Urban Decay

The Urban Decay Spring 2014 Collection: Nakedness Strikes Again With New Lines of Lipglosses and Loose Finishing Powders

January 13th, 2014 by Karen 29 Comments

Wearing the new Urban Decay spring 2014 collection — Introducing the new Urban Decay spring 2014 collection

What if…

What if my neighbors saw me naked today? What if it should have been totally weird, but it was actually pretty great?

What if I strolled, all gloriously nude, past a group of them in our little circle on my morning walk with Tabs (gotta get that Vitamin D, yo!), as the sun beamed down on my cheeks?

What if I said, “Hello,” smiling and waving at all the neighborhood kids and their parents? “Nice day for a walk.” 🙂

What if —

Uh…DUDE. You do realize that I’ve been referring to wearing Urban Decay’s new spring 2014 collection, right? I wouldn’t actually walk around my neighborhood in the buff.

OK, where was I going with this…?

Oh, yeah! Urban Decay’s latest launch. It’s all about — you guessed it — more nakedness! And skincare benefits.

This time the focus is on naked skin and lips. This spring, the line is getting even more nude (nakeder?) with two brand new products lines, and two new Beauty Balm shades.

First things first, the most exciting stuff (well, at least to me): the brand new Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipglosses.

Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss ($20 each, nine shades)

Urban Decay Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss — Naked Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss

As if I needed another excuse to hoard sheer neutral lipglosses… Yeah, these are totally up my alley. Sheer, smooth, non-sticky and super hydrating, the formula contains skin-friendly ingredients like avocado oil, shea butter, Hyaluronic Filling Spheres, rosehip seed oil and vitamins A, E and C.

According to Urban Decay, these are also supposed to dramatically improve the appearance of lip lines and wrinkles, lip volume and hydration, to which I say…OK.

My lips have been flaky and dry lately (it has a lot to do with the heater being on 24/7), but they do feel a little better when I wear these. My lips also feel refreshed, as the formula faintly tastes and smells like mint (just a little; it’s not obnoxious).

There are nine shades in the release, all of them wearable nudes, bronzes and pinks.

I suspect that a few of the lighter nudes, like Walk of Shame, Nooner and Naked, will look quite alike on very pigmented lips, but that’s where the sheer brights — Lovechild, Liar and Streak (my faves) — come in.

MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

Urban Decay Walk of Shame Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss — Walk of Shame, a pale nude pink with subtle micro-shimmer

Urban Decay Nooner Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss — Nooner, a light neutral nude

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An Urban Decay Face of the Day With Naked3: A Rosy Gold Daytime Smokey Eye

November 20th, 2013 by Karen 26 Comments

Whoa, boy. I am a sleep-sheepy today…but that wasn’t going to stop me from playing naked.

I mean playing with naked — Urban Decay Naked3.

Just a few shots of the look I’m wearing. I think it’s a little more wearable and daytime-friendly than the look I did on Monday.

I also incorporated some colors from the Naked and Naked2 palettes, just to see how well they’d work with Naked3’s rosy gold.

I think it went well.

Quick breakdown of what I used!

On my eyes I’m wearing…

The Urban Decay Naked3 Palette (shimmery rose gold Liar on my lids and glittery blackened rose Blackheart in the outer corners)
The Urban Decay Naked Palette (Buck, the matte brown shade, in the crease)
The Urban Decay Naked2 Palette(Foxy, the matte beige shade, on the brown bone)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Blackheart, glittery blackened rose from the new Blackheart and Darkside liner duo (along my lower lash lines)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion, a true black from the new Perversion and Pistol duo (water lines)
UD’s new 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Venus a shimmery beige from the Venus and Crave duo (worn as a base all over my lids under the other products)
Clarins Be Long Mascara (my lashes)
MAC Brun Eye Shadow (brows)

On my cheeks and lips that’s…

Tarte’s Off the Cuff Blush Palette (the apples of my cheeks)
MAC Give Me Sun Bronzer (below my cheekbones)
Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked

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Things Are Coming Up Rose Gold: Urban Decay Three-Peats With the 12 All-New Neutrals in the Naked3 Palette

November 18th, 2013 by Karen 57 Comments

And then there were three…

Thrice as naked.

More naked than you’ve ever been before! (Well…)

Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! No, not really. But it is the third coming of Urban Decay’s famous Naked palette, appropriately named Naked3 ($54).

First impressions: WOW! I have been literally champing at the bit to see this palette in person, and so far I have not been disappointed by it.

The 12 all-new neutrals, all of which have rose tones, come in UD’s typically soft, easy-to-blend formula (and matte, pearl and glimmering metallic finishes). Sure, that means there’s some fallout, but on the flip-side, the shadows are ridiculously easy to blend, and if you do your eyes first, clean up, and continue with your face makeup, it’s all good.

I think the colors are definitely different enough from the shades in the O.G. Naked palettes (one and two) to make this one worth considering.

Many of the shades have a purplish taupe tint to them, at least on my skin, which I like. I think they’ll go well with purple smokey eyes and other purple looks. I have a strong suspicion they’ll also complement bronze and gold shadows nicely.

For the most part, I think these are neutral enough to work well on cool and warm skin tones, but if you’re on the far warm end of that spectrum, you may want to work in your own mattes for transition colors, because some of these shades, like Nooner and Limit — those might be a tad too cool-toned.

I’m really jazzed about the colors on the far right, the darker colors. Those are gonna be a blast to play with in smokey eyes.

Of course, I still love black, brown and purple smokey looks, but I really like the idea of becoming a part-time rose gold smokey eye aficionado.

Urban Decay Naked3 swatches from the left: Strange, Dust, Burnout and Limit — Swatches from the left: Strange, Dust, Burnout and Limit

Urban Decay Naked3 swatches from the left: Buzz, Trick, Nooner and Liar — Swatches from the left: Buzz, Trick, Nooner and Liar

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Everything’s a Little Brighter With New Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder for Face and Body

September 12th, 2013 by Karen 22 Comments

When I picture no-makeup makeup, as in makeup that looks “au naturale,” Urban Decay isn’t the first brand that springs to mind. I mean…the have an entire sparkly rainbow of glitter eyeliners living in their permanent collection (and they’re great!).

Lately, though, with new additions to UD’s Naked Skin product line, they seem bound and determined to get makeup lovahs thinking about them in that way.

But based on my first swatch of the new Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder for Face and Body ($29) on the back of my hand, I did not expect subtle. In the swatch I saw a silvery beige powder so frosty, so sparkly, that I pictured roller skating rinks and knee-high socks.

We’re talking disco ball territory.

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When Are Two Vices Better Than One? When It’s a Face of the Day With the Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette

September 12th, 2013 by Karen 33 Comments

In the not-too-distant future, the headquarters of Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC, also known as my condo, has been classified as a historical site — one of the must-see stops on the way to Wine Country — with a placard on the front door that reads, “Here lived Tabs the Cat at the height of his fame/infamy.”

But visitors, of which there will be many, will be sorely disappointed to learn that the world’s first plus-size kitty supermodel’s assistant was actually really, really boring.

Many of them will expect that a historical figure as influential as Tabs would have had a wildly eccentric, fascinating right-hand woman with bizarre yet endearing habits and vices.

Sadly, my biggest vice is porcelain cats…

Because I own many of them.

I suppose that one could also call my weakness for well-stocked palettes, like the new Vice 2 palette from Urban Decay, another vice…

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A Face of the Day With the New Urban Decay Anarchy Face Case, and a Not-So-Rebellious Yell

September 11th, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

After delving into Anarchy, one of Urban Decay’s two new Face Cases, I kind of expected to feel the urge to kick garbage cans over, growl at strangers and swing chains over my head…

Urban Decay Anarchy Face Case 3 — The Urban Decay Face Case in Anarchy

Ooh! — or a mace, like from Game of Thrones, but only if I were in the mood to really do some damage.

Alas, no. I didn’t feel that rebellious at all after applying the eye, lip and cheek colors from UD’s latest holiday palette. Instead, I had a fruit salad and took a nap.

But it was a glorious nap fit for a king! 🙂

I look at Anarchy as the more bad-@ss of the two new Face Cases. Where Shattered is sweet, Anarchy is sassy, with sparklier eye colors, more vibrant blushes (so vibrant that I had to buff my cheeks down after my first try because I looked totally crazypants) and a more man-eater-esque lip color.

If you want a palette that parties, call Anarchy.

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Prep for Parties in a Pinch With the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners

September 11th, 2013 by Karen 18 Comments

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in ACDC — Wearing Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in ACDC on my lower lash lines and Face Case in Shattered on my lids, cheeks and lips

I know it’s not even technically fall, but before you know it, that aisle at Target dedicated to floaty inner tubes and swimming pool toys will disappear, only to be replaced by the aisle overloaded with candy corn and snack-size Snickers bars (DAMN THOSE THINGS).

I’ll be thinking less and less about frozen yogurt and shave ice and more and more about turkey, side dishes and pie (I’m all about the pecan). And then, invariably, I’ll have to encase myself in a pair of sausage-y Spanx just to be able to fit into those form-fitting party dresses I can’t breathe in, but like to wear anyway, because they make me feel like I’ve still got it (she said, snapping in a Z formation).

My point, and I do have one, is that party season is almost upon us. 🙂

For some events, you’ll want to go all out with your makeup and really enjoy the whole process of getting ready. Those times are nice…

Other times, you’ll need to get ready NOW.

And it’s those times that Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners really help.

The Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners

UD recently relaunched this line of sparkly eyeliners, perhaps with parties in mind, because they’re absolutely fabulous for getting gussied up in a flash.

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner swatches — From the left: Junkshow, Midnight Owboy, Amp, Spandex, ACDC, Glamrock and Distortion

They come in seven fun colors, too, that once set, don’t budge for nothin’, so you can dance to Katy Perry all night long without worrying about your liner melting.

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A Face of the Day with the Urban Decay Shattered Face Case

September 10th, 2013 by Karen 35 Comments

Today was the first day in a really long time that I wore a sweater and long pants…

Bluh.

On the one hand, I’m gonna miss the hell out of summer. On the other hand, it’s nice when your office isn’t hotter than a sweat lodge.

I kid you not, yesterday it was so hot in hurrrrr that I had hallucinations! — including one with Tabs meowing to the tune of R. Kelly’s Ignition.

One of the coolest things about the cooling weather, though, is that it means holiday makeup isn’t too far away.

Yeah, boo. H-O-L-I-D-A-Y.

If you’re the type to pre-plan your Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year’s makeup months ahead of time, 1) you’re much more organized than I am, and 2) you might really dig the new $44 Urban Decay Shattered Face Case.

It’s one of a dynamic duo of recently released Face Cases from Urban Decay (now available on urbandecay.com and coming soon to stores and counters), with a mix of wearable cool-toned beige, gray and purple eyeshadows, and slightly warmer peaches and pinks for cheeks and lips.

When my neighborhood Fed Ex guy, who likes to joke around with me, noticed my makeup today, he said he’s seen me look “much crazier.”

I’m pretty sure it was a compliment. 🙂

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