Review: Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer

It seems tinted moisturizers are a must-have item for a lot of ladies, especially in the summer time, but I never paid much attention to them since I need heavy-duty coverage on my face due to acne scarring and uneven skintone.  When I tried Urban Decay's Urban Defense tinted moisturizer, I started paying attention!

PIGMENTATION: Urban Defense has enough pigmentation to even out my skin tone, but not cover my scars (as a tinted moisturizer, I wasn't expecting it to, but you can check out how I use it to suit my needs here).  I have this in the lightest shade Sephora offers, Halo, and I think it's an excellent match for my skin tone.

PERFORMANCE:  This has an almost mousse-like texture, and goes on very easily and evenly.  I love how it has a built-in sun protection (SPF 20), so i don't need a separate sunscreen.  My qualm with it is that it feels a bit heavy on my face, as if i was wearing a heavy-duty foundation, and that I've had to be more vigilant with the blotting sheets when wearing this.

PACKAGING: It's a simple squeeze tube-- super easy to use.

PRICE: $30.

Warning: here are some before and after shots of me.

No makeup whatsoever.  

With UD's Urban Defense (PS: I learned all my awesome posing skills from America's Next Top Model. just kidding. sort of.)

Since Urban Defense takes two steps out of my makeup routine, it's a bit of a lifesaver.  If you're lucky enough to not have scars, and need something to moisturize + protect your skin + even out our skintone when you've got 6 seconds before you run out the door, I highly recommend this.

You don't have to take my word for it, Urban Defense is available at Sephora.

In Practice: Kat Von D's Angeles Palette

I promised this a while back, and now that the Angeles palette is now on sale for $24, today is as good of a time as any to post this look I did.  This particular look was my half-attempt to recreate the look Kat Von D is wearing on her Sephora page. 

This is what I used/where I used it:
crease/outer corner/lower lashline: Leather (matte milk chocolate brown)
lid: Venus (metallic copper)
browbone: Rehab (pale taupe with clear glitter)
inner corner highlight: Morphine (iridescent white)
eyeliner: Bukowski (teal with slight green shift) over Make Up For Ever's Aqualiner #11 (sparkling burgundy)

Other products used:
UDPP
Dior Iconic Mascara (black)
on brows: Kat Von D Lucifer shadow (matte black)

Sorry for the blurry pic!
 I'll get a decent camera one of these days.

9/15/2011: I've been wearing this palette a lot lately.  It came with me on a recent vacation, and I created a different look every day with it. I did a look using a few shades from Angeles on Tuesday to add to my How to conceal acne marks post,  but since the focus of the look is on the eyes, why not post it here?

Far outer corner: Bukowski
Outer half/crease: Peggy
Inner half/brow highlight: Rehab
Lower lash line: Specimen

Other products used:
KvD eyeshadow in Lucifer (on brows)
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
KvD Sin-full Mascara

PS: I've been using a new lash growth serum from Rimmel. Check out the difference between my lashes in the first and second sets of photos!

Review: Kat Von D Sin-full Mascara

Have you ever loved a certain product, only for it to be discontinued?  That was me and the Kat Von D High Voltage mascara (in black, it's still available in blue for a little longer).  I did find a good substitute in Dior's Iconic mascara, but it is $10 more expensive!

(yes, those are my real nails!)

Fast forward to KvD's fall 2011 collection, in which a new mascara was released!  And, you know what?  It's pretty good stuff.  Here's the rundown:

• PIGMENTATION: It's SUPER black! I have blonde eyelashes and dyed black hair, so the blacker my mascara, the better in my opinion.
• PERFORMANCE: It lengthens, curls, and thickens.  It has the versatility of giving you a semi-natural looking fringe or a really dramatic look-- all without clumps!  Also, I splashed water on my face, and this didn't run at all.  My lashes stuck together a little bit (because i rubbed a wet finger over them in addition to the water splashing), but there were no black rivers running down my face- at all.

• PACKAGING: The brush is MUCH better than that in the High Voltage mascara.  It's big with stiff bristles, so that it really combs your lashes as it applies the product (hence the lack of the aforementioned clumps). As far as the tube is concerned, I personally like how it starts off matte black and "fades" to the shiny metal.  I can only hope the printed rose pattern will last the charybdis that is my makeup bag.
• PRICE: $18.  This is on the cheap side of "high-end" mascaras, and honestly I think it's worth it. Sin-full mascara does everything it promises, and a little more.

This is my eye, mostly no makeup. I think there's a little residual black eyeliner.

With Sin-full mascara! No lash primer, eyelash curler, or other mascaras were used.

You don't have to take my word for it-- it's available now at Sephora.

Review: Kat Von D's High Voltage Primer- Skin (vs Urban Decay's Primer Potion)

Let me start this off by saying that I am a big fan of Urban Decay's Primer Potion (original), but I hate that they've changed the packaging to a squeeze tube.  I purchased the "Makeup Artist sized" tube of it when it first came out, and upon first use, the crimped end of the tube split open and the product came out!  It took a lot of finagling for the product to dispense out of the tip, but sometimes it still comes out of the back end.  More recently, I went to unscrew the cap from the tip, and it completely came off the packaging!  Before the tip broke off, I went to Urban Decay's customer service to try to get to the bottom of this.  Did I have faulty packaging? Was this normal?  But my questions fell on deaf ears (or eyes, because i sent them an email) and they never responded.

With that said, I was itching to try the Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer.  The price wasn't terrible ($18), I was never incredibly let down by anything in the brand before, and, most importantly, the packaging was practical.  So, how did the actual product hold up to UDPP?  Read on!

• PIGMENTATION: "Skin" is pigmented enough to act as a concealer for my fair coloring. Urban Decay's "Original" Primer Potion is completely translucent, so i still have to do concealer with it. (Urban Decay makes a primer potion called Eden that's supposed to be a matte, flesh toned color that may compare to the pigmentation of Skin, but I have never tried it)
• HOW IT REACTS TO EYE SHADOW APPLICATION: Skin is a stickier base, so I noticed that a lot more eye shadow stuck on to it- including glitter! UDPP dries really fast, so if I'm using a glittery shadow, the glitter doesn't really show up.  I definitely feel like the KvD eye primer made shadows live up to their fullest potential.
• CREASE PREVENTION: Sadly, UDPP wins this category ten million-fold.  When I used the KvD eye primer, my shadows started creasing within two hours, and by the end of my 8 hour work day, my eyeshadow was pretty much gone. When i use UDPP, my eyeshadow lasts literally 10 or more hours before it starts to crease.  I have oily skin, so there's a good chance this has something to do with how the KvD primer performed on me.

All in all, I think I'm going to return the Kat Von D Eye Primer back to Sephora.  I really wanted to like it, and tried all different things to get it to last (outside of layering it over my Urban Decay Primer Potion, because i feel like that's silly), but it's just not cutting the mustard.  It may work better on someone without oily lids!

If you're interested in trying it out yourself it's available at Sephora.

Discounted Urban Decay and MAC!

Today I made a really awesome discovery-- allcosmeticswholesale.com, a site that features copious amounts of legit, discounted cosmetics.  The brands I was most excited for was Urban Decay and MAC, but there is a slew of other big brands offered there (Bobby Brown, Clinique, Laura Mercier; etc).

Why are they discounted?  It seems that what's on here is discontinued (including my favorite Easy Lounger lipglass from MAC's To the Beach collection, swatched here), was a tester, was a little damaged, or was a tester.  Not sure how i feel about purchasing a cosmetic that was a tester (assuming it was from a retail store), but a tester brush is all right with me.  As long as the bristles aren't all crazy and falling out, you can just wash it and it'll be good as new!  With that said, I bought three different Urban Decay eyeshadow brushes, for less than the cost of two. SO EXCITED!  I already have the angled blush brush from them, and it's awesome.  The site said two of the three brushes i ordered are missing the UD boxes, so I'm curious how they'll be packed for the shipment.  Can't wait until they come!

Kat Von D: Coming Fall '11- more new stuff!

Sephora has released information for what's coming for fall for the Kat Von D line!  I personally am most excited for the revamped black mascara!

My all-time favorite mascara was the High Voltage mascara in Lucifer (a deep black), which has been discontinued for a while now. It volumized and curled my lashes like no one's business, and it was only $18 (compared to my current favorite, Dior Iconic, which rings in at $28).  The new Sin-full mascara promises to do the same thing, but looks like it has metal packaging.  Can't wait to see if it lives up to my former HG product!

clockwise from left: KvD Sinner palette, KvD Poetica palette, KvD Saint palette

There are two three new palettes in this collection.  Is it just me, or do they

 look like the 2011 versions of the Beethoven, True Love, and Ludwig palettes?  Except this time, THERE'S NO CREAM SHADOWS!!! HOORAY! Also, instead of the little brushes that everyone complained about, there is a mini black eyeliner.  The carved packaging is  pretty interesting too.

Also coming for fall are a new fragrance and "foil" lipsticks.  The perfume is called "Poetica", which boasts notes of dewy rose petals, passion fruit, crushed berries, white orchid, tuberose, tahitian cherry, sambac jasmine, sensual musk, praline, blonde woods, and amber. 

While Sephora.com doesn't mention them, Miss Katherine von Drachenburg herself posted a picture on twitter of the new lipsticks, and said they were coming at the end of the month (the picture has since been removed).  The packaging looked like that of the Sin-full mascara, and there were 5 new colors.  The shade Adora (metallic warm red), which was released last fall was included in the roundup with the new packaging.

The new "Foiled Love" lipsticks have been posted on Sephora! The shades offered range from peach to amethyst.  I have my eye on "Forever and Never" which is described to be "metallic golden peach."  The description also claims that it will moisturize your lips, so I'm curious to try them out since the only shimmery KvD lipstick I have (Coral Castle) dries my lips out a little.

Something else that's new for fall with the line is the Rehab Priming Elixir.  From the description, it looks like it's supposed to provide your skin with hydration-- not sure if it's meant to be an all-out moisturizer or not.  This definitely doesn't sound like it will mattify your skin at all. As an oily skinned gal, makes me sad, though i'm still curious to try this one out.  (EDIT: The first line of the description is it's a mattifying primer! D'oh!) If anything, the packaging is pretty!  

Does any of this upcoming collection catch your eye?  What other fall collections are you chomping at the bit for?  Let me know in the comments!

You can view the upcoming collection- as well as the current collections- at Sephora.

If you're on twitter, you can follow Kat Von D @thekatvond.  SHAMLESS SELF PROMOTION ALERT: You can also follow me @killerteeth! 

MAC's Bloggers' Obsessions! (and a look using KvD's Truth palette)

Who else hopped onto the MAC site as soon as the Blogger's Obsessions collection went live?  What a cool idea this was!  I think it would be awesome if this was a recurring collection (would once a year be too much?), but different bloggers were chosen every time.  I personally would love to see what Cora of Vintage or Tacky would have come up with!

From the collection, i only picked up the Hocus Pocus eyeshadow (created by Lianne at themakeupgirl.net) and the Evolution Revolution lipglass (created by Karen at makeupandbeautyblog.com.  Karen even shows 12 ways to use the shade she created!).  The eyeshadows Sparkle, Neely, Sparkle! and Jealousy Wakes were calling my name too, but I resisted. I feel like SNS looked similar to Rebekah (warm brown with gold micro glitter) from the KvD True Love palette, and I felt like i wouldn't wear Jealousy Wakes alot (even though it looked GORGEOUS).

Evolution Revolution

Even though all 12 of Karen's looks with Evolution Revolution were super pretty, I mostly got it in hopes it was a close match to my favorite (and limited edition) lipglass, Easy Lounger (from last summer's To the Beach collection).   Easy Lounger is a super sheer, cool-toned pink with pearls.  It looks good with so many different colors!  Evolution Revolution is a warm-toned milky coral with gold shimmer.  Sadly, not as close as I thought it would be, but it's still a pretty color!

R: Evolution Revolution L: Easy Lounger

I won't bother reviewing Hocus Pocus since it's sold out, but, if you're interested,  this is a look I did using this + the KvD Truth palette.

Products used:

UDPP

crease/outer corner: MAC Hocus Pocus (slightly shimmery dark grey w/ slight olive tinge & iridescent glitter.)

lid: KvD Long Distance (bright shimmery lime green with gold glitter)

blending color: KvD Rehab (shimmery pale taupe with clear glitter) *I used this to blend Hocus Pocus and Long Distance together, and to soften the look a little.

highlight: KvD Sugar Skull (shimmery cream with golden shift)

brows: KvD Lucifer (matte black)

Diorshow Iconic mascara

KvD Autograph liner- Puro Amor (matte black)