Urban Decay

Wende Zomnir and Sandy Lerner founded Urban Decay in 1996 as a direct rebellion against the beauty industrys obsession with pink and beige. Sandy, who had co-founded Cisco Systems, brought business acumen while Wende brought creative vision. Their first collection featured bold, unconventional colours with names like Roach, Rust, and Oil Slick. The beauty industry initially dismissed them, but consumers embraced the brands edgy aesthetic. The Naked palette, launched in 2010, became the best-selling eyeshadow palette of all time, proving that Urban Decay could do neutrals just as well as bold colours.

Urban Decay has been cruelty-free since day one and was one of the first prestige brands to earn PETA certification. The brands product development team in Newport Beach, California, draws inspiration from street culture, music, and art. Their All Nighter Setting Spray was originally developed for professional use on film sets, where makeup needed to last through 16-hour shooting days. When consumers discovered it, demand exploded. The brand was acquired by L Oreal in 2012 but maintains its independent creative identity.