Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm: Review & Swatches

As a huge fan of both Urban Decay and BB cream, I was very excited to try out UD's take on the BB phenomenon. Luckilyy for me, my mom got me the Ocho Loco eyeliner set for Christmas (Thanks Mom! By the way, if any of you are wondering, the set itself is incredible! Best. Liners. Ever.) and a deluxe sample of their new Naked Skin Beauty Balm was included with the order.

After about two weeks of use, I'm ready to share some thoughts! UD claims their cream will minimize pores, fine lines, wrinkles and redness, as well as deliver firmer, visibly lifted skin in eight weeks. Will this be one of the rare western market BB creams that gets the concept right or is it another case of lost in translation? Let's see!

My deluxe sample is obviously smaller than the full size (about 1/10 the size, to be more specific), but it comes in a tube just like the regular product. A full size of Naked Skin Beauty Balm contains 35 ml and retails for $34.

This is a very interesting product and for what it is, it's quite nice. But what it is not is a BB cream. Traditional BB creams, like those you'd see from Korea, theoretically offer make-up that acts as skincare: a buildable coverage cream that moisturizes, treats, primes, protects and covers, all in one. The Naked Skin Beauty Balm doesn't offer coverage, per say, but rather, it acts like a re-toucher. It diffuses some redness and helps give your face a nice, luminous glow, but it won't cover any blemishes, dark spots, etc.

Since I'm a medium to full coverage kind of gal, it's not enough for me--at least not its own. I like to mix a bit of this in with my foundation or use it as a primer. As a base, it offers fabulous oil control and has a silky, lightweight texture, so I think it'd be suitable for any skin type. It has a light, minty scent to it and contains SPF 20. It looks pretty yellow coming out of the tube, but since it's so sheer, the color is a nice match once it's all spread out.

Unblended (left) and blended (right)

I really wish Urban Decay had labelled this as something other than a BB cream. If they'd called it a re-toucher or a primer or a tinted moisturizer, I'd sing its praises all day long. It's not a bad product at all, but it simply doesn't fit the BB criteria. It's got the skincare claims (which I can't confirm or deny--I haven't noticed any difference so far) and the SPF, but there is no real coverage to be had here.

If you normally don't wear foundation or only like/need very sheer coverage, then I think you'll really enjoy the soft, airbrushed effect this provides. I'm pretty crazy about it as a base for my existing make-up routine, so if you're an oily-skinned lady in need of a new primer, check this out. So long as you know what you're getting, I think you'll find this is a quality, if grossly mislabeled product. But if you're looking to see what all the BB cream hype is about or replace your regular foundation, I'd look elsewhere.