Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 Review and Swatches
I swear it’s the irony of my life that I sit in my office all bloody week and watch perfectly beautiful days go by but when the weekend arrives it rains.� WTH Mother Nature! Seriously?
I feel Summer is already over because it rains almost every single weekend. Where the heck is the fun in that?
Oh well..
Regardless, I’m still all about lighter, fresher coverage for Summer and Urban Decay Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer is the awesome for it!
Jump!
A buildable tinted moisturizer that’s hydrates tired skin, evens out dull complexions, and offers sun protection with an SPF 20.
They had me at tinted moisturizer. Urban Decay is known for more of their color products and not so much their base so when they said tinted moisturizer I was all, “oh hello there how are you?”
This comes in a 1oz pump style jar for $32 bucks with an SPF 20. Laura Mercier’s version? SPF 20 as well in 1.5 oz size for $42 so you’re saving a few bucks on UD’s version even though Laura’s is a tad on the bigger size. I’ve always wondered why tinted moisturizer costs more than foundation, weird right?
This is extra thick, extra creamy, and has decent pigmentation. It blends beautifully into skin and leaves behind a nice hydrated feel, no oily or greasy feel just light, hydrating coverage. It isn’t pigmented enough to cover major skin woe but it does even out my complexion well and creates a good even base for my makeup. It’s buildable yes but I always feel like tinted moisturizer is best used on “good” skin sans acne, acne scarring, fine lines, etc….because if you’re looking to conceal with this, it simply won’t do that as the coverage is lighter than a regular foundation.
It has decent wear time and doesn’t oxidize as quickly as many foundations do on my skin so I can get away with at least 5 hours of wear with proper setting on my part. The even finish of the product allows for my face to remain flawless and healthy looking without turning ashy or fading.
The lighter coverage feels incredible particularly on a warm, humid day. You can easily smear a little on the sides of your nose and blend out without overdoing it or giving yourself a made up look.
Now as great as the product is you may find that it’s a tad too thick for your liking. If you prefer a more runny, watery consistency from your tinted moisturizer this may prove a bit too rich for your tastes. I actually prefer my TM’s (tinted moisturizers) to have a thicker texture as they blend and absorb beautifully.
Sadly, Urban Decay Urban Defense manages to win my lust and love for an awesome tinted moisturizer that allows me to look fresh and flawless however the packaging leaves alot to be desired. On first glance I was excited about a pump style bottle however it’s drastically flawed as the a single press will give you enough product to cover your body with. The depressor is very tricky to use and 9 in 10 uses you’ll end up with WAY too much product. I’ve been using this for over a month and I still have not successfully pressed down (even when doing it slowly and patiently) and gotten just the right amount of product. Most times I end up with a gob of product that I have to wipe off and toss out, quite wasteful!
SPF 20 is the norm in most cases for tinted moisturizer sun protection but I’d have loved a bit higher!
- Anyone looking for light Summer coverage!
- Anyone with good skin that wants light coverage to even out their complexion for a more flawless look!
- Dry skin types who need a nice hydrating base!
- Anyone seeking a high SPF in their base (this only has 20).
- Anyone who has little patience with tricky packaging!
The packaging is not only irritating but a tad unforgivable. I love the coverage and the lightness of the overall product and think it makes a rather fabulous base for Summer wearin’ and tearin’ but I do find the packaging is wasteful and needs a bit of work. Perhaps Urban Decay might consider switching to a tube in the feature as this pump simply doesn’t cut it.
If I overlook the package details, I can easily say I love it and think it’s one of the better TM’s I’ve had the pleasure of using….
Would I buy it again?
Yes, but I’d still feel utterly depressed when I’m wasting half the bottle while trying to play around with a tricky pump!
Le sigh.
Package needs work but overall product is a win.
Anyone try?
Loves?
Leaves?
Tricky packaging probs?
Share ’em, Rant ’em, Tell me all about ’em!
Available now from Urban Decay.