Esther Ng

The Beauty Blog | Edgy cosmetics brand Urban Decay back in Hong Kong

Urban Decay is best known for brazen names, a massive shade range, innovative, long-lasting products and animal-friendly vegan makeup

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Esther Ng

Published: 4:00pm, 17 Jul 2015Updated: 12:31pm, 3 Sep 2015

A cult favourite among beauty junkies and make-up artists, Urban Decay (or UD for short) has been shaking up the industry for almost 20 years. A brand that's big on experimentation and self-expression, it was started by founders Sandy Lerner and Wende Zomnir when the beauty market back then couldn’t satisfy their alternative make-up tastes for shades such as purple or green nail polish. So the duo decided to create their own range out of Zomnir’s Laguna Beach bungalow in California. Launched in January of 1996 with a line of 10 lipsticks and 12 nail enamels, and names such as ROACH, SMOG, RUST, OIL SLICK and ACID RAIN - inspired by seedier facets of the urban landscape - they never looked back.

Celebrity fans of UD include Britney Spears and Kate Middleton, both of whom love the famed NAKED palettes (HK$500), while Gwen Stefani swears by the brand’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion (HK$200 - 230). Stefani also recently joined forces with UD to launch The Ultraviolet Edge (available only in the United States), a global initiative created by Zomnir that aims to donate funds to organisations that help empower women and encourage women to embrace their individuality in everything they do.

Ultimately, the goal over the next five years is to raise US$3 million for charities devoted to making the world a better place for women. To start, UD launched a limited-edition version of Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Enigma, which is a new neutral matte formula, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going towards Women’s Global Empowerment Fund, providing micro loans, literacy programmes, and business and leadership training to women in post-war Uganda. Proceeds from just three tubes can fund a life-changing micro loan for one woman and the shadow primer is the first in a series of products that will benefit The Ultraviolet Edge.