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Urban Decay’s Urbanglow Cream Highlighters Deserve the Spotlight, Don’t Keep It for Long

September 22nd, 2010 by Karen 41 Comments

Urban Decay Urbanglow review swatch pictures photos

I suppose if I really wanted an authentic candlelit glow I could walk around with a candle up next to my face, but talk about a big pain in the @ss, right? 🙂 And dangerous too!

No problem. The new Urban Decay Urbanglow Cream Highlighters ($24 each) are safer than open flames but just as illuminating.

UD packed these four cute compacts in Wicked, Sin, Brown Sugar and Moonshine with pearly glows and pigment to spare.

They kinda work like spotlights for the skin. Just pat on cheeks, at your temples, down the bridge of your nose or at the inner corners of your eyes for an instantly brighter outlook and a luminescent glow. They apply smoothly to bare skin, or on top of liquid foundations or tinted moisturizer, but I don’t recommend them for use atop powder foundations. When I tried, they looked kinda cakey.

I’ve been wearing Wicked (the shimmery pink) and Sin (the shimmery champagne) on particularly rough days when I haven’t gotten enough sleep the night before because they’re pretty good at quickly faking wide-awake eyes.

Urban Decay Urbanglow review swatch pictures photos closed

Urban Decay Urbanglow swatch review pictures photos open
Sin (left) and Wicked (right)

Urban Decay Urbanglow Sin Wicked swatch review pictures photos on arm
From the left on NC35 skin: Wicked and Sin

Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog Wearing Urban Decay Urbanglow review swatch pictures photos
Wicked on my cheeks and Sin on my eyes

MAC makes something similar with their Cream Colour Base, which I love for its long wear time. I think Urbanglow’s thinner texture makes it a little easier to blend, but it also likes to migrate into my fine lines (boo!).

The Urbanglows deliver a strong look I like to call my “party glow,” LOL! It’s super shimmery, bold and true to Urban Decay’s style — a strong highlighted look with lots of sparkle and shine (ideal for parties or nights out with your girls); however, if you prefer a softer, subtler glow, the lovely MAC CCBs might be a better choice.

Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: LOVE these Urbanglows for a strong, shimmery highlighted look, but their thin texture might lead to migration issues, especially on babes with oily skin. Available at Urban Decay counters and online at Urbandecay.com. Grade: B

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Urban Decay Urbanglow Cream Highlighter: Deserve the SpotLight But Don't Keep It for Long / Originally published September 22nd, 2010

There are 41 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Makeup, Product Reviews Keywords: urban decay

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Comments

  1. Jess says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 am

    Wow Karen, you look fab in that pic – your skin looks AMAZING!!

    The packaging on these are cute 🙂
    Jess recently posted … Review- Benefit Powderflage!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 6:50 am

      Thanks, Jess!

      How’s your week going so far? Anything new to report?

      Reply
  2. amy says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 12:34 am

    These are pretty and I really like the floral skulls and cross bones.
    amy recently posted … MAC Fabulous Villains Launch Party and Mini Haul

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 6:50 am

      UD always does clever packaging!

      Reply
  3. gio says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 3:48 am

    Sin looks very pretty and I like the packaging too.
    gio recently posted … DIY Beauty- 2 Homemade Heel Balm Recipes

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 6:49 am

      Yes, it’s really cute.

      Happy Thursday!

      Reply
  4. Kayann says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 4:37 am

    I like them all! I love the compact. It’s kind of piratey! 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 6:49 am

      It’s totally pirate-y, arrr!

      Reply
  5. Maria says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 4:41 am

    “I suppose if I really wanted an authentic candlelit glow I could walk around with a candle up next to my face, but talk about a big pain in the @ss, right?’

    Hahaha! That had me cracking up!
    Maria recently posted … Spotlight on Dolly!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 6:48 am

      Thanks, Maria! 🙂

      How’s your day going so far?

      Reply
  6. antithesis says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 5:35 am

    i want brown sugar!
    antithesis recently posted … Nyx on Sale on Hautelook

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 6:48 am

      I bet it looks really pretty!

      Reply
  7. Nina says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 5:39 am

    Youre glowing! 🙂

    Sni & Wicked are beautfil shades AND the packaging is to die for – so sumptuous and luxe! 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 6:45 am

      Good morning!

      I’ve always liked Urban Decay’s funky pirate vibe. 🙂

      How are you today? And are you wearing any Venomous Villains?

      Reply
      • Nina says

        September 23rd, 2010 at 9:09 am

        Urbay Decay is such a fun, vibrant brand and thats what I <3 about `em!

        I am wearing Bite of an Apple (again!) and Wicked Ways lipglass. Yep, im rockin' a red lip today!

        Never since Hello Kitty have I been so enamored of a MAC collection!

        Reply
        • Karen says

          September 23rd, 2010 at 1:48 pm

          Funny, I was just thinking of Hello Kitty the other day (I can’t seem to find my Lucky Tom palette…maybe Tabs stole it?).

          You go with your red lips!!

          Reply
          • Nina says

            September 24th, 2010 at 5:51 am

            Uh oh — perhaps Tabs has it! Ask him! 😀

            I lurve the 2 HK palettes a lot!

  8. Stephanie says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 7:40 am

    That looks beautiful, but Mark has a new highlighter that I have my eye on, Touch and glow shimmer cream cubes…..decisions, decisions : )

    Thanks for the MAC suggestion; I may have to look into that, too!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 2:03 pm

      Oh, that sounds pretty!

      I know it’s hard to choose, but a girl can never have enough highlighters. 😉

      Reply
  9. Anna says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 7:54 am

    They look gorgeous in the pan but I think I’ll stick with more subtle things.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm

      You might like the MAC Cream Color Bases, then. Try either Pearl or Hush. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Phyrra says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I’m interested in checking out Moonshine 🙂 Good to know about their textures.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 2:17 pm

      They’re much thinner than I anticipated! Gotta say that the thinner texture helps with the blending…

      Reply
  11. knownever says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 8:54 am

    Sin reminds me of this product that i believe smashbox used to have (like 10+ years ago) that was an all-over cream highlighter. might have to pick it up to replace that long ago, but still remembered, beauty favorite.
    knownever recently posted … Post-Human Paradox- Aimee Mullins says stuff

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 2:27 pm

      I hope you can find it. It’s such a pain when companies discontinue products, isn’t it?

      Reply
  12. Gina says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 9:06 am

    I loveee Sin! Most of their products in Sin are beautiful. I don’t understand why Midnight Cowboy is their best seller; sooo much glitter! I always saw Sin as their super flattering, super wearable shade.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 2:29 pm

      I’ve wondered the same thing. Maybe it’s because the die hard Urban Decay fans love their bling?

      Reply
  13. Jenna says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 9:23 am

    Thank you for the Review Karen!
    Jenna recently posted … Look- Fall Inspired Amber Eyes

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 23rd, 2010 at 3:33 pm

      You’re welcome, Jenna! Do you think you might give these a try?

      Reply
  14. Jessica Allison says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 9:31 am

    I’m bummed about the shimmer! I like a lot of glow, but the shimmer (especially of the Urban Decay variety) tends to migrate, which ruins the illusion that it’s my beautiful (ha!) skin glowing…I’ll keep searching I guess!

    Reply
  15. Marisa Roper says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 9:42 am

    This looks awesome! And I really love Urban Decay so I might have to look into it. Although it does seem a little expensive. I usually just add shimmer to my powders for a glow but we’ll see what happens when I come across it in the store!
    Marisa Roper recently posted … Cleanse- Tone- Moisturize

    Reply
  16. Kim says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 10:10 am

    You *do* look sparkly and fresh! 🙂

    You lost me at “migrates to fine lines” though. I had a gasping moment. Not really, but my lines don’t need to stand out any more than they do. Loved the candle comment though. Between the “creeping through dark places with a candle” visual and the floral skull packaging, this is definitely in the Halloween spirit. I know we have a month, but I like to look ahead. 🙂

    Speaking of… have you seen Resident Evil Afterlife? It’s what’s to be expected, but I loved Alice’s Russian Army jacket. I’m not really a fashion person but I totally want one (for Halloween). Of course, it would be nice to look like Milla too, but there’s not much chance of that!

    Reply
  17. Trisha says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 11:50 am

    Yep. Totally in love with the packaging.
    Trisha recently posted … NMW- Makeup-Less Thursday

    Reply
  18. Megan says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 2:48 pm

    Love it! I’m very interested in Moonshine!

    Reply
  19. saku says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    Cute packaging. Moonshine and brownsugar looks interesting.

    Reply
  20. Hyzenthlay says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    Doh! I got the email yesterday afternoon that I could order the Naked Palette, and so I did right away . . . Now, of course, I wish I could add these to the order. Oh well, it’s probably better that you didn’t publish this until today! Better for my checking account, at least!

    Reply
  21. Danielle F. says

    September 23rd, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    Hey Karen! Thanks for the swatches! I will probably end up hauling both of these! I love the colors of those and am interested to see what Moonshine looks like! How would you compare this to Benefit’s new highlighter- Girl Meets Pearl?
    Sephora makes a similar product called luminous glow, sold on Sephora.com. It only comes in one color though. I have enjoyed that product thus far (warning for those who don’t want sparkle though!). It also retails for half the price as the UD ones for the budget gals out there. The color is a pinky-nude base with gold sparkle.

    Reply
  22. Shayamli Mehrotra says

    September 24th, 2010 at 11:51 am

    What tools do you use to apply these?

    Reply
  23. Annabella Freeman says

    September 25th, 2010 at 1:55 pm

    I love this packaging!

    Reply
  24. Jasmine says

    June 10th, 2012 at 7:13 am

    Which shade do you think will work on African American skin (NW46), if any?

    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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