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

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.

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.

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