Urban Decay Surreal Cream to Powder Foundation

I've been testing out Urban Decay Surreal Cream to Powder Foundation (S$58) over the past week and sad to say, it just does not work for me.

The official product description promises a "porcelain-perfect coverage and a modern, natural finish". The concept sounds really good as it has an ultra-lightweight, vegan- and paraben-free formula which transforms from a cream to a micro-fine powder upon contact with skin and provides coverage without the pore-clogging effects of heavier foundations. The foundation also contains Hyaluronic Filling Spheres and Pearl Powders that hydrate and reduce the appearance of fine lines, plus antioxidants like Vitamins A and C to nourish and protect skin.

I simply adore the whimsical cover design but the foundation accentuated dry patches and my pores even with the use of primer/moisturiser beforehand. The included brush applied the foundation with visible lines and streaks and could not smoothen them out into an even finish. I ended up using a sponge to even out the foundation. A brush that worked better with this foundation is the Bourjois baby kabuki brush which I used to apply the foundation in a buffing motion. The foundation had sheer coverage and little oil control with me having to blot quite frequently throughout the day.


My shade is Nirvana, which is the second lightest shade after Illusion. I also wear MAC NC25, Lancome Maquicake UV Infinite in #40, Diorskin Nude #20 and Shiseido OC10.

The cream foundation is on the upper layer with a bottom compartment for the brush. One design flaw with the packaging is that you can access the bottom compartment only by flipping the compact upside down to get the foundation tray to flap over as there is no hole for you to get a hold on the upper tray in order to lift it. But flipping the compact upside down makes it easy for the brush to fall out onto the floor, which was what happened to me.


The included brush feels quite soft and would double up nicely as a face powder brush.

Overall, I felt that this foundation would probably work only on ladies with near perfect skin (but who would probably not need foundation in the first place). On me, it only accentuated my skin flakes and pores despite moisturising and priming my skin before applying the foundation. The streaky and uneven finish just took too much time and effort to even out compared to other foundations like Bourjois Mineral Matte Foundation which provided much more coverage, oil control and required only half the application time. Many reviewers on Sephora.com and MakeupAlley.com had the same experience as me (although there are ladies who swear by this as well). Another common complaint is that one compact lasts barely three months with daily usage. I guess that isn't so bad for me 'cos it means I can re-use the compact to hold another product after finishing up the foundation.

Ingredients list