Urban Decay (cosmetics)

Urban Decay is an American cosmetics company founded in 1996 by David Soward, Wende Zomnir, and Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems. There was a significant dispute as to whether Sandy Lerner wrongfully ousted her former friend and horse trainer, Patricia Holmes, from a "founders role" in the upstart brand. [The details of the relationship, and its decay, are memorialized in Holmes v. Lerner, 74 Cal. App. 4th 442 (1999).] The brand is primarily sold in mid to high-end beauty stores, such as Ulta and Sephora. Urban Decay was bought by Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2000, before being sold again in 2002. The label is based in Costa Mesa, California, and has a distribution center in Hallandale Beach, Florida.

Urban Decay markets itself as an edgy line of products that juxtaposes the glamorous with urban grunge. When the company originated, the product line included lipsticks and nail polishes in non-traditional colors including various shades of green, blue, purple, black, and even off-white. However, in recent years, the company has produced more mainstream items and colors than they did in the 1990s and abandoned the riskier, more gothic/alternative shades that were very likely difficult for them to market. The industrial, non-conformist theme of the brand is still reflected in their current product names though; eyeshadows shades are called such names as "Roach", "Smog", "Strip", "Asphyxia" and "Oil Slick"; lip glosses come with names such as "Gash", "Carney", and "Kinky".

Urban Decay's products are generally considered of good or better quality by young, quality-conscious consumers, and reviews of the brand's products on Web sites devoted to cosmetics are typically positive. The company produces finely-milled, high-pigment eyeshadows. Their best-selling shade is "Midnight Cowboy", a beige shadow loaded with silver glitter.

Urban Decay also successfully markets an "eyeshadow primer potion" which is applied prior to eyeshadow application to ensure that color and glitter remain on the lids for extended wear, with no caking or creasing. Because of the container shape, many viral videos on how to cut the container to get the most product out have sprung up on YouTube. There are rumors that Urban Decay is planning on to put its Primer Potion in a squeeze tube.

They also created a popular line of edible shimmer body powders, which are safe to ingest in small amounts.

Urban Decay claims not to employ animal testing in the creation of its products, and marks on its website which products are considered vegan. It also offers 100% synthetic fiber makeup brushes, including blush and powder brushes, made from taklon as an alternative to typical brushes constructed from animal hair.

In 2006, Urban Decay celebrated its tenth year anniversary with a release of the several new makeup palettes and kits.

References

External links

* [http://www.urbandecay.com/ Official website]