Wende Zomnir Urban Decay Profile
The 1 Piece of Makeup Every Mother Should Wear
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Founding Mothers is a new column meant to inspire both women and men. Each woman profiled created her own company from the ground up, from color cosmetics to revolutionary skin care. We hope that by highlighting some of these cosmetic all-stars, we can leave the question, "So, you're a mom. How do you balance family and career?" behind. Because the truth is, many women work and manage a family — and have for centuries.
Say the word "naked" to a makeup aficionado and they know, instantly, you're referring to Urban Decay's bestselling eye shadow palettes. This marquee product is the envy of other cosmetics companies and a cut above the rest simply because it's a palette in which you "hit pan" with every shadow. (For makeup rookies, that's when you use the product completely — you see the pan at the bottom.)
Urban Decay's main initiative is breaking beauty rules, and the brand thrives off blush-inducing product names (hello, 69, Bordello, and Perversion) and revolutionary formulas. In addition, Gwen Stefani recently fronted the label's UltraViolet Edge movement, further establishing the brand's status in the limelight.
Wende, an avid surfer and tall drink of water (if I do say so myself), shared what she's learned over her years of product development, how being a mom has affected her work ethic, and what having a family adds to her business.
Wende Zomnir, cofounding partner of Urban Decay Cosmetics
POPSUGAR: For those who don't know, describe your career in two sentences or less.
Wende Zomnir: I'm the founding partner of Urban Decay Cosmetics. I do all the product development and creative visions for the brand with an amazing team of people!
PS: What do people think you do?
WZ: I don't know what people think I do, but I do a lot. I get a lot of, "Oh, so you're still involved with the product?" I don't think they envision that I get into the nitty-gritty. But in terms of things that matter a lot to me and are essential to Urban Decay, I'm still superinvolved. I just tested two new mascaras today!
Wende at the Urban Decay storefront in Orange County, CA
PS: Urban Decay was started in 1996. At what moment did you realize, "OK, THIS is going to be good."
WZ: It's so interesting because I really felt like when we started it was going to be this little project, and then I'd move on to something like, be a journalist, teach some scuba diving. About a couple years into it, I thought, "This could really be something." It was after we launched Midnight Cowboy eye shadow — in 1997 — a wearable shimmer eye shadow. Back then, it was a really different concept. A champagne color with a little sparkle.
Wende paddleboarding with her sons in Fiji
PS: You're a mom. What lesson from motherhood have you brought into your work ethic? On the flip side, what part of your work has helped you better yourself as a mother?
WZ: As a mother, a willingness to be more understanding — a softness. Maximizing strengths vs. "everyone needs to be like me." You have to help them find what that is and bring it out. Developing people and helping them stay is important to me. We had people with us in the early days and they left, and now many of them are back. Some have left to become mothers, and then they have come back.
Conversely, I've met these amazing, strong women who work for us, and those are the type of women I want my boys to be attracted to. That's [a lesson] I've learned from work that I bring back to raising my children. I try to expose them to my workplace as much as possible. They fetch coffee for people, run errands, and walk dogs. We put them to work.
Product displayed at the Urban Decay store in Orange County, CA
PS: Urban Decay is known for its sensuous, cheeky, and sometimes naughty product names.
WZ: I think you have to put it in perspective. You don't need to be overtly sexual, but you can still have that spice in your life. That's why people like Urban Decay. They can't wear a shirt down to their navel, but they can still wear "Bootycall" on their eyes. As much as people may think, "Oh, those girls are crazy," we're superstraight moms! We don't really go out that much.
Wende with her sons on Halloween
PS: UD has taken a stand and does not test on animals — you essentially put your proverbial foot down. What's one thing you've had to take a strict stand on in your own life to better yourself?
WZ: I have a yoga teacher who says you should be more grateful for your health, because with health you can do anything. So I try to squeeze in working out and taking care of myself, even if it means one less hour with the kids. I don't want to be a burden on my kids.
Wende playing with color at work
PS: Of course we have to pick your brain for some beauty tricks and recommendations. What do you want to share with moms?
WZ: My favorite tip for women is . . . it's a preparation tip, it's a "Mom thing" to think about. If you want to try a new look, go to town with your makeup right before you go to bed. It's your way to experiment before you wash it all off. It allows you to find your look and be prepared and know you have the skills to flick that liner or smudge up your look just the right way. Experiment and have fun and wash it off and go to bed, so when you're ready to go to a party, you're ready to go.
Every single day, I line the upper inside lid of my lash line. I don't care what look I'm wearing, I always line that upper inner waterline. It makes your lashes look better, it makes your eyes pop, and nobody knows why. Nobody could tell you why your eyes are standing out more.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer
PS: Favorite product right now?
WZ: My best friend as a mom is the new Naked Skin Concealer ($28). When you're on the go, you can make yourself look great in under five minutes. It's an amazing product that is lightweight, seems invisible, and provides great coverage. It's hydrating and doesn't get into your fine lines. I've used it with moisturizer as allover coverage. You can be a hot mom!
