I've never been a powder girl, like ever. It never has looked good on me. So I've stayed right away from it, avoided it like the plague I have. Having combination dehydrated skin with uneven texture and definite yellow undertones, certain powders have just stuck to my skin in an unflattering manner, they just looked cakey, sitting on the surface of my skin and defining any dry skin I had or didn't even know I had? They've distorted the yellow colour of my skin and turned it pinky grey and ruddy. I like my base to look as smooth and as natural as possible so all of the above mentioned negatives are a big NO NO! 

Being fairly new to the makeup/skincare/beauty world I've learnt a lot in the past 3-4 years, invested in some amazing products and have equally wasted a lot of money simply trying to find my way around. Powders have been one of them. I first had the bareMinerals Mineral Veil which was okay but was quite pink, it just didn't sit right with me. Then I tried the infamous Ben Nye Banana Powder, but I found that quite drying and cakey. Then I bought the Rimmel Stay Matte in Transparent, I was impressed by how fine it was but again the colour wasn't right, regardless of whether it claimed to be transparent or not, it did distort the colour of my skin and also was a little drying.

Then enter Instagram, the magical wonderful portal to the world of beauty, where beauty lovers all around the world connected and shared the one thing that people around me just didn't understand and that was my love and obsession for makeup! I finally found an outlet to let out all the built up makeup and beauty tension that I had haha! People on there were actually on my level of obsession and addiction! I met amazingly beautiful people on there, who have literally become my #instasisters, you know who you are my loves ;).

I first came across Kick Ass on Onika Khatuns blog, then @UmmBaby recommended it and then @PoofiePeej reviewed it sooo well I was sold there and then. Now as of....26 weeks ago (had to check my feed for that) I can honestly say that I am a true Kick Ass devout and a definite powder convert!

Okay enough with the long emotional backstory, onto the specifics. Kick Ass comes in a cutely packaged (as is the usual with all Soap & Glory products) black compact case. It also has a mirror inside of the lid, the mirror is quite magnified and clear so be prepared to react similarly to when you unexpectedly open the front camera. 

The powder looks like a pale yellow in the pan and has had the words "KICK ASS" embossed on the surface. When swatched it feels really light and silky soft between my fingers. I once tried doing a swatch of this on Insta ages ago and it was really really difficult trying to get the powder to show up, it just kept melting in and disappearing into my skin! You'll see in the pictures later.

I've used a few different techniques and brushes with this to see which works best for me, from large fluffy powder brushes to powder puffs, but THE most successful method I've had so far is using my ELF Blush Brush, it's a small-medium sized head, tapered and flat-ish. This works wonderfully for me because it doesn't pick up tons of product, it fits nicely into the contours of my face and it makes sure I don't overdo it. It's soft and swishy enough to gently place product on my skin yet has the right amount of firmness to push the powder securely into my skin and properly set my makeup in place. Because I'm prone to cakiness I have to be very careful with how much force and pressure I use when using brushes on my textured skin to avoid micro exfoliation and I have to be especially careful with the amount of product or powder that I use as well so this brush has now become a must have staple for me now.

So to use, I press the flat side of the brush into the pan, because it's tapered it evenly picks up a light layer of product on the flat side, then I gently but firmly press the brush into my skin, I can also go back into the pan and apply some more in my chosen areas, I also do swift single strokes in one direction and I happily watch the magic happen...! I advise to apply little at a time and build up where you feel necessary to avoid cakiness.

The amazing thing about Kick Ass is that it literally disappears into my skin! I adore this stuff so much! It's super lightweight. I use it all the time now to set my foundations or concealer and it "perfects" my foundation perfectly, it takes away the unnecessary unwanted shine, it sets my makeup in place, it fills in any pores and lines, it smoothens the uneven surface of my skin beautifully and gives off a soft focus type effect, it makes my foundation look better, like skin, airbrushed and perfected. All of this without looking cakey or flat. It lets the skins natural radiance show through and it doesn't change the colour of my foundation. Some people have said that it's brightening but on my tanned yellow olive skintone this disappears into nothingness, no pink, no grey, it's literally seamless. I also use this on my no makeup days when I want to smoothen the surface of my skin and fill in pores etc. and it works a treat! 

I don't know how they've done it but this simply works really well with my skin. It's everything I've ever wanted from a foundation setting powder and more. People I've hit pan! What more is there to say? The girl who hates powder has hit pan! Can you imagine the joy and excitement I felt when I first noticed the silver glint beneath the pale yellow? I was so ecstatic I had to share it with everyone on Insta!

Gosh I really know how to sing praises for products don't I? Have I sold you yet :D? I joke! I'm just passionate, if I truly love something I'm passionate about it, I'll dig deep into the depths of my viable vocabulary and I'll try and express myself and my feelings as accurately as possible and you know for sure it's done in all honesty too. But that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone else will feel the same way, we are all too different in this world and too varied to have the same things work for us all, so as much as I recommend and rave about this I can't guarantee this'll work wonders for you too, if you can afford to, experiment and find out.

Now Soap & Glory also have another face powder which goes by the name One Heck Of A Blot, this is a blotting/setting powder for oiler skin types. I used this around a year ago from my sister and wasn't too impressed by how flat it made my skin look. Fast forward to now and now that I've got my powder game going strong and steady with the right tools, I wanted to give it another chance and see how I felt about it! So after nicking (borrowing) it from my sister, using the same careful techniques I tested the One Heck Of A Blot (OHOAB) powder and used it a good few times. Now I can give you my thoughts and how it compares to my beloved Kick Ass. 

Similarly packaged to Kick Ass, it's a pale soft beige coloured powder and has the word "Powder" embossed on it. When swatched this picks up quite a bit of product and looks off white in tone and is opaque. I pressed my finger into this alongside Kick Ass with the same pressure and duration and where Kick Ass dissappeared into the fingerprint lines of my finger OHOAB had picked up quite a lot of product and stayed on the surface of my finger, it's definitely a denser powder. Then I swatched them both onto the back of my hand again with the same pressure and duration and Kick Ass dissappeared and OHOAB left a definite thick layer of powder. This is visible in the pictures I've added. This told me you don't need a lot of OHOAB at all and that there could be some "colour" distortions on the skin with OHOAB.

I went on to use this on one half of my face with Kick Ass on the other to test it for the day. Going in carefully after realising you didn't need a lot I proceeded to set my face, it was very finely milled, velvety soft but had this definite stiffness about it, like it was ready to suck up oil and stay in place. It does fill in pores but I noticed that it didn't have the soft focus softening effect that Kick Ass has. I also noticed that it was leaving a slight whitish cast on my skin in comparison to the Kick Ass on the other side which just looked normal. When I built it up I could see it was making my skin look paler and flatter as I applied more, where Kick Ass disappeared and smoothened. Because of my first experience with OHOAB where I was left looking quite flat, I made sure I didn't apply too much to avoid that, but I could see that it didn't give off a natural skin like radiance and finish that Kick Ass did. And I couldn't go back to apply more with OHOAB as I could do with Kick Ass. Throughout the day I kept tabs on it, where Kick Ass was keeping my skin looking natural and emitting some ever so slight shine, OHOAB was really holding up the shine but I noticed it was drying my skin out in certain parts of my face which was making those areas look aged, grey and slightly cakey.

I have used OHOAB on its own many times after this and I can say that it's definitely made for oilier skin types, it's not as forgiving as Kick Ass is on my skin as OHOAB is more prone to picking up texture. I'm also not too keen on the pale cast it can leave because I would want to build up in certain areas of my face without compromising colour. I wouldn't use this near my eyes, on my nose, around my mouth or on my forehead because it dehydrates those areas and makes it look cakey and grey by the end of the day, it also started to sit in my fine lines where Kick Ass usually fills them in and keeps them "filled". This does make my makeup last very long and it's definitely mattefying but I much prefer the Kick Ass over the OHOAB. I do think the OHOAB is a quality oil controlling powder and oilier skins will definitely adore this but my heart lies with Kick Ass, well until something else as wonderful crosses my path!

So there you have it guys, my two pence on the Soap & Glory Face Powders, as usual I can't guarantee you'll have the same results and opinions as mine but I do adore the Kick Ass powder, it has changed my (makeup) life and I've used up so much in 26 weeks. The next powder I want to get my hands on is the YSL Soufflé thingymabob, the Laura Mercier one and perhaps the Urban Decay powder as well. It's quite hypocritical of me to complain about long product names when my reviews go on for miles and miles (eeeek!) though I hope this was useful and if you do get your hands on the Soap & Glory Instant Retouch Kick Ass Powder, then I wish you a very happy Kick-Assing! 

I thought I had closed my chapter with the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup* when I noticed the 3 shades I had tried were too peachy neutral for my olive skin tone. Thinking the whole line was probably peachy neutral, I ended my trials with Naked Skin and moved on. I never thought I'd go back to buy the full size bottle and love it as much as I do now. I've been using it almost everyday and simply can't get enough. You've probably seen it popping up frequently on my insta feed #motd's! The words love and Holy Grail come to mind.

*Cor blimey! I thought Nars ADLW was long!

Now for the story, in my world there's always a story behind every beauty product, you'll appreciate this if you understand, if not, you most likely get p****d off with my never ending rambling....so....

I was casually traipsing through the Urban Decay aisle one day at a rather empty Beauty Department in Debenhams, testing this and swatching that, as you do, when the assistant (who was actually a fellow South Asian) came up to me and asked me if I wanted to get colour matched. I kindly declined her offer saying that I like the foundation but I don't have a shade in Urban Decay foundations, to which she replied "I really doubt that" and insisted to test some shades on me. Tbh I wasn't in the mood to pretend being pleased with the colour match and then nod and smile and skip off the stool, thank her for her service and tell her I'd see how it fares through the day and see how I feel about the foundation before making a purchase, then walk away never to see her again.

But she looked rather determined and eager to test shades on me and I didn't want to be rude and decline, so I thought I'd give her the benefit of the doubt and give her something to do in the drearily empty store, though at the time I was quite certain she wouldn't succeed. "Okay sure go ahead..." I replied, adding that it's a difficult job matching me. She picked up a couple of bottles after inspecting my face and proceeded to test them on me.

Using the Optical Blurring Brush (dreamy soft) she applied one shade on one side of my face and the other shade on the other. We agreed that one side was looking neutral (5.0) whereas the other side was mimicking the olive tones in my skin flatteringly. Super impressed, I enquired about the shade, when she said 4.0, I was really surprised! I would never have thought I would be any lower than 5.0 or 6.0 in Urban Decay. She mentioned that it was one of the only yellow/olive tones in the whole colour range made for those with medium skin tone with prominent olive tones. I asked for a sample to try it out at home under normal lighting to be sure and she happily sent me off with a sample and a smile. I really appreciate lovely assistants who explain things to you and are happy to help you out or educate you instead of forcing products on to you. Kudos to her!

This is the description from the website and it's BANG on! :

The shade 4.0 is a pretty decent match to my skin, it's like Nars Sheer Glow Stromboli but slightly better, like Sheer Glow it matches the paler parts of my face, though 4.0 is a touch more olive. It does slightly lack the luscious golden tones of Nars ADLW Stromboli. ADLW Stromboli brings together all of the tones in my skin and compliments the yellow in my complexion terrifically, which is why I'd keep it for special occasions, I do wish 4.0 was a teeny tiny bit more golden but I shan't complain as it does disappear into my skin nicely, I adore how olive it looks and have received nothing but inquisitive compliments with it every time and that's always a good thing!

When I'm blending this into my skin it evens my skin out so nicely I almost feel like Desi Perkins from Youtube (doesn't she have the most flawless and even skin ever?). I do have to colour correct with orange but I've noticed it doesn't turn hideously grey like some foundations can do if I don't colour correct which is superb! This works so well for me with my complicated skin, I can't believe it almost managed to slip away from my life. 

I looked up swatches of the Naked Skin foundation online when I researched the shade and one blogger had swatched all the shades side by side and you could clearly see the variations between them all and how yellow/olive 4.0 was compared to the rest, it definitely stood out! This has now educated me to look out for pictures that have ALL the shades swatched together so you can make out the differences between them and spot the most appropriate shade for yourself. There also isn't much difference between 5.0 and 6.0, the latter is a touch deeper.  I also watch an Asian YouTuber called Batool Rizvi, she uses 4.0 and seems to be of similar skin tone to me, I also learnt that it's a shade lighter/Caucasian skintones like to use if they want to look more olive/tanned.

Here are the links of the swatches which were somewhat of a revelation for me with regards to the shade 4.0:

http://soundlysensiblebeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/urban-decay-naked-ultra-definition.html?m=1

http://www.tonguechic.com/beauty/swatch-it-urban-decay-naked-skin-weightless-ultra-definition-liquid-makeup/

The link to this image below from "TongueChic" wasn't working so I've just put it up, 5th from left, you can perfectly see the olive tones in 4.0.

In the swatches I let the foundation run down my hand on its own, so you can see how runny it is!

The texture of Naked Skin is very liquidy and runny, it has some emollience in it which is related to the dewy finish this can have. We're informed to shake the bottle before using, the bottle has little rattle balls which make a pleasing clackety rattling noise when you shake it up, pleasing to me anyway! The bottle is nicely designed, good controllable pump, clear indication of how much foundation has been used, no issues apart from the lid which can be a tad loose and come off in my makeup bag if not compactly packed. (See Update below)

I use half a pump for a light natural coverage and I love how even and super natural my skin looks. I use a full pump for medium to full coverage and again not a speck of cakey fakeness in sight, I just look naturally airbrushed (like Desi :D). I don't feel the need to use any more, this gives me so much coverage with such little and it all looks so natural! I must mention (repetitively in every post) that my skin doesn't need or like a lot of coverage, I just need some unifying and evening and this does this perfectly! If I wanted a full on glam coverage look I would use a pump and a half. 

The finish is semi matte-dewy. Without powder it sets to a ever so slight powdery finish but has a natural radiant glow, it's so natural (naked) looking and airbrushed I love it. I set this with my Soap & Glory Kick Ass Powder and it's like MAGIC on my skin. I'm addicted to my Kick Ass powder by the way, I use it with all my foundations. It sets my face and reduces transfer whilst filling in pores, taking away shine and making my skin look uber smooth and soft, it's literally a foundation perfecter for me! This foundation just makes me look FLAWLESS every time. I'm proper hooked!

This feels hydrating when you put it on and super duper lightweight. You can't feel makeup on your skin, especially with my beloved Kick Ass, it's smooth to the touch. This foundation does have that setting factor to it but it's not tautening or drying at all, it's more soft and light. I think people who don't need heavy coverage, who like no makeup makeup and natural looking, lightweight bases will adore this, like myself.

I find this builds up beautifully, I use my RTMC Sponge and it blends like a dream, and doesn't cake up on my skin or build up texture horribly. (This depends on your skin type and skin condition, good skin=flawless finish). I have also used my buffing brush and it gives me pretty decent results too but I prefer a sponge most of the time. I'm surprised how a little goes a long way and how much it actually covers yet how natural and light it looks. It doesn't look like I have layers of makeup on at all. ( See Update below)

This doesn't oxidise on me, it keeps me looking radiant and olive the whole time it's on so no qualms here. Without setting it'll last 3-4 hours before I start seeing some little shine and fading but with powder it lasts me almost 8 hours+ before I start seeing some fading or shine (on my skin type, which is dehydrated combination). This duration is perfectly suitable for me and I would definitely use it for special occasions too.

When I mentioned that Nars ADLW was the older, meaner sister who's going through her terrible teens, I really meant it LOL! They are both very similar with their specs and what they offer but Naked Skin is a lot easier to use and much more forgiving. Even though I raved about the ADLW being HG, I've come to love Naked Skin as my HG everyday liquid foundation. The ADLW can behave amazingly but it can go wrong quite easily and can be difficult to deal with although I absolutely love the brightening yellow of the ADLW and that's what the Naked Skin lacks. Naked Skin is hydrating and lightweight and looks really natural and airbrushed like "naked skin", ADLW is more fuller coverage but can catch on texture and be drying at the same time but can look amazingly flawless too plus last much longer. I believe Naked Skin is an incredible foundation and so so underrated! I love how well this formula works with my skin and I honestly can not stop using it. If you can find a perfect match go for it! Hope this was helpful. Noodles! 

*UPDATE* 26/04/16 : I've been using this consistently for almost 4 months now and I've used up 1/3 already! My skin has gone through a few changes in the past few months so I've gotten to know this foundation even better now with my skins highs and lows. I have noticed some changes in the application and overall results and wanted to share them with everyone to give an even more broader analysis of this foundation and who it can work best for.

At the moment my skin is extremely dehydrated and I have some dry skin flakes/patches here and there. I also have some extra fine lines presumably because of the level of dehydration in my skin. Skin texture/bumps as well is at it's highest unfortunately, I'm not too sure of the reason behind all this but I believe it might be a combination of poor health as I have been falling ill a lot lately and perhaps too much Salicylic acid (I've realised my skin behaves a little cray cray if I've used Salicylic acid consistently). I'm trying to nurse my skin back to its usual self inshaa Allah (God willing).

Anyway, I've noticed that the Urban Decay foundation isn't looking as excellent as it used to and isn't really working for my current skin condition. It's highlighting all the flakes and texture that I currently have on my skin, it's also sinking into all the lines and making my skin look very dehydrated and overall making me look very dull and not very flawless at all! I now know that this is NOT the foundation to wear on bad skin days/phases.

If you have very dry/dehydrated skin or skin with uneven texture and flakes, I would avoid this foundation, it'll just highlight all your flaws and make your skin look a lot worse than it is. It's not a nourishing emollient foundation nor does it claim to be, but I personally think this works and looks its best on skin that's soft and smooth in texture or skin that is of a normal / oily / slightly dry skin type. I've noticed it now sinks into lines and cracks that weren't visible before applying so be wary! I really hope and my pray my skin gets better soon and that I can go back to loving this again, I still use it but just a little on VERY well moisturised and primed skin.

I'd also like to mention that the plastic packaging on the bottle has cracked in several places, the lid had cracked quite early on (I've read/watched other reviews on this that have mentioned the same issue) but there are more cracks now in other places and the bottle actually comes completely apart. I mean this could just prove how much I've used it but I can say this is definitely not travel friendly because I have taken it away with me and that's when it came apart, but it wasn't like I was rough with it though, so Urban Decay if you're reading this (highly doubt it) improve the packaging quality! Anyway that's all I have to say for now, as always I hope this was helpful.

*Update* 19/06/16

Disclaimer: I need to mention that when I review or recommend products, I cannot guarantee that you will have the same results or overall opinions as mine, everyone's skin is different and different products work differently for people, people also have their own preferences to consider so I can't guarantee that what works for me will work for you too. The world of beauty is simply too vast to distinguish and categorise appropriately for everyone. It's all about researching and experimenting to find out what works best for you.