Urban Decay Naked Skin Illuminating Beauty Balm
Availability: This item has been discontinued.
Would I buy this?: No.
What is a BB cream?
I have been doing research on Youtube (mainly BubzBeauty's videos) and others' blogs (I don't remember who, exactly) and this is what I've come up with: BB creams, also known as beauty balms, blemish balms, or beblesh balms were invented in Germany and were given to patients who've had laser surgery in order to help heal their scars or other blemishes while providing tinted coverage. I also understand that the word "beblesh" is just a poorly translated form of the very familiar "blemish." I had a Chinese friend and on our many trips to Chinatown, starting about 4 years ago, I always noticed "whitening" creams of all sorts. The BB cream is nothing new and I don't quite understand why it's only becoming popular/catching on now. We had a discussion about this at my makeup school and came to the consensus that the Western market is probably more interested in the blemish coverage/healing properties than the whitening of the BB creams, not all of which have whitening properties. I want to mention that since I will now be reviewing "Western" or "US-Market" BB creams - they're not all formulated with blemish-healing abilities, so be sure to read the packaging claims and ingredients.
What is this particular balm? What is it supposed to do?
According to Sephora.com here are its benefits:
What it is:
A five-in-one, illuminating beauty balm that minimizes flaws and supports firmer skin in eight weeks.
What it is formulated to do:
- Lends skin a tighter appearance and blurs flaws
- Leaves a radiant finish
Urban Decay’s oil-free, silky-smooth formula delivers hydration and supports firmer skin—instantly priming makeup so that it goes on smoothly. This beauty balm pampers skin as it evens skintone, protects against sunlight with SPF 20, and light-diffusing spheres give skin a retouched look, minimizing the appearance of pores, lines, wrinkles, and redness. Pepha®-Protect shields skin cells against daily stress, while Vitasource™ and dGlyage® support elasticity and blur the appearance of wrinkles.
What else you need to know:
This illuminating shade is formulated with champagne-colored pearls that give skin a gorgeous, radiant look.
Research results:
In a clinical study of 30 participants, immediately after use:
- 65% of participants’ complexion looked significantly improved
- 59% of participants’ skin looked lifted.
- 68% of participants’ skin hydration improved significantly
In a clinical study of 30 participants, after 8 weeks of use:
- 93% of participants had significantly firmer, more lifted skin
- 90% had significantly more radiant skin
- 84% had a significant improvement in fine lines*
*Based on subjective analysis
Does this come in any other shades than the one pictured above?
This only comes in one shade :I
What's the coverage/consistency like?
The coverage is nearly non-existent and can be built up to be more on the light side. It does have a visible glowing/sparkly property to it that makes skin look healthy and lit-from-within. Consistency wise, it feels like a very lightweight gel-like primer. I love its texture and how it feels like you're not wearing any makeup at all.
What makes this different from a regular foundation or tinted moisturizer? Does this have any beneficial ingredients in it?
So here goes, again copied from Sephora.com and edited to be easy to read:
- Vitasource™ and dGlyage®: Firm the appearance of skin, support elasticity, and fight wrinkles.
- Pepha®-Protect (derived from watermelon extract): Protects skin cells against daily stress.
- Light-diffusing Spheres: Create a professionally-retouched appearance
Is this scented?
This has a minty scent that's combined with something sweet, something that reminds me of Thai iced coffee - which isn't helpful because it contains a lot of spices. Cardamom perhaps? Not too sure. So think minty Thai iced coffee. I thought I wouldn't like it because it's mint, but I kind of like it.
What has my experience with the product been like?
I'll address the "what it's supposed to do parts" first:
In a clinical study of 30 participants, immediately after use:
- 65% of participants’ complexion looked significantly improved - I wouldn't use the word "significantly"
- 59% of participants’ skin looked lifted. - No, but other than being chubby, my skin doesn't droop from aging-related causes.
- 68% of participants’ skin hydration improved significantly - yes
In a clinical study of 30 participants, after 8 weeks of use:
- 93% of participants had significantly firmer, more lifted skin - again, not quite an issue for me
- 90% had significantly more radiant skin - yes
- 84% had a significant improvement in fine lines - this ain't me, so no comment there.
This particular one, I use as a primer only because I know it doesn't have coverage in it. It does a really good job of holding my makeup in place throughout the day, smoothing out the texture of my skin, being hydrating, and feeling really lightweight.
What do I use to apply the product?
For quick application, I simply use my fingers to apply this.
I feel like this review is as thorough as it gets but please let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes. I am under no obligation to mention it here on this blog.
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