Review: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

I've been searching a winter foundation for a while now. Burberry Sheer Luminous comes really closed to an ideal foundation for my skin. A plethora of new foundations have recently entered the market and the hypes behind them intrigue me to test them all before settling with Burberry. 

So here is one of them. Urban Decay Naked ($38 for 1 oz) has that lightweight texture that glides on my skin effortlessly and smoothly. It dries in a natural finish that I love. It wears well for at least 4 hours then becomes quite dry on my skin. However, I feel like my skincare routine also contributes to how foundations behave. So I don't want to jump to conclusion that this foundation dries out my skin. It does feel dryer after hour 4 than when first being applied. 

UD Naked comes in 18 shades of two bases. The shades ending in 0.5 has pink undertone while those ending in natural number are yellow-based. Shade 4 is a good match for me if it doesn't turn peachy (surprised much!). So yes, oxidation is still the biggest challenge.

Bottom line. A decent foundation for a decent price. None but the texture impresses me.

Have you tried UD Naked? Does it oxidize on you? What brush do you use with it?

*****A side note on my skin and foundations*****

I have medium yellow undertone (MAC NC 25-30) with some redness on the cheek and dull skin on the chin. My face skin is nearly one shade deeper than the neck. I look for a foundation that match my neck skin to create a seamless transition from face to neck. I don't classify my skin as good but I don't have break out or major skin problems. Loads of foundations turn orangy or muddy on me within one to three hours of wearing. This is the frustration of finding a good foundation for my makeup.  

Four must-have traits of a good foundation for me

1. doesn't turn orange or muddy throughout the day
2. dries in natural finish
3. evens out the color and smoothes the skin (finely milled texture)
4. covers veins, discoloration, redness and minor dark spots

Look: Meet Jessica - Part 2 Sultry chic

It's finally Friday! 

Before I get caught up with all the boxes in our garage, I thought I'd post the second make-over look for my friend Jessica. The first look focused on keeping everything natural. Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in Pulp Fiction immediately popped up in my mind even before I did a test makeup with her. The pictures didn't do its justice! I wanted to create a shimmery silver eyes pair with natural pink lips and cheeks. All photos were taken by my friend Doan and edited by me :). 

Face

Korres Matifying Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Dollface

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

Eye

Guerlain 6-Ecrin Eyeshadow Palette in Place Vendome (dark grey for the brows and define the crease)
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadow in Pulp Fiction
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Bobbi Brown Party Extreme Mascara

Lip

Chanel Rouge Allure in Exquisite

This picture has nothing to do with her makeup. I simply adore the V-neck line in the back! 

I hope you enjoy the mini make-over with Jessica. Have great weekend!

Joanne

Look: Meet Doan - Part 2 Modern glamour

I'd like to share the second look I did for my friend Doan. Again, I want to keep the makeup simple like the first look, focus on her lips this time to bring out the modern glamour inside. 

The center of this look is her full red lips. To keep the look modern, I skipped lipliner and lip gloss. I applied three thin layer of Laura Mercier Cherrywood with a lip brush (blotted between layers) on top of EOS lip balm. I used Guerlain Place Vendome's golden taupe on the entire lids, then define her eyes with the highlighter shade and the dark shade in the palette. To finish the look, I applied a thin line of Urban Decay 24/7 Zero following her lash line, no wing out. 

Close-up


In action...

Face

Chanel Mat Lumiere 4.0 Beige

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

YSL Touche Eclat 08

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

NARS Orgasm blush

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original

Guerlain Ecrin 6-color eyeshadow in Place Vendome 

Dior Show Extase mascara

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero

Lip
Laura Mercier Satin Lipstick in Cherrywood

I hope you enjoy Doan's lovely spirit as much as I do.

Joanne

Look: Meet Doan - Part 1 Young and Fresh

I'm so excited to introduce my friend Doan. She loves sport, food, traveling and photography, which is why she's helping me out with my make-over series. She's naturally gorgeous, fresh and dynamic, and very photogenic. So I opted to focus on her skin and brows and keep the makeup simple and understated. 

For the everyday look, I wanted glowy cheeks and soft pink lips. I also used plum eyeshadows to enhance her brown eyes and a silvery mauve (of the same quint) to brighten up the lower lashlines. 

Here is her gorgeous smile....

A close up

Photo by Doan (she was posing "innocent" for this particular look :))

Face
Chanel Mat Lumiere 4.0 Beige
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
YSL Touche Eclat 08
Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal
NARS Orgasm blush

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Dior 5-color eyeshadow in Stylish Move (all shades but the pearl white)
Dior Show Extase mascara
Guerlain Ecrin 6-color eyeshadow in Place Vendome (the dark grey to define the brows)

Lip
Edward Bess Berry Chic pink gloss in the palette

Next time, we'll see her in a different style. I hope you enjoy this mini make-over. Thanks so much for reading!

Quick look

My friends and I had a girl's makeup/hangout the other day. I can't wait to share the looks I did on my friends. A special thank you to Doan and Jessica for their incredible patience. Also, I thought I'd post a picture of the look I wore that day. It's my husband's favorite and mine too, simple, easy and natural for everyday.

Photo by Doan

Face
Clarins Ever Matte Foundation 108
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder for T-zone
YSL Touche Eclat 08
Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight
Dior Bronzer in Aurora (as blush)

Eye
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
Dior 5-color eyeshadow in Beige Massai (all shades except the rusty color)
Bobbi Brown long-wear gel eyeliner in Espresso
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch mascara (sample)
Shu Uemura eyelash curler

Lip
Dolce & Gabbana shine lipstick in Soiree

Have a great week!

TAG I love eyeshadow palettes

My love for user-friendly eyeshadow palettes is one of the main motivations behind this blog. So when Delicate Hummingbird has a tag post on eyeshadow palettes I naturally tag along :D.

1. How must a palette be like to convince you?
My favorite palettes are those that are versatile. The color coordination of the palette always catches my eyes first. I love monochromic color scheme but unexpected color combination would do too. It also needs to possess different color depths for highlighting, contouring, and eyelining. The texture must be soft and smooth. It's important for me that the palette offers great pigmentation. I love palettes that have various finishes - matte, satin, frosty, or shimmery. But a palette of solely satin finish will be just fine for me. If cream eyeshadows are included, they need to be separated from the rest to avoid cross-pollination. I don't like eye-face-lip kind of palettes like those travel compacts sold at international airports.

2. Is the packaging important?
Not really. As long as the palette is sturdy, I can deal with lack of artistic design or a mirror.

3. Do you use applicators or brushes that come with it?
I used to and still do occasionally. I keep them in the palettes and only use them if I don't have a brush in hands, which is quite rare.

4. What's your favorite brand of eyeshadow palettes?
Dior. Hands down. Especially their 5-color quints. Beautiful color combination. Colors are true to the pan, soft and smooth texture without being overly soft. Some quints are much better than others but they are generally great. Chanel comes close.

5. High end or high street?
High end.

6. Now show me your palettes!
Sure. Tah dah!

Dior 5-color quints
1. Dior Jazz Club (Fall 2009); 2. Dior Stylish Move; 3. Dior Smokey Design; 4. Dior Pearl Glow (Spring 2010); 5. Dior Sunset Cafe ; 6. Dior Rosy Tan; 7. Dior Rosy Nude

Chanel 4-color quints (Vanites, Prelude and Murano)

Inglot customized palette (reviewed here)

Paul and Joe limited edition (Left to Right) Silver Moon; Lady's Slipper; Purple Clover; Empire State

Urban Decay Naked Palette

 Miscellaneous 1. Bobbi Brown Peony and Python Palette (LE 2011); 2. Stila Talking Palette Saphire; 3. NARS Cordura; 4. Guerlain Place Vendome

And my favorite shot ....

Thank you to Trang of Delicate Humming Bird for this wonderful tag idea! Hope you enjoy this post. 

My go-to brown eyeliners - Chanel Espresso, Lancome Black Coffee, Urban Decay 24/7 Whiskey

Brown eyeliners can be tricky for those who have darker features. I have black hair, black brows and black eyelashes. So I had the toughest time finding a good brown eyeliners to save my self from a bruised eye tragedy. If you also have dark features like me you may find these eyeliners as lovely as I do. 

Chanel Stylo Yeux Espresso ($29) is a deep cool brown. It is truly waterproof and stays put more than 5 hours. It's not as soft as Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners but noticeably softer than Lancome Le Crayon Khol. I would recommend you warm Espresso up in the back of your hand before applying on your lashline. The result is flawless and very natural. 

Lancome Le Crayon Khol Black Coffee ($24.5) is also a deep cool brown but slightly cooler than Chanel Espresso. It's not as soft as the other two eyeliners so warming up beforehand would also help for a more even application. Black Coffee doesn't survive after the first two hours on my lids. I usually use Black Coffee as a base rather than an eyeliner. 

Urban Decay 24/7 Whishkey ($18) is the warmest and softest of the bunch. It glides on the most smoothly and easily but it doesn't last as long as Chanel Espresso. Because its warm undertone, I prefer Whiskey for either  lower lashlines or as eyeshadow base. It looks very natural on my warm skintone. No warm up needed. 

Last minute packing - one-week worth of makeup

This is a last-minute trip in every single meaning of it. I didn't plan to go nor bring full-face makeup. So I decided to go for no-brainer items. I tried to pick the most user-friendly products, basically as fool-proof as possible. You would obviously spot out many products I've raved about. I guess I love those so much mainly because they're gorgeous and easy-to-use.

1. Sigma travel brush set; 2. Dior Skinnude; 3. Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Set Powder; 4. Dior Healthy Glow Aurora; 5. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Nectar; 6. Lancome Pink Prevew (also for blush); 7. Laura Mercier Cherrywood; 8. Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle; 9. Guerlain Rouge G Orange Euphorique; 10. Urban Decay Primer Potion (travel size); 11. Dior 5-color quint Rosy Nude; 12. Armani Eyes to Kill #3 Purpura; 13. Urban Decay Duo Eyeliner 24/7 Whishkey/Zero; 14. Lancome Art Liner in Black; 15. Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara (travel size)

Right before running to the airport, I grabbed Armani Eyes to Kill #6 Khaki Pulse which is not pictured here. A review on these amazing eyeshadows will be up soon.

What would you choose to bring on 1-week trip? How do you decide what to bring?

Current favorite look: Youthful and natural chic

While many of my friends venture into dramatic looks after getting used to with natural makeup, I am going to the opposite direction. This year’s spring and summer collections of my favorite brands like Dior and Guerlain really inspires me to incorporate more bright colors with neutral eyes. For the first time, I fell in love with a bronzer – Dior Aurora, though I use it more like a blush. I went a little bit crazy with not one but two quints of Dior Rosy Nude. 

1 - Dior Rosy Nude 5-color eyeshadow quint (LE - 2011 Summer Collection)

2 - Urban Decay 24/7 Whishkey/Zero

3 - Dior Iconic Mascara

4 - Dior Aurora Healthy Glow Powder (LE - 2011 Summer collection)

5 - Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer

6 - Chanel Pink Teaser (2010 Fall collection)

7 - NARS Easy Lover (2010 Summer collection)

I know I left out Dior Amber Diamond - it's my staple highlighter, which I'd like to address it in a series posts on my favorite highlighters. 
I will share more thoughts on these amazingly beautiful summer items (Aurora and Rosy Nude) next month. 

Review: All face highlighter in one stick – Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eyepencil Yeyo

Traveling with tons of makeup makes me tired. Besides, I love to fake the natural healthy glow we usually have after exercising. So I always bring an on-the-go highlighter. When I discovered Urban Decay Yeyo, it was really a “wow” moment. The texture is very creamy that as it’s named glides on effortlessly. The color is very natural though described as shimmery white. It’s not chalky white rather semi-opaque when layering. I applied it directly from the pencil then blend it with my ring finger. That way the product melts evenly on your skin.

I apply Yeyo on my brown bones, the middle of my eyelids and near the tear ducts for everyday simple look. It’s also so lovely on the cupid’s bow and bridge of the nose. Even though I don’t often apply it on my cheekbones (I prefer more neutral tone there), it does a great job highlighting that area too. You can fit it anywhere in your makeup back, so handy for travel. Because it’s a pencil, I found it saves me more time on application.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eyepencil Yeyo is retailed for $18 (0.04 oz).

Recommendation: UD Yeyo is perfect for traveling or when you’re in a rush of looking fresh and glowy.