Harsh words? Maybe. If you've come here thinking this post will be a rant soley on their 50% off sale fiasco, you're wrong. MUA began irritating me long before then.

Why am I unhappy with the way I've been treated by MUA, then?

Unsanitary Products

We'll start here. MUA had a 35% off sale (free postage) sometime in November or early December. Naturally, I ordered. I wanted to get my hands on the (relatively) newly released Nail Constellations and various basic bits and bobs.


I don't recall recieving any confirmation that my order went through, but it arrived after about four, five days of waiting. I opened it up, everything was fine. Except the fact that my 'Sugar Lips' lipbalm had a hair in it.

Ew.

Ewwwww.

EWWWWWWWW.

The hair was only partially embedded in the lip balm, so I'm guessing it fell in while the lids were being put on (so at the last stage of production) as opposed to being present while the lip balm was actually being created. Even so, I'm fairly grossed out. I don't know if MUA do their own production (unlikely) so I'm not placing the fault for the contaminated lip balm with them. What I AM blaming them for is their complete inaction over my complaint.

I emailed their Enquiry address (mua@fbbeauty.co.uk) on the 21st of December, 2012. My email:

 Hi,

I recieved my order from you a week or so ago (order number: #1********)
One of my ordered items was a Love Hearts lip balm in 'Sugar Lips'. The outer packaging was sealed as usual, but upon opening I noticed a hair in the lip balm that must have got there during manufacture. Please could you send me a replacement lipbalm? I've attached a photo of the item in this email. Lena.

Attached were the pictures of the lipbalm in this post.

I am aware that many businesses were beginning to shut for Christmas around this time, so I wasn't expecting a response until the 28th or so. When I did not recieve one, I tweeted on January the 3rd. I emailed again on January the 11th. I wrote on Mr MUA's newly created Facebook page (so it was likely they'd see it) on the 22nd. Nothing. None of this got any response. As of the 12th of February, the mua@fbbeauty.co.uk address is no longer on their Facebook page under 'contact' details, so I guess they've retired it. Their website now directs you to the built in 'Contact' form for enquiries. This I have used to request the whereabouts of my subsequent order, and have recieved no reply thus far.

I opened a PayPal dispute two days ago in order to sort the mess. Funnily enough, they responded to that. I've now regained my £1.30. It's not like I requested a replacement in my emails, or anything.

Social Media
 I've had a problem with the way that MUA conduct themselves on Facebook (mainly) and Twitter (less so) for some time now. They've always struck me as...incredibly informal. This is entirely a personal preference, but all the other brands I follow on Facebook seem to respect that boundary and MUA seem different, especially with this whole 'Mr MUA' thing. E.L.F, Revlon and Sleek don't try and convince me that they're a charity working for my benefit as opposed to a money-making business.
When I read posts like, "Another massive effort from the MUA Team today." "...the BIGGEST Facebook REWARD to Make Up FANS!" (you're lying anyway, plenty of brands can manage a 50% off sale, don't try and make me feel guilty because yours went wrong)
"Wow...Thankyou to all of you for your support and patience. This remained a Facebook Offer to our friends that supported us...a thanksgiving and reward..not a commercial exercise. Anyone who know our brand, our products, and what we stand for in passion, innovation and attitude to customer service..will kow that was the case. Clearly this offer has grown out of all proportion..." I'm not filled with confidence that this is a business that knows what they are doing. The terrible written communication doesn't help, either. Call me picky all you like - I expect standard English from a commercial enterprise. It's rude to expect me to decipher yURcrayzeiiie misssspeliiiings if you're trying to take my money. Can't spell? That's absolutely fine. But your business consists of more than one person, so leave the Facebook postings to that person that can spell. OK? OK.

THAT 50% off Sale
Where to begin?

I did experience this a few years back, with Sleek (and a lot more profanity). I think everyone did. For those of you that weren't into beauty blogging back then, Sleek MakeUP held a 50% sale to celebrate reaching 21,000 Facebook fans and the website crashed. It crashed bad. I personally spent the best part of a day trying to order, taking it in tandem with my Mum, and I wasn't the only one. Sound familiar?

Fast forward three years, and MUA are trying to do the same thing. This time, they're trying with MORE THAN DOUBLE the numbers of fans (50,000 versus 21,000) and what appeared to be a quarter of the server space. The MUA website is not particularly high tech or fancy. But unlike Sleek, who annoyed us greatly with their actions but not much with their words (excepting the pizza tweet)
(photo @LipsticksandLightsabers)

MUA took to the Internet to slag us all off. Apparantly it was our fault as customers that the website wasn't working. How dare you guys try and shop? Off the page, NOW. We TOLD you this would happen!

Unfortunately, MUA appear to have deleted the original, pretty damn offensive posts. Wish I had the presence of mind to screenshot them at the time, but I was so shocked by their angry response that I didn't do so. If anyone out there does have screenshots, I'd love to borrow them!
 I've never had a company outright post so rudely to its customers, who had done nothing wrong. The blame for the fiasco lies squarely with MUA. If you're going to try and host a sale of this magnitude, look to the good (Models Own, E.L.F) and not to the terrible (Sleek) examples of how. Upgrade your server space. If you openly acknowlege that you're low on stock in some products, for goodness sake order more stock! Don't be surprised and moan at customers when things sell out quickly. And buy some more bloody server space. Apparantly no one at 'MUA Towers' had the presence of mind to go 'Oh, we've advertised this thing for x months and we're very popular on Facebook. Might be an idea to invest in a little more server space and a little extra stock for this sale?'

This post is too long already, so I'll cut it short here. I ordered on the 22nd of January, and as of the 12th of February, I've not recieved my order. And this is why I believe that MUA are the worst new company of 2012.

Did anyone else make an order during the sale?

In the run up to the Christmas period, Superdrug were having their (apparantly annual) 3 for 2 on all cosmetics. Naturally, with the help of my NUS card (and 10% student discount), I indulged.



I bought two of the pressed powder compacts as it's currently the only pressed powder I use. The rectangular palette closest to you is the new Concealer palette in the darkest shade. And although I have far too many eyeshadow palettes now, I basically collect Sleek ones so picked up their three newest releases - Snapshots, Respect, and Supreme.


MUA were doing a sale on their website - 30% off, I believe, with free delivery? So I got some of their new Pro items - namely the nail constellations and the lip glosses - as well as the Love Hearts lipbalms that I've blogged about before and their felt eyeliners. I did have some issues with this order though. Firstly:

I ordered from Models Own, Superdrug Online and E.L.F during the same period, and all three companies shipped me my order in a box, however small. Yes, I know postage was free (for that promotional time) but I found it slightly strange recieving the order in a jiffy bag. This may well be unreasonable, but I just don't feel it a) looks very professional and b) is necessarily the best way to keep items intact. The most breakable things, the Nail Constellations, were wrapped up in bubble wrap seperately from everything else, but still.

Secondly:

I opened up my (completely and utterly sealed, by the way) Sugar Lips Love Hearts lipbalm to find a very visible hair staring back at me.
 

Yeah. I won't be using that.

Emailed MUA on two different email addresses to inform them of the situation back long before Christmas - haven't recieved a reply since. Tweeted a reminder a few days ago - again, no reply. Unimpressed.

I also made a small E.L.F order, which I was pleased with. An eyebrow pencil was way too light for me, but other than that it was fine.

Did anyone else pick anything up in the run up to Christmas or in the January Sales?