These Urban Decay Products Will Majorly Up Your Beauty Game

Back in the mid-'90s, the prestige makeup world wasn’t as abundant as it is today. “There was no Sephora or Ulta—just department stores selling color stories that were basically pink, red, or beige,” recalls Wende Zomnir, Founding Partner of Urban Decay. “I craved high-quality color cosmetics, but they were hard to find. You could source fun shades at the drugstore, but back then, the quality wasn’t good and the payoff was chalky, streaky, and basically terrible for brighter colors. Makeup brands also tended to be ultra-feminine, and I thought makeup should be for everyone.”

Zomnir also wasn’t a fan of the fact that the beauty industry preyed upon people’s insecurities and failed to show diversity in their aspirational marketing. “So, I was very interested in creating a brand that would champion self-expression and embrace the power of transformation for both men and women,” she says.

Then one day, Sandy Lerner (founder of Cisco Systems) had the idea to start a makeup company. Zomnir met her through David Soward and together, Lerner and Zomnir brainstormed a takeover of the beauty business. “I mean, the woman had basically invented the internet, so her point of view was, ‘how hard could makeup be?’” Zomnir says. “Back in the mid-'90s, there wasn’t an indie beauty brand culture. I had loved makeup since I was 13 and got sent home for wearing too much of it, but never would I have thought that I could try to break into an industry dominated by big corporations. Sandy made me realize that we could. I inspired her by suggesting we put our nail polish in gender-neutral medicine bottles, and UD was born!”

Urban Decay has been shattering industry norms ever since, and is now a mainstay at Sephora, Ulta, and more for everyday solutions and bold makeup looks alike. Keep reading for Zomnir's thoughts on what makes the brand's best-sellers standouts in the beauty space.