Urban Decay Facts
Think You're a True Urban Decay Junkie? See How Many Brand Facts You Know
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You've hoarded every Urban Decay product you could afford, including the blockbuster XX Vault. You set calendar reminders so you could snatch up each piece of Gwen Stefani's collaboration. You may have even inked your body with the brand logo. Yes, you're officially obsessed with Urban Decay, but how savvy are you about the company?
Before you call yourself a true junkie, read on! We've acquired fun facts about Urban Decay's history, brand cofounder Wende Zomnir, and more that every UD cult fanatic needs to know.
1 The Brand Was Founded 20 Years Ago
With just 10 lipsticks and 12 nail polishes, Urban Decay hit the beauty scene in 1996. Its first-ever magazine ad asked readers, "Does Pink Make You Puke?" Instead of pastel hues, the brand touted vampy purples and murky greens as cosmetic color essentials. In this image, brand cofounder Wende Zomnir is holding up some of the original lacquer shades.
2 Urban Decay's History Is Steeped in Girl Power
Chief Creative Officer Wende Zomnir teamed up with Sandy Lerner, a cofounder of computer networking equipment brand Cisco Systems, to launch Urban Decay. Both were dissatisfied with the bland pink, red, and beige shades that dominated the beauty counters and set off to produce high-quality makeup products in funky colors.
3 Urban Decay Is Based in Orange County, CA
Though Wende herself hails from Texas (and grew up in Europe), the company's headquarters is on the West Coast.
4 Before Founding Urban Decay, Wende Was a Model
She also dabbled as a fitness instructor and an account executive before collaborating with Sandy. She remains superathletic and uses her love of exercise to aggressively test her formulas' durability. (She'll even attend a hot yoga class in full makeup!)
5 Gwen Stefani Is a Dedicated Fan of the Brand
In the early days of Urban Decay, Wende would attend local concerts and seek out the performers to convince them to try the product. Orange County native Gwen Stefani was one of the first celebrity fans of the brand, so it made perfect sense that in 2015, she became Urban Decay's first famous face.
6 Purple Is One of Wende's Favorite Colors
You may be surprised to learn that this majestic hue wasn't incorporated into the brand's packaging until the mid-2000s. However, purple and its many iterations have been major stars of Urban Decay's shade lineup from the very beginning and continue to be so today.
7 Urban Decay Doesn't Test on Animals
Though not all of the products are vegan (but many are!), every item in Urban Decay's collection is cruelty-free. The company even ensures that the suppliers of the makeup's raw materials certify that their ingredients aren't tested on animals.
8 L'Oréal Bought the Brand in 2012
While many fans feared that L'Oréal purchasing the brand would affect Urban Decay's stance on animal testing, the company swore that it would maintain its ethics. The only changes we've seen come from this buyout are that the packaging has evolved (no complaints there) and that Urban Decay releases more products more frequently (yay)!
9 Wende Declares the Urban Decay Girl Is "Feminine, Dangerous, and Fun"
The brand's slogan is "beauty with an edge," and its newest celebrity collaborator Ruby Rose is the epitome of that statement.
10 Urban Decay Has a Product Name Library
Shade names are categorized by "drug names," "sex names," and more. Some suggested titles have been so raunchy that they haven't made it into the library!
11 The Company Has a Flagship Location
While you can find the brand at many retailers, including Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy's, and Ulta, Urban Decay also has its own store in Newport Beach, CA. There, you can play with products to your heart's content!
12 Professional Makeup Artists Get a Major Discount
When you're starting out as a professional makeup artist, it can get costly to build out your kit. That's why Urban Decay offers a membership program to artists. There's no annual fee, and those who sign up get 40 percent off products and access to exclusive deals. This knowledge alone makes us want to switch careers!
13 Urban Decay Is a Social Media Powerhouse
L2, a company that assesses the digital prowess of brands, named Urban Decay as the top cosmetics company in this realm in 2015. According to L2, the beauty brand is "genius" at achieving digital success, with an excellent mobile shopping experience and a hugely popular social media following.
14 The Original Naked Palette Is One of the Brand's Bestselling Products
The cult product sold out almost instantly when it first launched in 2010, and its success spawned an entire Urban Decay Naked series that would include three more blockbuster palettes, two mini matte shadow compacts, bronzers, foundations, and more. Though it came out more than five years ago, it is still a difficult item to keep on beauty shelves. One of the bestselling palettes is purchased every few seconds around the world.
15 Fans Can't Get Enough of Gash
In lipstick form, Urban Decay's Gash shade was one of Gwen Stefani's go-to reds back in the day. The lip and nail formulas of this hue were briefly resurrected after fans clamored for its revival. Junkies can also access the color in eye shadow form in the brand's UD XX Vice Ltd Reloaded Palette ($56).
16 Wende Lists Perversion Mascara Among Her Favorite Products
In addition to loving the lash-lengthing Perversion Mascara, she also can't live without the brand's Moondust shadow in Zodiac, 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Deep End, Revolution Lipstick in Jilted (and its matching lip liner), Naked Skin Concealer, and cult favorite Eyeshadow Primer Potion.
