I never thought I would go ‘oooh’ and ‘ahhh’ for any loose powder until I saw the Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder at Sephora Ion in the flash. I have been waiting for this to launch here in Singapore eversince I saw Temptalia’s review.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
What is it?
This loose powder is a silky, weightless finishing powder which aims to provide you with a Naked luminous and demi-matte finish. It aims to blur flaws, set makeup and cut out shine. It contains optical blurring pigments that minimize imperfections, creating a stunning soft-focus effect that looks professionally retouched. It is designed to be invisible on the skin but yet “fools” the eye with it’s light reflecting formula to create a soft-focus effect that airbrushes away any imperfections. It is also free of oil, parabens, alcohol and fragrances.
Each tub comes with 8g of product and is available at all Sephora outlets at $50 each.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
There are 5 shades in total – Naked Light, Naked Medium Light, Naked Medium, Naked Medium Dark, Naked Dark. 3 of the shades look so similar when swatched, I had a tough time deciding on which because they all seemed to work well with my skin.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Naked Medium Light, Medium and Medium Dark blended right into my skin when swatched. I ended up picking Medium Light because it’s easier to work with a powder that is slightly too light than one that’s too dark. I can at least use a bronzer if the powder ended up being too light.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This powder might not work for you if you are fairer than NC20 because Naked Light isn’t exactly as fair as it probably should be. The darkest shade Naked Dark is at least 3 shades darker than Medium Dark so if you are around NC35-40, you might need to get 2 shades and mix them. I love how Naked Dark looks when blended. It provides a really healthy golden glow, which reminds me of the Chanel Les Beiges in No.30.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Let’s talk about packaging
Urban Decay outdid themselves this time with the cute little pot. They made it look so sturdy and luxe. Even the inside of the lid is so intricately designed with “UD” embossed around the 4 tiny powder dispenser holes. The lid is also very tightly secured so you can be sure there will be no powder spilling everywhere when you travel with this little baby.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The Powder
The powder is so silky and finely milled, and really blurs out all imperfections, pretty much like a real-life photoshop. The result of the finish is very similar to the NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder, except that this one has got some coverage. The coverage is not extreme but it is noticeable. I guess this is what makes me reach for this powder over NARS for setting the entire face.
Ok, let me clear the air a little. Although the product name is Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose FINISHING Powder, you can definitely use this as a setting powder. Even though there are only 8g of product, it will take a long while to finish that since you really only need very little to set the entire face. I have tried using this to set under my eyes and it works beautifully. It does not sit into the fine lines at all, which is pretty impressive! NARS is no longer the only powder I know that works with my under eyes.
Let’s Compare
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Some finishing powder that can double-up as setting powder include the MAQuillAGE Aura Beauty and NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder. The reformulated Guerlain Meteorites is quite pigmented and is used for comparison as a finishing powder. As you can see from the swatches above, the Urban Decay Naked Skin is the only skin-toned powder that disappears into the skin.
All 4 powder provide luminous finish but if I were to rank them in order of having the soft-focus effect, it would be UD Naked Skin -> NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder -> MAQuillAGE Aura Beauty -> Guerlain Meteorites. This is not to say that the other powders are not good, they just serve a different purpose.
Overall Thoughts
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I have been reaching for this powder ever since I got it.
What I love about it:
- It is so finely milled and effectively blurs imperfections, pores and lines.
- It does not dry out throughout the day unlike how some powder would start to settle into the pores and lines.
- Not too sure about oil control, I’m guessing it’s not as great as NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder since it really does not dry out throughout the day.
- A little bit goes a long way.
- The slight coverage from the powder is lovely.
- The finish gets more luminous if you buff it into the skin with a buffing brush. I have been using my new Koyudo Fu-pa 2 brush to buff it in.
- I can use it on my entire face without having to use the NARS Light Reflecting Powder for under my eyes. However, I probably need to get the colour Naked Light if I want to use it under the eyes for the brightening effect.
What I don’t love so much:
- The opening of the container – it is so tiny that no powder puff can fit into it. I had to pour the powder directly onto the puff or inside of the lid to use.
- The limited shade range. For a powder of such superior quality, it would be lovely if everyone could use it.
- $50 for just 8g of product.
Ultimately, I highly recommend you check it out at Sephora and swatch for yourself to be impressed by it’s quality.
Thanks for reading this long post. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.