Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder, $30

I bought Urban Decay's De-Slick Mattifying Powder on a whim. I had a Macy's gift card and decided to spend it on something I probably wouldn't normally buy--$30 face powder fell into that category. I have combination skin and get self-conscious about it getting oily in my T-zone, but I hate wearing any kind of face makeup (usually feels too heavy and fake). I also have the suspicion that my bangs are looking gross by the end of the day because of my oily forehead. With the warmer weather coming along, I felt like this was a good time to try it out.

The compact is really pretty--clear purple with silver designs of skulls and filigree (much like the Ammo Eyeshadow Palette). The compact is bigger than I thought it would be, basically about the size of my palm. The mirror is a really good size. I feel like for $30, it better be big!

It comes with a flat sponge that's rubbery on one side and cushiony white on the other.

I like the sponge. It fits nicely in the compact and makes it easy to dab at or sweep across your skin. But as you can see, it's already getting dirty, even though I just use it on my bare skin. I feel like if you used it over foundation, it would definitely change the color of that cushion pretty quickly.

The powder is pure matte white, translucent when it gets on your skin--unless you get a little powder-happy, then you're definitely gonna see some of the white build up. But hey, if you're going for the super pale look, might not be a bad thing! It has a kind of tea tree oil scent, probably to aid with the mattifying.

This stuff definitely mattes out the shine. This morning I put it on in the sunlight so I had a nice glare on my forehead (ugh lol) and I could see a distinct difference between where I put it and where I didn't. To my surprise, it made a noticeable difference under my eyes as well. I think something about the lavender-white tone helped chill out my undereye darkness. I also tried it out one day when I skipped my shower (gross, I know, but anything for the blog!) and was kind of surprised with how I didn't look like a complete greaseball. And it might actually help the oil buildup on my bangs--no real definitive evidence, though.

To be honest, it does its job adequately but in actuality it's no miracle worker. You do have to reapply throughout the day. I feel like it takes the shine away but not necessarily the actual oil. I mean, my skin feels velvety, but it's almost like I can still feel the oil underneath. I'm glad I have it because it's gonna come in handy in a lot of situations, but I wouldn't have spent $30 on it if I didn't have the gift card. There are probably cheaper products that would do a comparable job (other blue-tinted powders, blotting sheets, etc.).

Final verdict
Cost: $30 is a bit much for a product that didn't really "wow" me. You do get a lot, though, and it will probably last a pretty long time. At least the compact is pretty and the mirror's big.
Skin type: Oily to super oily. I have some dry skin on my nose (stupid allergies) and it made the powder show up a lot.
Mattifying?: It works--it takes the shine down. But it doesn't really absorb the oil. You will probably have to reapply a couple times through the day.
Repeat offender?: While I'm happy to have it and will probably use it until it's gone, I'm not sure if I would spend $30 on it again. I feel like I could get a cheaper product to do basically the same job.

On a side note, they have released De-Slick in a Tube. Check it out at their site. Nylon likes it, but it has some mixed reviews on Sephora.com. I'm glad I got the powder instead of the "gel" though--it seems like you get more and can use it when needed.

-T