in the collection. It is described as a peach lip gloss with hints of pink and blue reflect. This is a non greasy, and non sticky formula which makes it extremely easy to wear. I also appreciate that the reflects are tiny micro glitters, so it gives you a nice sheen without being extremely shiny or gritty like other glitter lip glosses.

Eyeshadow Looks

I played with this palette as soon as it arrived, and created 2 different eye looks; one soft glam look, and one ultra glam look with a cut crease, featuring Blue Diamond.

Soft Glam

• I started with Cloudy as my transition color, from my crease up to my brow bone;

• I deepened the transition with Skyline;

• I added Sunset to my crease, and inner third of my bottom lash line;

• I placed Strawberry Moon to my outer corner, and the center of my bottom lash line;

• I applied Sweet Dream to the inner third of my lid;

• I placed Ruby Skies to the center of my lid, and blended it into Sweet Dream;

• I used Nightfall on the outer third of my lid, and blended it into Strawberry Moon;

• I placed Storm Cloud in my outer v to add additional dimension, and to the outer third of my bottom line to connect the colors;

• I placed a tiny amount of Lightning to the high point of my brow bone;

• I finished by adding Blue Diamond intensely to my inner corner.

I finished off this look by using a brown liner on my lips, and applied Day Dream to the center, topped with Dreamy lip gloss.

Ultra Glam

Since I was so in awe of Blue Diamond’s impact, I wanted to do a more intense glam look with a cut crease to really highlight the shade.

• I started by packing on Pink Flash to the inner half of my crease;

• I then blended that into Blue Sky on the outer half of my crease. I also applied this to the center of my lower lash line;

• To remove any harsh lines, I used Cloudy to slightly overlap the top of the colors, and blended it up to my brow bone. I also used this shade on the inner third of my lash line;

• I packed Haze on to the outer corner of my lid, and deepened the outer third of my crease area while also creating a wing shape. I then connected this shade to my bottom lash line by smudging it on the outer third;

• After using concealer to cut my crease, I began to pack on Blue Diamond to the inner third of my lid;

• The next shimmer shade I used was Sweet Dream, and slightly overlapped it for a nice blend;

• I followed across my lid, by using Ruby Skies next, and followed the same steps;

• I used Nightfall to connect the shimmers to the matte on the outer corner;

• For a smoother transition into the blue mattes, I added a little bit of Storm Cloud to the outer v of my lid and blended it in with the blue creating a deep plum shade;

• I finished by concentrating more of Blue Diamond in my inner corner, and a little bit along the inner fourth of my bottom lash line.

I also used Day Dream liquid lipstick, and dreamy lip gloss for this look, but instead of a brown liner I used a dark black berry lip liner to create an ombre lip.

Final Thoughts

Pinks aren’t usually my go to ever, but I really enjoyed playing with this palette. Even though it has a very specific color story, it is extremely versatile and you can create a number of different looks with the shades. This may become the palette I use most often in my collection because of how easily the colors blend, and the high impact of the shimmer shades.

I would definitely recommend investing in the entire collection. You will not be disappointed! If you want to pick up the bundle, or any of the items individually, you can purchase directly from Lunar Beauty Online.

You can also pick up the palette from Sephora Online or select Sephora stores. I’d definitely recommend taking advantage of the VIB/Rouge Summer Sale Event and getting it this week. Use code SUMMERSAVE until the 27th to take advantage of your member perks!