Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Trio Review

The obsession with strobing and glittering cheekbones is stronger than ever and with the holiday season just around the corner many beauty junkies will be shining “bright like a diamond.”  I already own the large Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder for face and body but having a trio with assorted colors seems even better! The new compact includes three limited edition shades with dazzling micro-glitter for optimum luminosity.

The packaging is cute and conveniently comes with a large mirror and double-ended brush that picks up and distributes a light dusting of pigment. For a more coverage I use my finger to pack the shimmer on more efficiently.

The texture of the baked powder is quite silky and smooth but it is a bit too light for good adhesion which can make application look messy and inconsistent if you aren’t careful. The shimmer particles are small and reflective which creates mesmerizing shine but they are also very loose and can scatter upon application creating inconsistent coverage that sits on the skin’s surface without blending in very well.

Unfortunately the formula isn’t quite there and requires more creaminess or weight to appear cohesive and mesh into my makeup seamlessly. The pigmentation is sheer and glittery but you can moderately adjust the intensity with a few layers to create a brilliant pop of radiance on the cheekbones, nose, cupid's bow, brow bone and forehead. If you embed the color in your liquid foundation prior to setting your face it may help the fragments stay in place, prolong wear and prevent fading. You may also want to use a setting spray.

The gold-champagne hue called Pyrite is my favorite and also works as a beautiful highlight on the inner eyes.

Oasis is a marble frosted taupe and contains the least amount of shimmer. It isn’t as impactful as the other two shades and appears too ashy for my taste.

Twilight is a pretty iridescent pink with a frostiness befitting of a cool winter day. It adds soft color plus luminosity and you can dust it over eye shadow.

Overall I think these illuminators are usable for a sparkly glow but the formula and consistency could be better. It retails for $49.00 at Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart, sephora.ca and urbandecay.ca.