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.

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream: Review & Swatches

I've been disappointed with a lot of North American brands' versions of BB creams, which tend to be more like a hyped up tinted moisturizer than the multi-tasking marvels that the original Asian BB formulations are designed to be. I'd been wanting to try a Korean BB cream for quite some time to experience the make-up-and-skin-treatment-in-one formulation that made BB creams such a sensation, so I picked up the Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream on Ebay last year after reading several good reviews for it. I've been using it on and off for several months, so now it's my turn to share the love!

Holika Holika is a Korean brand whose name means "beauty-holic." They sell a huge variety of products, including several other BB creams, most of which you can find on Ebay for pretty reasonable prices. I got this particular cream for only about 13 bucks and shipping was free!

The cream itself comes in two shades: Light Beige 01 and Natural Beige 02. I'm pretty pale, so I went with the Light Beige 01, which turned out to be a good match for me. The cream has a good consistency--not too thick or too runny--and delivers medium coverage. Like any good BB cream, this also has SPF 37, so you're getting good sun protection too. There is a light peachy scent to it that dissipates after a few minutes of wear. I love peaches, so I find the smell very pleasant, but it's something to keep in mind if you're sensitive to scented cosmetics.

 Unblended (left) and blended (right). As you can see, it really just melts right into the skin once it's blended out. Love it!

I have oily skin but I get decent wear out of this. I skip primer but still set it with powder (dry skin should be just fine without this step though). It takes around four hours for me to start looking and feeling like it's time to blot. Even when I feel a little slippery after a few hours though, the cream never feels heavy or looks cakey.

As an added bonus, the cap has a little mirror inside, plus a peach-colored cheek/lip cream. It's an awesome beauty-on-the-go idea, even if the cheek/lip cream itself really isn't anything earth shattering. As a cheek color, it's quite pigmented but blends out well. I prefer powder blush, but this cream will do in a pinch. I hate it on my lips though. The texture feels very drying and chalky.

 Unblended (left) and blended (right). You only need a little bit to get pigmented color.

Overall, I really love this BB cream and always reach for it when I don't have time to do full make-up in the mornings or just want to throw something on before running a few errands. It's a total lifesaver on my "no make-up" days! I highly recommend Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream, whether you're new to BB cream all together or you've been wanting to try one from overseas. You get a nice amount (50 ml) of a quality, multi-tasking product for a good price. I'm interested in trying more Korean BB creams, but I know this one will last me quite a while. I'm a big fan though, so I suppose I can't complain!

Have you tried this BB cream--or any others? What are some of your favorite international beauty brands and products?