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Naked Skin Beauty Balm, Urban Decay’s New Sheer, Pore-Shrinking Potion, Feels Almost as Light as a Feather

January 3rd, 2013 by Karen 15 Comments

urban decay naked skin beauty balm
Wearing the new Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm ($34 for a 1.18-ounce tube)

I’m sure that part of the reason why I’m sitting here with my laptop and a bottle of the new Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm ($34 for a 1.18-ounce tube) and thinking about Hawaii right now is because of what I’m wearing.

I’m wearing a thermal, a hoodie, knee-high socks and long pants (I also have a blanket wrapped around my shoulders) because, DUDE! — IT’S REALLY COLD OUT HERE!

Okay, I know that Bay Area winters are mild compared to many other parts of the world/country, but whatevs. Temperature’s a relative thing! And I’m a weather wuss. 🙂

Um…may I have another cup of hot tea, please?

PLEASE!?

Then there’s the freaking Hills… I’m still watching the show, despite my better judgment. Right now I’m on season 5, and the cast is currently vacationing at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, which, side tangent, is where I got married (El Hub, if by chance you’re reading this, love you extra today, babes!).

So yeah, I’m sitting here daydreaming about Hawaii and wishing I was at the beach listening to waves crashing on the shore, instead of the heater’s low drone…

Ya know, if I were one of those cast members on The Hills, and the producers flew me out to Hawaii to talk about nonsense in a hot tub and say profound things like, “I think Audrina’s gonna hook up with Brody!” I’d probably wear Naked Skin Beauty Balm…assuming, of course, that I were also 23, which was probably when my skin was in the best shape of my life, and all I ever needed/wanted was minimal coverage and a matte finish.

urban decay naked skin beauty balm

A new face product from Urban Decay (launced online today, and coming to counters and stores this spring), Naked Skin Beauty Balm is basically a super sheer tinted moisturizer/primer with broad-spectrum SPF 20 and added skin benefits. Beyond its cosmetic powers, it also promises to firm and lift, and diminish the appearance of fine lines, with the help of magic-sounding “optical blurring pigments.”

It comes in just a single shade — a sheer peach — which should suit most skin tones. It also has a minty scent (kinda like toothpaste) and a texture that feels like a thin lotion.

urban decay naked skin beauty blam swatch
Swatches of Naked Skin Beauty Balm unblended on the left and blended on the right


urban decay naked skin beauty balm
Wearing Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm on my cheeks, forehead and nose; and Becca Radiant Satin Skin Finish Foundation on my jaw, chin and around my mouth

Whether or not it delivers the skin-care benefits it promises to, well, I always think you have to take those claims with a grain of salt…

Don’t get me wrong — I love the idea of makeup with skin care powers, but for me, personally, in all my years of wearing le war paint, I can’t say that one specific foundation, primer or beauty balm has ever made a significant, undeniable improvement in my skin.

And that goes for Naked Skin BB. Although I’ve only been wearing it for a week, which I suspect isn’t enough time to fairly assess its skin-care abilities, I’m not sure I’d be willing to wait the 6-8 weeks it may take. I mean, that would take a lot of patience. 🙂

Still, after a week with it, I do know this: I like how Naked Skin BB looks and feels.

With the minimal coverage it provides, it looks almost invisible once I work it into my skin, and it feels practically weightless. I think my pores also look a little smaller, too, and my skin appears matte (but not overly so).

For the record, if you generally prefer full (or nearly full) coverage, you may want to supplement Naked Skin BB with some additional products.

I like medium coverage for day-to-day wear, so I’ve been applying 2-3 layers of Naked Basics BB all over my face, and then patting a medium-coverage foundation around my mouth and my chin, which are areas where I feel like I need a little extra help.

Naked Skin Beauty Balm would probably be better for really low-maintenance girls and guys. Like, if you don’t feel that your skin needs a lot of coverage, you do want something to mostly smooth out your pores, you like products that contain SPF, and you don’t really wear a lot of concealer, this would probably be a great fit for you.

But, if you’re like me and feel more comfortable with medium coverage, and even some full overage on certain areas, this may not be enough to meet your needs by itself…

PRICE:$34 for a 1.18-ounce tube
AVAILABILITY: Coming to Urban Decay counters, Sephora, Macy’s and Ulta stores this spring, but it’s available now online at urbandecay.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Naked Skin Beauty Balm, Urban Decay’s New Sheer, Pore-Shrinking Potion, Feels Almost as Light as a Feather / Originally published January 3rd, 2013

There are 15 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Face, Product Reviews, Urban Decay

The products in this entry were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. For information about my posting policy, please see my Disclaimer.

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Comments

  1. Agata says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 5:25 pm

    I am so used to wearing foundation that when I use just bb cream and powder I feel kinda naked, even though my skin doesn’t have a lot of issues. I just bought a physicians formula super bb cream and I actually like it a lot!

    Reply
  2. Erlinda says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 5:37 pm

    Karen, what color do you wear in the Becca foundation?

    Reply
  3. Tiffany says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 5:44 pm

    I’m really curious about this… but I can’t decide if I want to try this or Tarte’s new BB tinted primer. Makeup junkie problems 🙂

    Reply
  4. Becca @ The Beauty Sample says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 6:15 pm

    Hm…I am curious but I’m not sure about very peachy base shades on me. I will definitely check it out at Sephora, though! I’ve been looking for a really easy, low maintenance, light base product that minimizes the appearance of my HUGE pores and leaves behind a nice, semi-matte finish. The UD could be the one!! Fingers crossed!
    Becca @ The Beauty Sample recently posted … The Sample: NEW Senna Haute Nudes Eye & Face Palette in Mystic Review, Swatches & Giveaway!

    Reply
  5. Emi at Project Swatch says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 6:36 pm

    It’s nice to see that the one universal shade does seem to work across skintones! This product seems very nice, but definitely more of a primer than a BB cream.
    Emi at Project Swatch recently posted … Physician’s Formula Super BB Cream Review, Swatches, Photos

    Reply
  6. Katherine G says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 6:36 pm

    I will definitely check this out. I love Garnier’s BB Cream and that has replaced my foundation (used to use good ol’ Maybelline 24 hr Super Stay – it was a heavy foundation, though). I am always looking to check out the higher end makeup BB creams and this one doesn’t seem quite as bad on the pocket as some others out there. For the record, here in MD it’s getting down in the 20’s at night, we actually had a White Christmas, and my birthday, which was Dec. 26, also had snow. The high is the low 30’s for the day…and MD is known for mild winters as well. Bring on the cups of tea and heated blankets!

    Reply
  7. Karla says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 7:02 pm

    I like how the BB cream looks on you, not to much of a fan of the becca foundation.
    I want to try a high end bb cream but I am not a fan of sheer coverage if on days I do chose to wear makeup. I like to go big or go home lol

    Reply
  8. breyerchic04 says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    Oh I wish this existed when I was 18-25. Not that I’m all that much older now but my skin needs so much more now.

    Reply
  9. Stephanie C. says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    I think I need this, but I’m going to wait until it becomes available in stores. From the reviews I’ve read so far it seems pretty great! You look amazing as always Karen. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Nikki says

    January 3rd, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    I’ve been out there trying tons of BB cream and I can’t quite decide which one to keep! I’m loving my Laura Mercier Oilfree Tinted Moisturizer right now, it’s replaced my foundation, but I feel like if I can find a BB cream that has the added benefits that I should go for that instead. decisions!

    Reply
  11. IndianGlamPrincess says

    January 4th, 2013 at 6:43 am

    Interesting!! Can’t wait to try it, Karen! xx
    IndianGlamPrincess recently posted … My 2012 Faves + Bloopies!!!

    Reply
  12. Ruchita says

    January 4th, 2013 at 6:43 am

    Thank you for reviewing this! I was wondering how the one shade would work on darker skin tones. I usually prefer more of a medium coverage, but there are days when I’m in a rush or feeling lazy and would probably go for something quick like this.

    Reply
  13. Monica P says

    January 4th, 2013 at 10:21 am

    I’m in San Diego so yes .. anything below 65 is criminal!

    Monica
    Monica P recently posted … GUESS Winter Coat

    Reply
  14. April says

    January 4th, 2013 at 2:41 pm

    Thanks for the review; I love it on you! Have you ever tried Skin79 BB cream? The hot pink is my favorite; you can find it on amazon for around $15 shipped.

    Reply
  15. Beth says

    May 31st, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    I agree that this feels really good on the skin. I just need more, um, “le war paint.” (love that phrase, BTW). I wish it had just a smidge more coverage.

    Reply

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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