- REVIEW - Urban Decay Naked Skin: Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Make-up

"It feels like wearing nothing at all, yet Naked Skin transforms complexions. Skin looks natural, illuminated and bright: like the beautiful skin you were born with. Weightless and virtually invisible, this revolutionary, paraben-free formula creates a flawless, demi-matte finish; light diffusing spheres make you look professionally retouched. It's the ultimate in ultra definition.

Infused with Matryxil 3000 (a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide), protective and brightening Litchiderm, antioxidant green tea, and vitamins, this makeup loads skin with nourishing ingredients."

Since my commitment to only purchasing cosmetics from cruelty-free brands, I've found it really difficult finding a 'drugstore' foundation that really cuts it for me. I wanted something lightweight, natural-looking but still with a decent amount of coverage. I tried so many different drugstore brands that by the end, I'd probably spent more than if I'd simply tried a foundation by a higher-end brand.

So that's when it happened. That is when I spent £28, the most I have ever spent on a cosmetics product ever in my life, on a foundation. I do not enjoy spending that amount of money and I know it is not the kind of money most people, myself included, have lying around. I do also realize, however, that while Urban Decay falls under the category of 'luxury brands', it is one of the more affordable foundations that you're going to find in that market.

But here is why I wanted to review this product and devote a whole blog post to it: I love it and do not regret a single penny I spent on it. If there is one thing I've learnt from this whole experience of trying out new foundations, looking at formulas and swatching countless ill-fitting tones on the back of my hand, is that sometimes, it really is worth spending a bit more to get something that is actually going to work for you and do what it says on the bottle.

And so, let me begin with the basics: finding a colour that matches your skin tone. This foundation has a really helpful scale to determine what colour and best suits you. If the number of the colour ends in a .5, it is a cool, pink-toned foundation. If it ends in a .0, it is a warm, yellow-toned foundation. The number that comes before it dictates how light or dark the shade is going to be: the higher the number, the darker the colour. Before forking out a load of your hard-earned cash, you're going to want to make sure that this is the perfect colour for you, and so it is definitely worth going into an Urban Decay store (in selected Debenhams and Selfridges stores etc) and trying the foundation out for yourself. I'm sure it's dependent on availability, but when I went inquiring about the foundation, they offered to put a little bit around my jaw line to see how it matched. At this time I wasn't sure whether I was was warm or cool toned, I just knew that I was hella fair, so she placed the 0.5 (cool) on one side of my jaw and 1.0 (warm) on the other, and instantly she was able to identify me as a cool tone. It was perfect! I had found the perfect colour and shade to match my skin.

As indicated in the name, this foundation is very runny. Because of this I was a bit dubious at first as to how well I was going to be able to apply it to my face, but with a bit of trial and error and working out which brushes worked best in producing the look I wanted, applying the make-up is a doddle: usually, I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply the foundation to my face and did so using circular motions. If I want slightly more coverage, I use the So Eco Foundation Brush.
The foundation blends like a dream: you can see the look of your skin improving with every little circle of the brush. It doesn't dry out for quite a while so you can build up a bit more coverage or apply concealer on top without it turning cakey or pulling the underneath layer of foundation off. It has a demi-matte finish: I've always been a little bit obsessed with completely matte skin so usually cover my face in powder, but this is the first foundation I've used where I've wanted to leave as it is because the effect is dewy without looking...well for lack of a better word...sweaty. It really does give you that healthy glow everyone talks about, and I would say that it lasts as long as any foundation.

The only issue I have with this beaut of a product is that I'm not so sure how it would fare on dry skin: I find that if I don't moisturise heavily before applying it and my skin is a little drier than usual, it can cling to some areas and is no longer 'virtually invisible'. This is something that can be combated though, so do not fear! I suggest properly prepping and priming your face before application to get the best and longest wear out of this beautiful foundation.

So there we have it! Georgie tried her very first 'luxury' foundation - I'm moving up in the world!

Let me know in the comments below what your favourite cruelty-free foundation is or if there's one that you want me to review!

Tra for now!

G xo