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
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!
Karen, what color do you wear in the Becca foundation?
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 🙂
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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. 🙂
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!
Interesting!! Can’t wait to try it, Karen! xx
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.
I’m in San Diego so yes .. anything below 65 is criminal!
Monica
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.
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.