Review: Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

Okay, I just couldn't help myself. A month ago, I was browsing through the Sephora website when I saw this in their New section. Since I absolutely adore BOTH of their Naked eye palettes, I couldn't help but read further and do a little research on Urban Decay's new Naked Skin Liquid Makeup.

Description
From reading the reviews, it sounded like most people really loved this product. Before I go into my thoughts, Urban Decay describes this foundation as weightless and virtually invisible. It's suppose to provide a demi-matte finish, while illuminating and brightening your skin. What I do love about this foundation is that it's paraben free. In the ingredient listing, it also highlights that it is infused with Matrixyl 3000, which is an anti-wrinkle peptide.

With a range of 18 colours, I found my perfect shade in 4.0. Just as a tip, the shades that end with .0 are warmer/yellow tones and the shades that end with .5 are cooler/pink tones. I do love the packaging - especially the pump.  Some people love the luxurious feel of a glass bottle, but I'm a little too practical to care. Glass is heavy and plastic is way lighter and much easier to pack for a weekend at the boyfriend's :)

After a good shake, the foundation is quite watery.

Pros

One pump will give you medium to full coverage. On work days, I use half a pump to even out my skin tone. It does a perfect job to hide the redness on my face and around my nose. Half a pump is the only time that I would consider this foundation to look virtually invisible. Anything more than a pump will begin to look heavy. I do love the coverage for half a pump though, and the shade really is perfect for my skin tone right now. 

As for staying power, I've read that some people didn't think it lasted, but I think it holds up pretty well. With a few extra steps and a little more powder, I really can make this foundation last from morning until night (In the picture, I've been wearing the foundation for 7 hours with minimal powder touch up). P.S. No break outs with this foundation either :)

Cons
As much as I am loving this foundation right now, I do know that this is not going to work for me in the winter. My skin will be way too dry, as even now, I have to be extra careful not to create any flakiness around my nose. For you ladies who have really dry skin, I highly urge you to try a sample before purchasing. If your skin is extremely dry, this foundation will highlight your pores and dry patches. As for the finish, it looks more matte than demi-matte on me. 

Note
I do want to make a note that there is no SPF protection in this foundation. However, it sort of worked out for me because SPF can make your face look white in flash photography. Since all my foundations have SPF, I figured I needed one in my collection without it :)  You can find Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation at Sephora and a select few Shoppers Drug Mart. For a 30 ml bottle, it will set you back $45.

Final Thoughts
All-in-all, a great foundation and I'm happy I purchased it. I think it's great for the warmer months and perfect if you have normal to oily skin. As for me and my dry skin... I am going to wear this for as long as the weather will allow it :)

How To: Make Your Makeup Last All Day

Okay ladies, do you ever wish your makeup lasted all day? Especially when your days are long and your commute feels even longer? Over the last year, I have watched a million YouTube videos and have read a thousand blog entries (a slight exaggeration, but I think my boyfriend will say I'm pretty close :p). From all the research, I have tried a few things that have really helped my makeup last longer. 

As always, I want to set expectations. By no means will your makeup look like it did when you first applied it 8 hours later, however, it will look better and you should notice that you still look polished, even after a long day at work. Here are the top 5 things that have worked for me. . You'll notice that it all begins with your foundation... literally.

1. Use and prep with minimal products

I used to do it all... toner, moisturizer, sun screen, and primer before putting on any type of foundation. The more layers you put on, the harder it is for the foundation to adhere to your skin.

Look for products that are multipurpose, e.g. primers that are extra moisturizing for dry skin, foundations with sunscreen, moisturizers that help tone and brighten skin, etc. The bonus? Not only will you save time in the morning, you'll save money too!

2. Use a primer

Primers really do work - not only to provide you a smooth surface for your foundation to go on, but it helps to prolong the wear of your make up. Because my skin is dry, one of my all time favourites is Laura Mercier's Hydrating Foundation Primer.

Primers can get expensive, so I use mine sparingly. I've found that a lot of my foundations hold up pretty good for the most part, and so on work days, I generally skip this step. When I do use it on weekends or on a night out, I focus the primer on areas that get oily. For me, I dot it along my t-zone and work my way out - spreading the excess to the rest of my face. A pea size dot is more than enough, a little goes a very long way!


3. Blot off the excess foundation

I got this tip from watching YouTube (gossmakeup). Take Kleenex or toilet paper, whatever you have lying around and separate the sheets so that you're working with a thinner layer of tissue. Use this and gently press it against your face. Key word is press. The goal isn't to rub off your make up, but to remove all the excess moisture and oil from your foundation, leaving behind just the pigment on your face. It's really such a simple step that makes a big difference. 

4. If you're wearing liquid foundation, set it with powder

I didn't always do this step until after a makeup workshop that I went to this summer. The instructor told me to always set something wet with something dry. This will help absorb any oil or moisture from the skin throughout the day. I like the way that it really finishes the look, making your face look more flawless. I was initially worried that my skin would look cakey, since I have normal to dry skin, but she (my instructor) told me that if you've moisturized enough (or her tip, mix your favourite foundation with your moisturizer), the chances of that happening are slim. If you're still concerned, then try to only focus on the areas that you get oily. I always make the effort to powder my t-zone and the areas where I've used a concealer. My favourite one right now is MAC's Mineralize Finish Powder. 

5. Use a setting spray

Last but not least, use a setting spray to help make your makeup last all day. I actually never leave home without it. The one that I've been using is Urban Decay's All Nighter Setting Spray. For a full review, click here. This is not a miracle spray, your makeup is not going to look flawless like how it did when you first applied, but it sure is going to look a heck of a lot better at the end of the day then if you didn't use it at all.

That's it! 5 very simple tricks that should help your foundation last all day. If you have any tips that really work well for you, please share :)

Thanks for reading!

Make-Up Sprays: MAC Fix+ vs. UD All-Nighter

I actually love both of these make-up sprays - and it took some research and some experimenting to find out the difference between the two. Let's start with MAC's Fix + Spray. On the website, MAC totes that this formula is a blend of vitamins and minerals that add radiance to your skin and finishes your make-up. For $24, you are getting 100 ml of product. I'd like to stress the fact that this is a make-up finishing spray and not a setting spray. This product is multi-functional, but it's not meant to keep your make-up on all day.

Here's why I love it:

• It leaves a dewy radiance, that really finishes your entire look. Your skin looks healthy and refreshed. Tip: To avoid any of the spray droplets sitting too long on your face, set your blow dryer on low cool air and hold it about 10 inches away from your face.
• It helps to tone down heavy make-up and cakey applications. Tip: Spray Fix+ directly onto your brush and lightly pat or swirl the product to remove the excess foundation (truly works wonders for me).
• It helps build up the intensity of your eye shadows or blush. Tip: Spray your brush before dipping it into your desired product. You will find that the pigments become more intense and vibrant when you apply on your face.
• Refreshes my make-up and skin mid-day. I had this product with me in my purse every day during the summer months. When it got too hot, and my face needed a pick-me-upper, I gravitated towards this to do the trick.

As much as I love the multi-functional purpose of MAC Fix+, it doesn't do anything for me in terms of setting my make-up to last all day. For that purpose, I would recommend using Urban Decay's All Nighter. It is a bit pricier of the two - $35 for 118 ml of product, but a little really goes a long way. I still have one third of a bottle left from when I bought it back in September and I use it every day. On the Urban Decay's website, this product boasts of a patent pending Temperature Control Technology that won't let your make-up melt in warm, humid weather or become dehydrated in the cold winter months. It also claims to have up to 16 hours of wearing power. The application for this spray is pretty straight forward. After you're done applying your make-up, shake the bottle and hold it  8-10" away from your face. The mist that comes out is evenly distributed which is nice. I usually spray 4 times across my face in a T shape.

I've just re-purchased my second bottle, which says a lot when I am always experimenting with new things. The All Nighter spray really works, and I don't leave the house without using it. However, to set expectations - I think 16 hours is quite an exaggeration. My make-up definitely looks BETTER 16 hours later than without... but I would say by the late afternoon, my make-up begins to dull - not bad though, considering I apply at 7 am.

I hope this post sheds a little light on the difference between a finishing and setting spray. I can't choose between the two, because to me, they perform two different functions.Thanks for reading, and happy shopping! :)