Urban Decay Summer 2016 Collection

Every day my love for Urban Decay grows.  The new Summer 2016 collection only reinforces my love for them, because it's basically easy, glowing skin served up to you on a platter.  The collection is made up of 2 bronzers, 3 highlighters, 2 eye pencils, and a "hybrid complexion perfector" called One & Done.
 The 2 eye pencils in the collection are an addition to the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil collection in a new frosted pink color, called Heartless, and a new 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencil in a nude color, called Walk Of Shame.  If you're familiar with 24/7 pencils, you know that these are wonderfully long-wearing formulas, that glide on super creamy, but stay put all day.  The difference with these new colors is they're much more versatile than, say, a black eyeliner.  Heartless can be used to highlight the brow bone, the inner corner of the eyes, the cupid's bow, etc.  Walk Of Shame is specifically meant for the water line, but, depending on your skin tone, can also be used as a highlighter or even a concealer.   

Pictured: Heartless on the left and Walk Of Shame on the right

Beached Bronzer comes in 2 shades: Sun-Kissed for light to medium skin tones, and Bronzed for medium to dark skin tones.  Simply put, they are perfection.  Not to orange-y, and the powders are super fine so they go on smoothly.  That way you can build up color gradually, instead of feeling like you have to blend until your face is raw to make sure you don't have streak marks.  They're great for contouring, as well, because they don't have that sort of ruddy, dirty-looking tone that a lot of contour powders have.  I'm pretty lucky to be in that "medium" shade range so I can wear both colors.      

Pictured: Sun-Kissed on the left, and Bronzed on the right

Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Highlighters are the perfect addition to my favorite Afterglow blushes.   Leave it to Urban Decay to make highlighters that even novices can understand, but can also be built up to blinding levels of highlight if you want.  I'm a light touch, like "OH, HEY, YOU LOOK SO AWAKE TODAY.  WHAT DID YOU DO?" type of gal, but I have been known to get a little crazed when I find a good highlighter.  Also known as "CAN'T SEE THE HATERS BECAUSE MY HIGHLIGHT IS BLINDING" levels.  Anyways, the moral of the story is that these highlighters are great for the minimalist or the maximalist.  Sin is a champagne pop, Fireball is a peach with a secret little pink shift to it, and Aura is an iridescent pink.    

From left to right: Sin, Fireball, and Aura

And just in case you were wondering how Fireball the highlighter compares to Fireball the eyeshadow (because I was!)... It's definitely a more subtle version, so it's nice that you can build the color.  Fireball the eyeshadow is so pigmented that if you're using it as a highlighter you'd have to start with a REALLY light touch.  But they both have that peach tone with a pink shift.  Aka, they're both incredible so you can still keep both in your arsenal.  

Fireball Highlighter on the left, and Fireball eyeshadow on the right

And last, but most definitely NOT least, we must talk about Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector (SPF 20).  What's left to say that is not already in the name?  Well, though the name is telling, there's so much to discuss.  If you're a fan of Naked Skin foundation, then you already know that the finish is key.  Airbrushed, flawless skin is the name of the game.  The difference with One & Done is that it's just a little more "natural" of a finish.  Still airbrushed, still flawless, but lighter somehow.  Like a BB cream without the grease that some of them can have.  This formula is oil-free so the finish is on the matte side, but not harsh.  Totally subtle.  And there are great skincare ingredients that improve the skin with continued use, so you really can't go wrong with this formula.  Don't worry, it plays well with others.  If you have a few spots that need a little more coverage it mixes flawlessly with a little concealer.  

  

In the pic above I'm wearing, naturally, all Urban Decay.  I started with One & Done all over the face, then lightly "contoured" my cheekbones and forehead using Beached Bronzer.  For blush I used my favorite Afterglow 8-Hour Blush in Video, which is also great for contouring the cheekbones in a more natural way.  On the upper cheekbones, and just a little bit above my brow bone, I used the Afterglow Highlighter in Fireball.  I used a few shades from the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Eye Shadow Palette on my lids, and then popped my brow bone with the Afterglow Highlighter in Sin (the champagne tone).  I used Walk Of Shame on my waterline, and Heartless on the inner corner of the eyes to make me look awake, because I assure you, at 9:00 am when these pictures were taken I was certainly not awake.  To finish the whole thing off, I used the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani lipstick in Ex-Girlfriend and just a touch of Afterglow Highlighter in Aura on my cupid's bow.  I used everything with a pretty light touch, because that's how I roll, but the colors are SUPER buildable if you want a more dramatic look.  Especially the Highlighter in Sin!  You can really strobe the hell out of your face with that shade.
Overall, the collection gets 2 giant thumbs-up from me, but I can't say that I'm really surprised!  I knew I had to have all of it the minute I saw it.