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First Look: Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation

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My sincere journey into makeup started with the classic bareMinerals by bareEscentuals (ancient post linked). At the time, I wasn’t wowed by the product, but I wasn’t dissatisfied, either. I used up my pot and did not repurchase.

Prior to that, half-assed attempts at evening out my complexion when it could use a little help were met with Physician’s Formula Mineral Wear Loose Powder. I haven’t used it since I started, “sincerely,” using cosmetics, but it is a good product (unless they’ve changed the formula sneakily; I don’t think they have).

At some point, I was curious about Urban Decay’s Surreal Skin loose foundation (long since discontinued), but I never got to check it out because there wasn’t an Urban Decay counter nearby and there was a dearth of Sephora and Ulta locations in my vicinity at the time.

So, what’s the common factor here? Powder. My early forays into makeup were solely about ease-of-use (even if it meant the color match wasn’t quite right, or that it didn’t wear super well). Not that I feel liquid or cream foundation difficult to use…they just take slightly more effort to blend in, usually. A few months back I went to an Urban Decay event at Sephora with a friend; there, they slapped their new Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation on me. I liked it, but wasn’t in the market at the time.

Naked Skin Ultra Definition - First Look - BoxNaked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation

A dear friend asked for some suggestions on something to help even her out, was lightweight, simple to use, etc. My experience with bareMinerals ended up being that it oxidized quite quickly on me – and other users report the same results, so I am hesitant to recommend it to anyone with more than a modicum of oil in their skin. Based on my experience with the Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder, I included that in my suggestions to her.

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Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip & Cheek Review

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Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Duo BoxJosie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Duo Box

I received the Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip And Cheek Creamy Oil duo set as a gift a few months ago. It wasn’t something that I had, “wish-listed,” so it came as a surprise; as someone who had really only ever used powder blush, I was extremely skeptical about it.

It isn’t the fact that it is oil-based, or even that it is a cream-type blush product. But, you know, it isn’t in a compact like, oh, any other cream blush I had been familiar with. Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip And Cheek Creamy Oil is packaged in a metal tube. How the hell do I use this?!

Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Duo Tubes

When I first unboxed them, I unscrewed the small black caps and tried to squeeze them out, not really knowing what to expect. At first, from Timeless Coral, there was a tiny bit of oil, then came the pigment. Everlasting Honey, on the other hand, seemingly wanted to give me only oil until I recapped, randomly squeezed and kneaded the tube around to recombine the product…only then, and after a far-heartier squeeze than it should have needed, did I get pigment. Even today, same thing – I usually have to be a little rough with the Everlasting Honey tube before use to get pigment, whereas Timeless Coral just pops right out with little coaxing.

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I don’t have a stippling brush so I tried, on several occasions, to apply to my cheeks with my fingers. No offense to the finger-application wizards that may be reading, but there’s a reason why a lot of face products are applied with brushes or sponges; fingers just can’t get it even, ESPECIALLY blush. I resigned myself to using it as a lip product – but it had a strange flavor and escaped my lips too easily.

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Worth it? Nails Inc NAILKALE

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At this point, I’m more or less uninterested in buying any nail polish from Sephora. I wasn’t thrilled with the highly-touted Formula X line, and you’ll never see a bottle of Louboutin lacquer in my collection (which I have, you know, to use – not to look at longingly).

nailkaleNAILKALE by Nails Inc.

My good friend, we’ll call her K, who also approaches nonsense with a healthy dose of skepticism pointed out a newer (though not new-new) brand carried at Sephora: NAILKALE.

Hey girl, is your self-loathing not high enough to be satisfied with the mere consumption of Kale? Fret not. Nails, Inc. got you, girl. Get some kale up in your manicure. It says,

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First Look: Foreo Issa Mini

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So, this happened…

Foreo Issa Mini - Packaging

We bought it.

I went for it during Sephora Love Note (their Spring sale) promotion, and that’s what earned me VIB (for the first time ever!).

Given that the regular Foreo Issa is usually $199, we opted for the Issa Mini (regularly $119) to save $70+ after the discount. The Issa Mini is set apart by the Issa in a few ways. It has:

  • A shorter handle
  • A smaller head (though they are interchangeable!)
  • Different Colors
  • Is geared towards kids

Speaking of kids, here’s how they make it fun: the brush rewards the user with a happy face when they have brushed adequately, and expressing disappointment with a sad face if too much time since brushing has elapsed. Despite having a smaller brush head, it isn’t too small for an adult to effectively use.

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NEW Urban Decay Naked Palette

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Urban Decay just announced on their Facebook the latest addition to the Naked family, which launches July 8…

NEW Urban Decay Naked Palette - Naked SmokyNaked Smoky – the NEW Urban Decay Naked Palette

Looks like we’ve got some warm, some cool, some dark, some matte in there. It’s a good mix, but not really necessary if you’re already armed with an arsenal of neutrals.

Personally, I only own Naked and Naked2 Basics. I want Naked2, but probably wouldn’t purchase Naked Smoky for myself. As someone who doesn’t tend to rock dark or smoky looks often, it wouldn’t be great for me – and between my other palettes, I have a good enough range. The packaging looks pretty cool as compared to previous iterations, and it comes with a dual-ended blending-and-pencil brush.

Urban Decay hasn’t released pricing info on Naked Smoky yet, but I would expect it to ring in at $54 like the others. Will you buy the new Urban Decay Naked Palette?

 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

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Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel has been the holy grail moisturizer of many, many women for many, many years. Assuming that was the case for a reason, I’ve been interested in it for a few years (prior to my interest in makeup, even) but never went for it. Counters intimidated me, then. Used to exclusively buying drugstore, I wasn’t yet comfortable with the idea of investing in products (though really, compared to a lot of products on the market these days, $26 for 4.2oz of moisturizer is nothing).

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

As much as I love Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil, it isn’t a great daytime moisturizer for me if I’m leaving the house or want to wear makeup. It does wonders for my skin, but isn’t the best makeup base for me. It could be great at both of those things for you if your skin is drier than mine, but I needed something lighter that would play nicely with those products and not make me look too, “dewy.”

I’ve been able to digest spending that much money on a single product for a while, now, but still didn’t get around to doing so until April, when we visited the Cosmetics Company Outlet during a trip to our local outlets. There, I got a tiny tube of Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel to try for only $3. After using it for the whole month, I bought a bottle at my local Macy’s Clinique counter.

Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - DispensedDramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Clinique recently revamped their Dramatically Different Lotion (it’s now Lotion+, ooh), but the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, I hear, is untouched. It is lightweight and this tiny amount on my fingertips is one pump – and is plenty for my face, and covers a bit of my neck. It absorbs quickly, but not so much so that it feels like I just participated in an exercise in futility – my skin feels moisturized and supple.

Supple is a weird word.

Anyway – Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel is perfect for preparing your skin for makeup application, providing enough moisture for your skin to be a good canvas, but not so much that your products are prone to sliding around and not staying where you placed them – even in my oily T-zone. It’s just right.

Clinique skincare products are unscented; this does not have added fragrance, but it does have a bit of a smell that dissipates. It isn’t unpleasant, but you may notice it when you’re applying it. If you happen to find it unpleasant, don’t worry – like I said, it doesn’t last.

I’ve only used it for a month now, but it has definitely lived up to my expectations and the hype. I love that Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel doesn’t have any crazy, outlandish marketing claims – simple, straightforward, it does what it says it will – and can we ask for more? I think not.