Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Foundation Review & Swatches

I am not an expert when it comes to reviewing foundation since I haven’t used that many. I’m more of a BB cream/tinted moisturizer person but lately I’ve been slowly getting into a foundation routine, too. The Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup (phew.. what a long name!) is one of the few foundation that I have and is the one I’ve been reaching for most often. I feel that it’s so easy to use and the finish is good for everyday wear.

It has pros and cons and I’m going to try to review it with the most honest opinion. I’m going to even show you my completely bare face for the first time at the end of the post for comparison, too! I was debating whether to do it or not because the last thing I want is people scrutinizing my face, but I suppose that comes with having a beauty blog. So, please take it easy on me! :D

The foundation is housed in a double-walled, clear plastic bottle with a metallic gunmetal cap. It is a hygienic pump bottle but you can screw open the cap, too. Inside there is a metal ball to help mix the foundation when you shake the bottle (which you must do before every use). The shade name is presented in numbers at the bottom. There are 18 shades available. The ones that end in zero (such as 4.0 shown above) are supposedly for warm, yellow-toned skin, while those ending in half a stop – .5 – are for cool, pink-toned skin. I purchased mine in 4.0 which seems to be a good match for my NC30 medium complexion with yellow undertones.

I’d say the coverage falls in the light to medium category but it is completely buildable and doesn’t cake up. With one layer on, it’s enough to smooth out complexion, reducing the redness, blurring fine lines and softening the appearance of pores. A total surprise for me because it’s such a lightweight liquid and I totally did not expect it to have such good coverage in one go. It doesn’t completely cover active blemishes or dark acne scars, though. They still peek through and you will still need a concealer to cover them. It also accentuates dry patches around my nose so a well-moisturized skin is a must for a smooth application.

The consistency is very fluid-y (as shown in the photo above, it was my attempt to capture the liquid in a “falling” motion with a slight blur to show you how runny it is) and because of that, it is so easy to spread on the skin. Blending is never a problem with this foundation and I find that you can use fingers, a dense bristle brush, or a stippling brush to apply depending on the coverage you want to achieve. I found the sponge to soak up too much liquid, though, so it might not be the best way to apply this particular foundation.

Onto the finish. I feel that it is somewhere between a semi-matte and satin. It feels lightweight on without any sticky feeling. While it does great in toning down shine and giving you the skin-like appearance, I also find it to make my face looking a little… flat? It doesn’t offer that dewy or glowy effect to the skin at all so keep that in mind if luminosity is a priority for you. I personally like to mix a drop of highlighter/illuminator with this foundation to add a little bit of radiance back to my skin and with a blush, bronzer, and a little bit of powder highlighter on top, I think it looks great.

The wear time is OK. It keeps most of my makeup looking intact at the end of work day but some of my acne spots do come through a little bit. My T-zone becomes a tad bit shiny, too, so it’s definitely not a long-wearing foundation (and it doesn’t advertise as such). The longevity is improved when I wear a primer underneath and extended even longer when set with a setting spray.

I do think it is a good foundation with a nice, second-skin coverage. It is not so overly expensive, either, for the amount you get. I always wear a little bit of highlighter and blush on my cheeks anyway so the monotone skin is a moot point. I am in the process of obtaining the new Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder which has just been released and already receiving so many good reviews, so stay tuned for my review on that in the coming week or so.

What’s your go-to liquid foundation? :)

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