Urban decay went from the punk rocker sister to getting a 9 to 5 job in a bank like her older sisters while claiming she's still a rebel. They should bring back those edgy products, that's a niche in the mainstream market that's now unoccupied. Currently, if you want something different, you can't find it at a regular makeup store like sephora. They should reformulate their regular mattes and metallics, and maybe try to use more their moondust formula. I don't think they've had a moondust in a palette outside of the one palette they did full of moondust shades. Bring back the blues and purples in lip colors, maybe some fun highlighters and blushes, maybe get into the euphoria vibe with rhinestones and glitters? Bright liquid eyeliners to compliment their pencils. They're missing from the mainstream market, it's just that they remove their l'oreal naked blinders and reach out! Why they're trying to be emily in paris instead of euphoria is beyond me.
I agree. Also I don't know why they keep coming out with palettes they refer to as "naked" There is nothing "naked" about bright colors. The last palette I bought from them was the violet and it was just ok, but I've used more pigmented palettes before and would not repurchase. Heck, I found a super to their cherry palette for 10$ so I bought it. It almost seems to me that the quality of urban decay shadows has gone downhill, and I find that brands like colourpop release just as pigmented palettes for a fraction of the price
I subsisted on instant noodles and canned sardines for months just to buy the OG lipsticks for they cost a pretty penny. Their tagline 'Does pink make you puke?' caught a lot of people's attention. It and Hard Candy were big on the rave scene with their unconventional colors. How they went from booming to boring was disappointing.
I remember the original vibe of Urban Decay. Edgy and cool. It's definitely not that now. But like you, I still have a love for them. You're nails looked incredible in this video. Like... mesmerizing. The color and shape. Total nail envy.
When I hear a loved brand is acquired by L'Oreal, my heart sinks. I get L'Oreal buying out "mass appealing" companies, but I have never understood why they would purchase brands like Urban Decay and Mugler. They do not fit the L'Oreal aesthetic and end up gutting them to make them more generic and profitable. I'm currently collecting discontinued Mugler fragrances (because their new releases are awful) and haven't purchased anything from Urban Decay in years.
I totally agree that Urban Decays eyeshadow formula is outdated. I got the ultraviolet palette thinking it would be fun to play with, but it just wasn't what I was hoping for. I passed it to my older sister, and she loves it. Her makeup style is a lot more subtle than mine.
Here in northern europe Urban decay has withdrawn from the market. Suddenly, there was a huge sale at the end of december in every store that sold Urban decay. And now it's totally gone, I heard it's the case with whole northern europe. I would be curious to know what happened. They were quite popular in here.
@@lemin01 I'm from Finland and I've discussed with shop assistants in various stores, they told me Urban decay is leaving the markets in here. Almost all of the stores I've visited have had final sales and Urban decay stands are empty.
I actually cracked open my OLD Naked palette the other day, I wanted a dark blue grey, and nothing was going to work, except Gunmetal, lol! The beauty of that palette was that it had different hues- blue/grey; purple/taupe; gold/olive; and the proper blending and highlighting shades. And, at the time, they were all PERMANENT- if I ran out of Sidecar, I could go buy a single of Sidecar (and I did!). The palette shades were the same weight and formula as the singles, and the palette was such a savings, compared to buying the singles in a collection. I would RUN to the store or website, if they ever re-release it!
I would also buy it if they re-released it... I never owned it and have always regretted. I never thought they would discontinue it so I bought other things but it was alway on my list and then there was the reloaded and I was like "sh*t, what happened here?". Back then I just did non want to spend that much money (I still used regular drugstore make up and MAC, which was expensive enough so there was no budget left...) But now I have the large ND palettes and I just lough at my younger self ;-)
Something interesting to note about Urban Decay - they have recently shuttered their online website for France and are completely pulling out of the market (it will no longer be sold at Sephora etc.) Obviously the brand is really struggling
They're pulling out of the market in Finland also. We don't have Sephora here, but in the stores you could buy UD a while ago, they're gone already or the UD counter is almost empty.
I remember their single “Midnight Cowboy.” They couldn’t keep it in stock at Sephora. I recently had to declutter my original Naked palette because it was so old, but I really miss it
I was in college in the late 80s early 90s. The aesthetic was very much neutral or blue eyeshadow and poop brown or raisin colored lipstick. Pink and red lips were considered uncool by the time the 90s rolled around. I was absolutely a grunge girl. Way too much eyeliner and lipgloss and that was it. I remember when urban decay and hard candy launched and I loved it. I started with the weird nail polish colors and then by the early 2000s was starting to make palettes. I still have the first palette urban decay ever made. It was what inspired me to start using eyeshadow. It was in a purple velvet case with a kind of foil “chain mail” type look in the center and was all shimmers and super bright. I immediately fell in love with the pretty sparkles. I still have it because I’ve never been able to find a dupe for the bright green or the hot bright pinky/purple that was in there. The only mattes to deepen a look or put in the crease was not a consideration for us. We didn’t care. We put shimmers wherever the hell we felt like it. I still do to be honest. I think the lack of matte crease/deepening shades in the palettes that everyone complains about now is a reflection of the time that urban decay comes from. Most of us early urban decay uses were not trying to look prettier. We were having fun painting our faces with bright colors and expressing ourselves artistically. We didn’t care about or follow makeup application “rules” like only mattes in the crease or to deepen a look. Urban decay definitely was not corporate office worker or beauty pageant makeup to maximize your features or make you look pretty and it wasn’t meant to be In this way I think they did stay true to their original vision. I think that the brand like many of us ahem women of a certain age have slowed down and toned things down a bit as we have gotten older and I think they have absolutely lost their edge. I know mine is definitely more round than sharp at this point. 😂
I was a grunge girl too, I'm 51 so we're probably around the same age. I don't remember things being so bland though, I had blue and dark green nail polish in the early 90s and almost got sent home for wearing it to work, I wore brick red lipstick and eyeliner while my friends were wearing blue and black lipstick well before UD was founded and bright colored eyeshadow on nights we went branched out and went to alternative night clubs, it's just that it wasn't mainstream and all the popular brands images adhered to the "Niki Taylor" style of pure white girl advertising. I credit UD for not marketing the same way, but I don't think they did anything major for color accept help it become more acceptable. In fact their first smash hit was the naked palette, a brown palette, neutral, THAT was something new and they had the attitude that we didn't have to be prom-queen princess.
y'all i'm a grunge boy, i'm 18 eheh i totally live by just not using makeup rules and i just wear what's pretty i'm mostly inspired by flogger/emo/scene makeup and with the rise of e-girls i'm dead i lOVE it! i actually don't buy big makeup brands -they expensivvve- cuz they don't have the colors i want, like maybe they have a green in one and a purple in other, but it's not worth it to boy 7 palettes for 1 color you're not even happy about. so i buy the best quality from cheap brands because they do have them neon greens, pinks, light blues, purples and bright reds that i want best part: i can wear it to school! i don't think i could wear it to work when i have one, but still makeup here is big between teens and alt fashion because it tends to be bright and big. i'm not saying there isn't people who wear natural makeup, but alt fashion is taking over now
Chiming in to say I have that palette 🧐 I'm trying to figure out of I can pop out the cardboard filling and put in other shades ones it's done with. It'd be a shame to throw away
Lol i still am true to myself in my 40s and wear colourful things/clothes and im delighted the 2000s is in fashion again as i still have my 2000s handbags which i can rock again and maybe shouldnt but crack open my book of shadows eye palette today
I think Urban Decay has been out of the loop for a while. I think the last time I was excited for one of their launches was for the Born To Run palette that I still like today. But nothing else has caught my eye in years. I hope they do come back and surprise us all.
When Urban Decay launched as that cool grunge company with its anti-Bobbi Brown aesthetic, you didn’t have to be part of that scene to enjoy its take on makeup. The brand felt and looked different from its color stories to promotional materials. Now smaller indie brands occupy the space once held by UD for edgy makeup lovers; I don’t see them wanting to reclaim it, if they even could.
urban decay was the first "high end" brand i ever bought. i got their eyeshadow primer and it opened the door to everything else, because i wanted to find eyeshadows that were worth the use of this expensive eye primer. i couldn't afford them very often but there's still a lot of nostalgia attached to the brand for me
If Urban Decay would bring back the Naked one and the Naked two, i'd buy them! I miss them so much.... no orange, no pinks, no glitters or extreme bright colours.... just good and solid eyeshadowoalettes for real people.... In the city i live here in Germany, i've NEVER seen peoples with orange, red or yellow eyelooks... but a lot of brown and other minimalistic neutral looks...
@@hannahjane8275 nice for you... but not for people like me, they can't wear this type of colours.... they do'nt fit me and i personally did'nt like them.... For me, most realeases are warm orangetoned, gold, or extreme bright colours. It is fine, if it is work for you and others... but peoples like me, becomes nothing that's intetesting... And i did'nt buy palattes with warm and cool tones.... i did'nt reach for them... How i say... i did'nt see this bright and glittery eyelooks in the streets, or at the busstations, or in stores, etc....
I’m a DYT type 4 AND a clear, bright winter in my coloring. I have a tough time with most contemporary eyeshadows and palettes are particularly difficult. There is way too much orange and gold in most new makeup. Even when I happen upon a quality mini palette of black, grey, and silver, it skews warm so the grey is an orangey taupe and the silver is a dirty pewter. Very annoying. I like a true neutral or cool neutral base eye sometimes with a pop of a bright or neon.
@@cool_toned_woman i wish i had recommendations, but i’m not all familiar with which brands are easy to purchase in germany. it has been awhile since i’ve been there, and i’ve always been in the city when i go. i once had a cooler toned palette that didn’t suit me from zoeva, but i wasn’t a fan of the shades on me nor the formula in general, so i haven’t had a look at their offerings in a long time.
As a 90s chick, I used UD all the time. It got me away from trying to find something fun at the Chanel counter -- LOL! All time favorite color from UD: Gash.
You didn't mention the Book of Shadows palettes!!! That is how I originally heard of UD. Those colors and ideas more were definitely more true to their origins. They had a full size primer potion, and 2 eyeliners. I ended up with both Alice palettes, and Book of Shadows 2, 3, and 4. Their original shadow formula was actually really good. I still have those books, and the formula is so nice. If they still had those formulas, they would be more competitive.
Right?! I feel like a lot of the beauty community these days is almost too young to remember the Book of Shadows and the Vice palettes - both of which were much more UD-feeling than anything they've done lately. I depotted my Book of Shadows 3 and still have some of the shades, just to look at; they're so bright and pigmented and beautiful! Live on, Psychedelic Sister!
@@beckyhegland7902 I have been around for 11 years and the Book of Shadows were such hits - but i couldnt get my hands on them in germany. so i was always begging the universe that ud would come to germany and when it came it became pretty basic
Yes i also agree by this comment. She makes out the naked palette was their original palette. But in the 2000s everyone had their Book of shadows. Primer potion, all nighter setting spray and remember the cocoa and mashmellow scented body glitter dust powders? I had the alice in wonderland book of shadows. They were also before their time with a vegan cruelty free eyeshadow palette in the 2000s
I comment occasionally but watch every video and I’m obsessed with your calmness and approach to discussing your deep dives in the beauty industries!!! Keep them coming, I’m learning so much!
It’s too bad they don’t do blush anymore. They used to have absolutely great single blushes. They even had colors that were fairly hard to find at the time in Quiver (a very bright red ) and Bittersweet (a purple). I loved those both so much.
I know. They had a bright purple blush, yes straight up purple and I was reluctant to purchase but I did and with the lightest hand, it is stunning on the cheeks.
Can you do one for bare minerals/bare escentuals. Shiseido recently sold them to private equity. They have a messy history because of going public, then delisted and bought.
Good morning Kelly! I agree, UD has had a few “what is this?” kind of launches. They’ll always have a special place in my heart however, because my first ever high end eyeshadow palette that my brother gave me for Christmas. I was in my junior or senior year in hs & I wore every color until it was gone! I wish I’d kept it for memories (since it’s been long discontinued) but I won’t ever forget it so it’s okay🤗
Early UD was popular when I was in high school (98’ to 02’). The movie Jawbreaker from 1999 one of the characters is talking about her dark nail polish and they gave her the line “I used to love pink, but now pink makes me puke”. I think the color of her nail polish in the movie was even called Decay as a nod to the brand. I remember my best friend and I going to the mall after and trying to find a nail polish similar to the one in the movie. We wound up getting one of the darker UD shades. I see people mentioning Hard Candy which is another memory bc in junior high when Alicia Silverstone blew up from Clueless she wore Hard Candy Sky on a talk show and like every girl I knew had to get it so of course we got in on that too. So it was the second time a teen movie drove us to a nail polish. It’s interesting to think back about how much movie stars influenced us in the 90s. We would buy anything we could be be like these actresses or their characters. Today kids look up to RUclipsrs instead. Not saying it’s bad that they look to YTers for fashion inspiration it’s just times have changed.
I loved reading this. There are really specific things I didn't know and wouldn't have known about despite being a 95er! Thank you for the trip back and lesson! 🥰🤗
I have the original UD Ammo palette from 2007/2008 and I love it so much. It looks dupe-able but every time I swatch it with other palettes that look similar, the colors and textures really stand alone. I don’t use it on my eyes anymore because of its age but I love it.
I'm in my early 40s so I remember when they came out. It was a big deal when I bought myself an UD nail polish-they were $9, & back in the 90s, $9 was a lot for a young teen to pay for a nail polish. I adored it, they came in the cutest bottles. Also, back then finding a whole brand of higher quality 'edgy' makeup was such a novelty. Then as an adult, my first 'good' palette was Vice 2, & I still have my Electric palette.
This series is so interesting! I actually never owned anything from Urban Decay except for a sample of the all nighter spray. I do remember the naked palette though and going to Sephora and getting the Sephora brand knock off of it as one of my first palettes because there was no way I was spending Urban Decay money at that point in my life.
I bought my first Urban Decay (and Hard a candy, oddly enough) in 1996, and while I can’t remember the name of the silver lipstick and lipliner, the pewter-colored nail polish was called Uzi and almost got me fired from an office job when I didn’t have time to take it off on a Friday morning before work after I’d gone out for the night the previous Thursday. They were the most cutting edge brand I’d ever heard of for years, very urban.
Love these looks back, I remember that was the Kurt Cobain grunge era. You’re right- they’ve lost their vision- chasing the market instead of setting the trends. They kill great products then relaunch meh stuff in their place. Smash box & bareMinerals in future? I love my Naked Basics 2. That is a cool neutral minimalist dream palette but it’s an add on to cool other warm palettes, or give a gradient of cool taupe neutrals.
The naked palette did so well because it was one of the first not because it was the best. The quality of affordable make up has increased drastically. Also the Lorac palettes were also very popular at the time as well
I've never tried a naked palette from them, but the two palettes I have (Stoned Vibes and Born To Run) I like quite a lot. I think those two also maybe are closer to the spirit of the brands original vision.
I have an idea for a video for you: retrace the evolution of brands and trendy techniques of the last 10 years and the trends that we have seen on youtube - at the beginning only some big names like mac and makeup for ever - the stars of youtube 2014 like the chocolate bar or the naked - brand launches and when they are popular (kvd, abh, huda, fenty, glossier, sephora collection, beauty bay...) - the big trendy techniques (freckles, insta brows, soap brows, arrival of the highlighter, the beginning of the beauty blender,...) - and the great palette releases that have marked: modern renaissance, sweet peach, ...
I think, something to remember when we talk about the demise of these brands because they’ve gone stale to us, is that these brands have shifted their focus to China and that market that has opened up to them now. The beauty trends there are very different than what we have here.
i live in France and urban decay was sold at sephora for at least 10 years and the brand has just announced their closure to the french territory and in a short time they will no longer be sold at sephora either
Yesssss, bring it! I’ve always been more interested in UD since I got into the makeup game a little late (my first HE palette was Naked Heat when it released!) and it feels like by the time I got there they were already hit or miss 😅
OMG. You are so right!! This was my go-to brand for everything for so long!! Over the last few years tho, there has been a dramatic difference and I thought it was just me getting older and aging out of their brand. I feel a little more validated now, so thanks!! (I will always love Native tho. Always!!)
I used to be intensely into makeup, not so much in the last 5 years, so when it was discontinued in 2018 that went completely under my radar. I definitely would have purchased another palette. I like these breakdowns - well researched and presented! This is how I remember it, as well.
Urban Decay holds a special place for me because the Electric palette was THE palette that got me into makeup. At the time, there was nothing like that on the market. I bought it for half-off at Sephora when it was being phased out and I still have it and love it. I also have two of their 24/7 eyeliners and they're so incredible. But yes, I wish they were still as edgy and interesting as they used to be. And now that so many more brands are on the market I just feel like they're struggling to keep up. But I'm rooting for them too!
I remember UD from the 90s. Literally took up a single shelf with their products & looked like Halloween Makeup. Black lipstick, acidic neon green nail polish & lots of silver glitter in graffitti & grunge inspired packaging. I remember thinking their brand name was kind of interesting & thought they were targeting the Neo Punk/Skate fashion that was emerging around comic book/scifi pop culture at the time. I found it very amusing when several years later they were known for Naked makeup :D Neutral/natural sells. It might be boring, but it's reliable & always appropriate. I got the impression UD shadow's formula was designed for people who usually only wear one shadow looks, 2 at most & don't want anything too bright, too dark, too shiny, etc. & is easy to apply with the brush that is included with the palette.
As a huge consumer of makeup and skincare (just ask my husband 🙈) you are nailing this series! Brands should be snapping you up as a re- brander - seriously- you are amazing and hitting every salient point. Your knowledge and foresight is phenomenal! Can’t wait for more! 😍 Xo 🇨🇦
I looove a lot of UD's stuff... Their foundations and concealers have been my go to for years and I also enjoy their mascaras, eyeliner and some other things. I have the Moondust palette and Born to Run and while I don't hate them they are definitely not my favorite palettes. Now I have enough palettes for years to come and won't buy anything new from any brand for a while. I'll continue buying my go-tos which I also think many others do and why the brand can keep going like they have been. Some more basics like blush and bronzer would be great indeed!
I feel like also when they first launched the naked palette, there weren't really big palettes around? Only Singles, Duos, Trios and Quads Maximum. So having a big as palette with quality Shades that can Last very long time was also pretty innovative.
I loved their single eyeshadows and had loads of them-all my babysitting money went on them! The light purple sparkly shadow ( Asphyxia, I think!) was gorgeous, Uzi with a light silver base and holographic glitter, this gorgeous slightly iridescent bright grass green, Midnight Cowboy… Their liquid eyeliners were divine too, beautiful colours and really long-lasting/truly waterproof- I had a sparkly browny/antique gold shade that was just perfect! I may have cried when I found out it was discontinued!
I love this series, so well researched & interesting! Brings back so many memories, such nostalgia. Personally I miss the original urban decay, hard candy type brands that have become so toned down and boring now…where’s the excitement, the unusual, the thrill?!😅
I was a teenager ten years ago and never invested in a product but happened to come across this video. I was always confused why it was called urban decay when their products didn’t reflect that (in 2014) so learning how anti-makeup their original products were was really fun!
My first ever high end makeup purchase was from Urban Decay back in 2009. My Aunt gave me a $25 gift card to Sephora for Christmas that year. I had never heard of Sephora but one had just recently opened in our local mall and Urban Decay immediately caught my eye with their unique grungy/punk style. It was like nothing I had ever seen at the time and I instantly gravitated to their display. I ended up purchasing the original Ammo palette (came with a free full size eye primer) and it was the only eyeshadow palette I used for years until I graduated college and could afford more makeup. I still have that palette today and even though I haven't worn it in almost a decade at this point, I can't get rid of it.
Oh my goodness. I remember when UD first came out- it was so different and cool. I have had such brand loyalty since then. But it seems like when companies are bought out, their original intent (what makes the brand the brand) is just lost. I mean- there is so much talk about the same-ish similar colors that are the backbone of makeup that sells. I just feel like when small companies are bought out, they are then changed into less of a competition for other lines the company is producing. Its unfortunate, but such is the way corporate america goes. I will always have a fondness for UD, but I am turning towards them less and less. I feel the same way about so many companies now. So many of them have been turned into something that doesn't resemble the company when it first started.
i remember going to sephora for the first time when i was in 7th grade (2014). i took a picture of myself with the three naked palettes and posted it on facebook 😭
Just came across this video and I completely agree with you. I used to love UD. My first palette was the tiny one that came in a little bamboo case that rotated open; I'd never seen anything so sparkly! I still love their matte lipsticks and their eyeliners but I found the small Naked palettes had almost no pigment so I stopped buying eyeshadow from them. The last straw was when I went into their London store a few years ago to buy eyeliner and, because I'm in my fifties and not exactly glamorous, the assistants laughed at me. I spend my money elsewhere now.
I was teen in the 80s and in my 20s during the 90s and I don't remember UD being the only game for color, they certainly were the first to have a different marketing strategy but they were NOT inventing color. They just made it more acceptable and mainstream.
i remember getting into the makeup world at the hype of the naked and chocolate bar eyeshadow palettes and being absoultey obsessed with both urban decay and too faced. i loved how dark and edgy urban decay was and how pink and cutesy too faced was now they both are pretty neutral brands. i think the last naked palette i bought was their ultraviolet. i guess the wild west could be the closest thing they have to their older style. i love this series
Someone recommended this video in a comment. I love this concept! I was an angsty preteen when Urban Decay launched, so it was a perfect fit. I remember wanting certain products but my mom wouldn't let me because the product names were too macabre 😋
I used to be completely obsessed with urban decay!!!!! Over the last year???? I've totally gone OFF them!!!! It's like???? There disinterested and have lost their passion for make up!!!! Excellent job!!!! Love 💗 from the UK sweetheart!!!! 💗🍭🌹💯💐🤞
UD even though they’re nothing like they once were always hold a special place in my heart. I remember the 1st singles I ever bought was called stray dog and roach. I have hope they’ll turn around and start going back to more edgy makeup.
The Kristen Leanne palette is still one of my absolute fave the color story was fun but wearable. I wish they would’ve continued to add some edge such as the KL palette.
Surprised you were not a big fan of UD! I fell in love immediately when they came out and have purchased each and every one of them at least twice.Gifted as well to other fans of the line.Also a fan of their lipsticks and eyeshadow primer.The shadows will NEVER go out of style! They are all classics!
I used to pine after Urban Decay as a brand, and I still watch for their releases. I just wish they would put out something interesting. I would LOVE a fall collection of lipsticks with some greys, browns and a true black. And palettes that have dark mattes and an improved formula. And a peach-pink duochrome highlighter. Their brand could release so much fun makeup, yet they keep playing it safe with Naked palettes.
Really enjoyed this! My first high end palette was also the Naked 2! My dad took me to the first Sephora to open in our city in 2012 and bought it for me as a gift for getting through my first year of college lol. I definitely hit a few pans on that one. Can’t believe it’s 10 years old now! 😅
In my teens and early twenties, I LOVED UD because they had great colorful eyeshadow palettes! It's what made them stand out from the other brands. I loved their Vice series and they had an Electric eyeshadow palette that I adored too. I eventually stopped using UD because the eyeshadow formulas were not nearly as good as their competitors, as you said. Ugh I hope they make a comeback though!
I miight buy one or two of the new lipsticks eventually someday, but it'd be a severe struggle not to buy that entire first launch in one go if it was still available. UV-B, wow! Frostbite and Oilslick..It's so hard being a periwinkle girl when blue lipstick always has to be navy or teal these days.
Agreed! I loved Urban Decay in highschool, I'm pretty sure 99% of my makeup routine was their products. I still use one of their blushes from 6 years ago b/c I love it. I really wish they'd go back to their roots and get more creative w the palettes. I'd love a rerelease or new jewel-toned palette personally. Plus they have great glitter products that are super fun for Halloween or when you're just feeling extra. I wish they'd lean into that a bit more.
I love love love the naked honey- for my skin tone it’s THE neutral palette. I remember I first fell in love with urban decay because they had pigmented eyeshadows that flattered deeper skin tones. Some of their products are still my holy grail- all nighter setting spray, eyeshadow primer, smog eyeshadow, zero eyeliner. But you’re right- they are no longer the only game in town and they have hyped their Naked line TO DEATH. Those of us that have favs still purchase, but I haven’t fallen in love with anything since the Naked Honey came out.
I used to love urban decay eyeshadows even before the naked palette, which I wore and loved so much! You’re right, eyeshadow formula has come such a long way, I got rid of all of their other products, except the eyeliners, they still have one of my favorite formulas so I do repurchase those.
Commenting again after having watched the whole video. I was around in what I would consider their heyday in the early-mid 2000s. Being an “alternative” teen I was definitely their target demographic at the time. Back then they struck a balance between goth/alternative colors and more mainstream colors - it felt like there was something for everybody. That’s where I’d like to see them head again. My dream product from UD would be a re-imagining of their Face Cases, which were palettes that had a quad of eyeshadows, and then a mix of lipsticks, Lip Gunks, blushes, and highlighters (sometimes a cream glitter). If they made a new face palette in the style of Natasha Denona with the creams and glosses protected by plastic panels in the right color scheme, I would be all over it.
I have a soft spot for UD and I still enjoy their eyeshadow formula. Personally I like the subtle shimmers. My first palette from them was the ammo palette and I had so many pans before I had to toss it. One thing that bothers me is that they do t have a full line.
Was shocked to realize going through my own collection that the ONLY thing I own from UD are the moon dust shadows. They just do not put out products that excite me, which is sad because palettes like Ammo are my all time faves
I agree I have the number 3 and Naked 2 Basics and after that I just stopped buying except the one you mentioned the honey does look like something I might purchase but the rest of them I can't see spending money on something where I probably would use less than half of the colors
As a teenager with no money, I would go to the UD counter and just admire all the products. Mainly because they were so different than other brands at the drugstore. I remember I asked for a green glittery liner (with basically no colour payoff - so patchy) and loved it because it was so different and was so excited to wear it. Then I got the bamboo palette from my friends who put money together to get me it (anyone remember this??) which had all these crazy colours and I had NO clue how to use it haha. Back in 2007 there was no beauty community so I had no guidance. But still LOVED playing around with it, found so much joy in the crazy interesting colours. None of my looks actually looked good lol. Then when I made my own money, I invested in the naked palette and it was literally the only palette I used every day for years. It just did the job of giving you a great day look and enhancing your features, instead of making makeup be the focus. Toasted is still my number one favourite eyeshadow. It just makes your eyes and complexion pop. Fast forward today, I no longer use eyeshadow and love more minimalistic looks! But still have a soft spot for UD for igniting my love of makeup back then.
I remember the original Naked launch! I was on the wait list for a month to buy it. It was my first high end palette, and it was actually reasonably priced back then. It came with a dual ended eye liner instead of a brush. This is what caused the backorder/wait list bc they couldn't make the pencils fast enough! Still my favorite palette of all time to this day! I also remember when they tried to relaunch it before they discontinued it, and I bought one, but the formula was completely different to the original. I also love Honey, but I didn't like any of the others' formulas. So strange how it differs so much from palette to palette!
I think it's probably a challenge for brands nowadays to be edgy because everything goes these days. And I feel like Melt have taken over UD's role in the beauty industry. Then again, we don't see green, blue, black lipstick from other brands, even now. I think an interesting lipstick range and a good blush formula would do UD some good. Or maybe they could take on the challenge of making good colourful mascara.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the new green palette and the mascara if you try them. I'm enjoying them both, the mascara is a drier formula and feels like a good every day mascara, but for the price, and with drugstore brands killing it with mascara formulas it feels like maybe it needs a little something more.
I owned the Book of Shadows Vol 2, 3, and 4, and then I bought the Spectrum palette. They were some of the only palettes where I could get these gorgeous grungy shades and an actually *black* eyeshadow that didn't come in a single. I was 17/18 when the Naked palette dropped and I think maybe I was being a bit petty, but I really felt betrayed at the time. This was my special brand where I could get eye shadows in a formula that worked for me in a colour that worked for me... and I felt like they'd sold out. I did try NYX and Sugarpill, but they were more expensive, at the time I could only buy singles which I didn't like using, and because I had to buy them online from the US, they had to be shipped to the UK and it was really expensive for me as a teen. My mom bought the Naked palette and to me - as an edgy goth/grunge 18yo - there was absolutely nothing in the world less cool than using the same makeup as my mom. In fact, everyone's mom used Naked. The brand lost so much credibility to me, that I put my palettes from UD in a box and didn't touch them again unless it was a special occasion, when I had used to wear makeup every single day as a form of expression. I felt like this little piece of the beauty industry that I had found that matched me when nothing else had, had somehow been taken away. Looking back, it's a needlessly dramatic reaction, but I went from being makeup obsessed to barely using it until about five years ago when my partner bought me some morphe palettes that had similar colours to what my UD palettes had contained. I realised then, the beauty industry had come a long way and that I could readily buy the colours I was drawn to. I did buy the Ultraviolet palette - I was pleasantly surprised to see UD release a palette with purples, as they had once done when I was a teenager. However, I was completely and utterly underwhelmed with the quality of the shadows. I feel UD has not really improved their formulas in about ten years, and that means they haven't kept up with other brands that have significantly better formulas. For the price you pay for a frankly quite bland palette compared to what else is on the market at the moment, I would really expect a better formulation.
I learned about Urban Decay when I was around 11-12 years old (?) and I was so stunned by how different makeup could be. I think that's how I first got exposed to the more artistic, unconventional side of makeup. When I got around into learning how to apply makeup, I knew I would go to Urban Decay. Still have many holy grails from them (especially Perversion liner), I might have to run to the store ASAP while sale still lasts. I hope they will not pull away from EU market!
Ok but finally someone mentions Revlon streetwear! With this whole Y2K comeback happening, Revlon should consider a small re-release of that line. It would bring back some excitement for them since they're a little stale right now and those nail polishes, glosses and even eye glitters were pretty great.
I listened to Sandy Lerner’s “How I built This” episode and it’s so fascinating. She went from being a tech pioneer to a makeup pioneer because her aunt wanted her to be more feminine. I also love her relationship with her ex-husband. He’s the supportive spouse I wish yo have and be.
Glad you brought up the “How I Built This” episode. I was going to comment about it too! It’s one of the episodes that really interested me having a STEM career and loving makeup.
Urban Decay didn’t come out with the concept of “Naked”. Kevyn AuCoin worked for a long defunct company called Ultima II, and he created a line for them called “The Nakeds” in the 80s.
Such an interesting topic! I wonder if they could do like a blush palette or duos that come in really wild colors like purples oranges and yellows like some indie brands have done.
I remember when they released their book of shadows - and back the you couldnt get urban decay that easily here in germany and people would pay horrendous prizes to get those - AND THE PRIMER POTION which was absolutely one of a kind back in the day
I recall the singles and how murky they were. The formula was amazing and the colors were unique. I think it would be amazing if they went back to their roots!!
Just found your channel through your brand deep dives and Kackie! Loving it already 😊 the Naked 2 pallet was my first high end eyeshadow too & my grandpa took me to ULTA to buy it ❤️🥺
Such an interesting video Kelly. I like it when you step us through the timeline of a brand. I completely agree with you about UD eyeshadow formula. I had the first 3 Naked palettes. I enjoyed them and at one point wore Naked 3 every day for over a year. When the Naked 2 was being discontinued I ordered a new one. I barely recognized the formula. I don't think it is very good. I think in the past compared to other items on the market it felt great, but now so much time has passed and other formulas have improved while this one has remained the same it just seems subpar. I more recently picked up the Ultra Violet and have put it in a declutter box to give away. That said I think your look is super pretty so I might pull it back out and give it another shot. I completely agree I would be happier if they replaced the deep shimmers with deep mattes. I still have and enjoy the Naked Cherry but that's really it for me. Thanks for the video!
Okay I still have my Naked palette, the original because I haven’t hit pan on all the colors. Yes, they say it has an expiration date but it still works for me. I remember buying it and thinking “this is sooo much money” it was worth it. 💜💙 Anyone else?
I have mine . I still use all my old shadows with no issues. Except the old Anastasia palettes like Word Traveler and before. I used to love Pink Champagne, but it doesn’t work the same anymore. It was such a beautiful shade.
I am so glad you picked urban decay! I started to question their future with all of the products they seem to be phasing out. I honestly haven't tried much of the Naked line but I am obsessed with the All Nighter line. I love the All Nighter primers, sprays, and I love using the concealer as an eyeshadow base. I think they did really well with the longevity and I thought it would be something they would keep around but it seems like the concealer is already being phased out so I stocked up. But I used those products for my wedding day and they were fabulous. I totally agree with it being bizarre about huge gaps in the line, especially products that I could see them thriving with. As sparkly and out there their eyeshadow shades used to be, I am so surprised they haven't come out with fun blush and highlighters. I would love a lilac blush or highlighter with a lilac sheen, something unique to them. Loved this episode.
I think due to your age...what you remember for Urban decay and what i remember (in my 40s) as their best selling products are different. Before the Naked pallettes they had the Book of Shadows palatte series which everyone had - they even had vegan eyeshadow palettes and movie ones like Alice in Wonderland - and these would sell out. Also you couldnt watch a youtube video without seeing their eyeshadow primer potion or all nighter setting spray - they were their best sellers. They also had these all over scented body glitter powders in smells like chocolate, mashmellow - before MAC or Too Faced did any of these things like eye shadow primers, setting sprays or scented powders etc
Urban Decay is a brand I really love! I used to collector all the Naked palettes and was a regular buyer for other things as well. Most of my makeup collection comes from UD but they surely are having some troubles because they are stopping selling products in France 🤔
I started really getting into makeup around a year or two before the original Naked launch and UD (along with Smashbox and Lorac) was one of my intros to higher end makeup in the 2000s. I still have such good memories of the Ammo and Mariposa palettes. I think the reason their collection feels incomplete is because they've scrubbed so much of their pre-Naked identity from the brand that they have no personality left.
Urban decay went from the punk rocker sister to getting a 9 to 5 job in a bank like her older sisters while claiming she's still a rebel. They should bring back those edgy products, that's a niche in the mainstream market that's now unoccupied. Currently, if you want something different, you can't find it at a regular makeup store like sephora. They should reformulate their regular mattes and metallics, and maybe try to use more their moondust formula. I don't think they've had a moondust in a palette outside of the one palette they did full of moondust shades. Bring back the blues and purples in lip colors, maybe some fun highlighters and blushes, maybe get into the euphoria vibe with rhinestones and glitters? Bright liquid eyeliners to compliment their pencils. They're missing from the mainstream market, it's just that they remove their l'oreal naked blinders and reach out!
Why they're trying to be emily in paris instead of euphoria is beyond me.
I agree. Also I don't know why they keep coming out with palettes they refer to as "naked"
There is nothing "naked" about bright colors.
The last palette I bought from them was the violet and it was just ok, but I've used more pigmented palettes before and would not repurchase.
Heck, I found a super to their cherry palette for 10$ so I bought it.
It almost seems to me that the quality of urban decay shadows has gone downhill, and I find that brands like colourpop release just as pigmented palettes for a fraction of the price
I subsisted on instant noodles and canned sardines for months just to buy the OG lipsticks for they cost a pretty penny. Their tagline 'Does pink make you puke?' caught a lot of people's attention. It and Hard Candy were big on the rave scene with their unconventional colors. How they went from booming to boring was disappointing.
I'm with you on the instant noodles 🍜. But CANNED sardines?!?!🤮🤢🤮. Whyyyy
I remember the original vibe of Urban Decay. Edgy and cool. It's definitely not that now. But like you, I still have a love for them. You're nails looked incredible in this video. Like... mesmerizing. The color and shape. Total nail envy.
Me too! Her nails are incredible!!
When I hear a loved brand is acquired by L'Oreal, my heart sinks. I get L'Oreal buying out "mass appealing" companies, but I have never understood why they would purchase brands like Urban Decay and Mugler. They do not fit the L'Oreal aesthetic and end up gutting them to make them more generic and profitable. I'm currently collecting discontinued Mugler fragrances (because their new releases are awful) and haven't purchased anything from Urban Decay in years.
I totally agree that Urban Decays eyeshadow formula is outdated. I got the ultraviolet palette thinking it would be fun to play with, but it just wasn't what I was hoping for. I passed it to my older sister, and she loves it. Her makeup style is a lot more subtle than mine.
Here in northern europe Urban decay has withdrawn from the market. Suddenly, there was a huge sale at the end of december in every store that sold Urban decay. And now it's totally gone, I heard it's the case with whole northern europe. I would be curious to know what happened. They were quite popular in here.
They are still sold in Finland and Estonia. So in Russia, so I'm confused.
@@lemin01 I'm from Finland and I've discussed with shop assistants in various stores, they told me Urban decay is leaving the markets in here. Almost all of the stores I've visited have had final sales and Urban decay stands are empty.
I'm from the netherlands and i just checked half of the ud stock is on sale
There was a sale at Sephora in Italy too. It will probably be withdrawn in a few months I guess.
They just left France and a friend told me they are no longer sold in Thaïland too... What's happening ??
I actually cracked open my OLD Naked palette the other day, I wanted a dark blue grey, and nothing was going to work, except Gunmetal, lol! The beauty of that palette was that it had different hues- blue/grey; purple/taupe; gold/olive; and the proper blending and highlighting shades. And, at the time, they were all PERMANENT- if I ran out of Sidecar, I could go buy a single of Sidecar (and I did!). The palette shades were the same weight and formula as the singles, and the palette was such a savings, compared to buying the singles in a collection. I would RUN to the store or website, if they ever re-release it!
I would also buy it if they re-released it... I never owned it and have always regretted. I never thought they would discontinue it so I bought other things but it was alway on my list and then there was the reloaded and I was like "sh*t, what happened here?". Back then I just did non want to spend that much money (I still used regular drugstore make up and MAC, which was expensive enough so there was no budget left...) But now I have the large ND palettes and I just lough at my younger self ;-)
It was perfect! Wonder why they won’t bring it back. Still have mine too ❤
Something interesting to note about Urban Decay - they have recently shuttered their online website for France and are completely pulling out of the market (it will no longer be sold at Sephora etc.) Obviously the brand is really struggling
Wow!
Oh, wow. I haven’t heard that. Their products are still full priced at Sephora - I’ll have to watch for the clearance sale.
@@PastelBrushes-n-Donuts only Sephora France :)
Same for Hong Kong!
They're pulling out of the market in Finland also. We don't have Sephora here, but in the stores you could buy UD a while ago, they're gone already or the UD counter is almost empty.
I’m really glad to see makeup content that’s not about buying new things. Really cool series :)
Hey Kelly ! A little info from France: Urban Decay France is closing. We wont find it in Sephora anymore and the french website is closing too...
The German site was also closing and had a huge sale
In the Netherlands as well. They are 60% I got mine for 22 euros .
I remember their single “Midnight Cowboy.” They couldn’t keep it in stock at Sephora. I recently had to declutter my original Naked palette because it was so old, but I really miss it
I was in college in the late 80s early 90s. The aesthetic was very much neutral or blue eyeshadow and poop brown or raisin colored lipstick. Pink and red lips were considered uncool by the time the 90s rolled around. I was absolutely a grunge girl. Way too much eyeliner and lipgloss and that was it. I remember when urban decay and hard candy launched and I loved it. I started with the weird nail polish colors and then by the early 2000s was starting to make palettes. I still have the first palette urban decay ever made. It was what inspired me to start using eyeshadow. It was in a purple velvet case with a kind of foil “chain mail” type look in the center and was all shimmers and super bright. I immediately fell in love with the pretty sparkles. I still have it because I’ve never been able to find a dupe for the bright green or the hot bright pinky/purple that was in there. The only mattes to deepen a look or put in the crease was not a consideration for us. We didn’t care. We put shimmers wherever the hell we felt like it. I still do to be honest. I think the lack of matte crease/deepening shades in the palettes that everyone complains about now is a reflection of the time that urban decay comes from. Most of us early urban decay uses were not trying to look prettier. We were having fun painting our faces with bright colors and expressing ourselves artistically. We didn’t care about or follow makeup application “rules” like only mattes in the crease or to deepen a look. Urban decay definitely was not corporate office worker or beauty pageant makeup to maximize your features or make you look pretty and it wasn’t meant to be In this way I think they did stay true to their original vision. I think that the brand like many of us ahem women of a certain age have slowed down and toned things down a bit as we have gotten older and I think they have absolutely lost their edge. I know mine is definitely more round than sharp at this point. 😂
I was a grunge girl too, I'm 51 so we're probably around the same age. I don't remember things being so bland though, I had blue and dark green nail polish in the early 90s and almost got sent home for wearing it to work, I wore brick red lipstick and eyeliner while my friends were wearing blue and black lipstick well before UD was founded and bright colored eyeshadow on nights we went branched out and went to alternative night clubs, it's just that it wasn't mainstream and all the popular brands images adhered to the "Niki Taylor" style of pure white girl advertising. I credit UD for not marketing the same way, but I don't think they did anything major for color accept help it become more acceptable. In fact their first smash hit was the naked palette, a brown palette, neutral, THAT was something new and they had the attitude that we didn't have to be prom-queen princess.
48 here. When I was watching this I kept thinking they just grew up like their consumers did. Besides how many black lipsticks does Gen X need? 😂
y'all i'm a grunge boy, i'm 18 eheh
i totally live by just not using makeup rules and i just wear what's pretty
i'm mostly inspired by flogger/emo/scene makeup and with the rise of e-girls i'm dead
i lOVE it!
i actually don't buy big makeup brands -they expensivvve- cuz they don't have the colors i want, like maybe they have a green in one and a purple in other, but it's not worth it to boy 7 palettes for 1 color you're not even happy about. so i buy the best quality from cheap brands because they do have them neon greens, pinks, light blues, purples and bright reds that i want
best part: i can wear it to school! i don't think i could wear it to work when i have one, but still
makeup here is big between teens and alt fashion because it tends to be bright and big. i'm not saying there isn't people who wear natural makeup, but alt fashion is taking over now
Chiming in to say I have that palette 🧐 I'm trying to figure out of I can pop out the cardboard filling and put in other shades ones it's done with. It'd be a shame to throw away
Lol i still am true to myself in my 40s and wear colourful things/clothes and im delighted the 2000s is in fashion again as i still have my 2000s handbags which i can rock again and maybe shouldnt but crack open my book of shadows eye palette today
I think Urban Decay has been out of the loop for a while. I think the last time I was excited for one of their launches was for the Born To Run palette that I still like today. But nothing else has caught my eye in years. I hope they do come back and surprise us all.
I love my born to run, feel like it missed out on some love in this video
Born to run is my only urban decay palette, and totally the last big hit they've had!
I’d Love to see you do one of these on HARD CANDY, I remember when it was sold next to urban decay in ulta! Love these videos so much, doll
When Urban Decay launched as that cool grunge company with its anti-Bobbi Brown aesthetic, you didn’t have to be part of that scene to enjoy its take on makeup. The brand felt and looked different from its color stories to promotional materials. Now smaller indie brands occupy the space once held by UD for edgy makeup lovers; I don’t see them wanting to reclaim it, if they even could.
urban decay was the first "high end" brand i ever bought. i got their eyeshadow primer and it opened the door to everything else, because i wanted to find eyeshadows that were worth the use of this expensive eye primer. i couldn't afford them very often but there's still a lot of nostalgia attached to the brand for me
If Urban Decay would bring back the Naked one and the Naked two, i'd buy them!
I miss them so much.... no orange, no pinks, no glitters or extreme bright colours.... just good and solid eyeshadowoalettes for real people....
In the city i live here in Germany, i've NEVER seen peoples with orange, red or yellow eyelooks... but a lot of brown and other minimalistic neutral looks...
orange toned neutrals eyeshadows are my everyday color because i feel it suits my colorings best. i believe i am a real person.
@@hannahjane8275 nice for you... but not for people like me, they can't wear this type of colours.... they do'nt fit me and i personally did'nt like them....
For me, most realeases are warm orangetoned, gold, or extreme bright colours.
It is fine, if it is work for you and others... but peoples like me, becomes nothing that's intetesting...
And i did'nt buy palattes with warm and cool tones.... i did'nt reach for them...
How i say... i did'nt see this bright and glittery eyelooks in the streets, or at the busstations, or in stores, etc....
Do you live in a very rural part of Germany? Bc I definitely see bright and glittery make up looks where I live.
I’m a DYT type 4 AND a clear, bright winter in my coloring. I have a tough time with most contemporary eyeshadows and palettes are particularly difficult. There is way too much orange and gold in most new makeup. Even when I happen upon a quality mini palette of black, grey, and silver, it skews warm so the grey is an orangey taupe and the silver is a dirty pewter. Very annoying. I like a true neutral or cool neutral base eye sometimes with a pop of a bright or neon.
@@cool_toned_woman i wish i had recommendations, but i’m not all familiar with which brands are easy to purchase in germany. it has been awhile since i’ve been there, and i’ve always been in the city when i go.
i once had a cooler toned palette that didn’t suit me from zoeva, but i wasn’t a fan of the shades on me nor the formula in general, so i haven’t had a look at their offerings in a long time.
As a 90s chick, I used UD all the time. It got me away from trying to find something fun at the Chanel counter -- LOL! All time favorite color from UD: Gash.
You didn't mention the Book of Shadows palettes!!! That is how I originally heard of UD. Those colors and ideas more were definitely more true to their origins. They had a full size primer potion, and 2 eyeliners. I ended up with both Alice palettes, and Book of Shadows 2, 3, and 4. Their original shadow formula was actually really good. I still have those books, and the formula is so nice. If they still had those formulas, they would be more competitive.
Right?! I feel like a lot of the beauty community these days is almost too young to remember the Book of Shadows and the Vice palettes - both of which were much more UD-feeling than anything they've done lately. I depotted my Book of Shadows 3 and still have some of the shades, just to look at; they're so bright and pigmented and beautiful! Live on, Psychedelic Sister!
AGREED
@@beckyhegland7902 I have been around for 11 years and the Book of Shadows were such hits - but i couldnt get my hands on them in germany. so i was always begging the universe that ud would come to germany and when it came it became pretty basic
@@beckyhegland7902 I agree- the new formulas are awful!
Yes i also agree by this comment. She makes out the naked palette was their original palette. But in the 2000s everyone had their Book of shadows. Primer potion, all nighter setting spray and remember the cocoa and mashmellow scented body glitter dust powders? I had the alice in wonderland book of shadows. They were also before their time with a vegan cruelty free eyeshadow palette in the 2000s
I comment occasionally but watch every video and I’m obsessed with your calmness and approach to discussing your deep dives in the beauty industries!!! Keep them coming, I’m learning so much!
It’s too bad they don’t do blush anymore. They used to have absolutely great single blushes. They even had colors that were fairly hard to find at the time in Quiver (a very bright red ) and Bittersweet (a purple). I loved those both so much.
I know. They had a bright purple blush, yes straight up purple and I was reluctant to purchase but I did and with the lightest hand, it is stunning on the cheeks.
I still have and use mine, including Quiver.
@@heidiaguilar1257 I have the purple one too. Both that and the red are actually wearable.
@@Strawberryfearsforever I wish I still had mine! I loved them.
Can you do one for bare minerals/bare escentuals. Shiseido recently sold them to private equity. They have a messy history because of going public, then delisted and bought.
Good morning Kelly! I agree, UD has had a few “what is this?” kind of launches. They’ll always have a special place in my heart however, because my first ever high end eyeshadow palette that my brother gave me for Christmas. I was in my junior or senior year in hs & I wore every color until it was gone! I wish I’d kept it for memories (since it’s been long discontinued) but I won’t ever forget it so it’s okay🤗
Early UD was popular when I was in high school (98’ to 02’). The movie Jawbreaker from 1999 one of the characters is talking about her dark nail polish and they gave her the line “I used to love pink, but now pink makes me puke”. I think the color of her nail polish in the movie was even called Decay as a nod to the brand. I remember my best friend and I going to the mall after and trying to find a nail polish similar to the one in the movie. We wound up getting one of the darker UD shades.
I see people mentioning Hard Candy which is another memory bc in junior high when Alicia Silverstone blew up from Clueless she wore Hard Candy Sky on a talk show and like every girl I knew had to get it so of course we got in on that too. So it was the second time a teen movie drove us to a nail polish. It’s interesting to think back about how much movie stars influenced us in the 90s. We would buy anything we could be be like these actresses or their characters. Today kids look up to RUclipsrs instead. Not saying it’s bad that they look to YTers for fashion inspiration it’s just times have changed.
I loved reading this. There are really specific things I didn't know and wouldn't have known about despite being a 95er! Thank you for the trip back and lesson! 🥰🤗
I have the original UD Ammo palette from 2007/2008 and I love it so much. It looks dupe-able but every time I swatch it with other palettes that look similar, the colors and textures really stand alone. I don’t use it on my eyes anymore because of its age but I love it.
I'm in my early 40s so I remember when they came out. It was a big deal when I bought myself an UD nail polish-they were $9, & back in the 90s, $9 was a lot for a young teen to pay for a nail polish. I adored it, they came in the cutest bottles. Also, back then finding a whole brand of higher quality 'edgy' makeup was such a novelty. Then as an adult, my first 'good' palette was Vice 2, & I still have my Electric palette.
This series is so interesting! I actually never owned anything from Urban Decay except for a sample of the all nighter spray. I do remember the naked palette though and going to Sephora and getting the Sephora brand knock off of it as one of my first palettes because there was no way I was spending Urban Decay money at that point in my life.
I bought my first Urban Decay (and Hard a candy, oddly enough) in 1996, and while I can’t remember the name of the silver lipstick and lipliner, the pewter-colored nail polish was called Uzi and almost got me fired from an office job when I didn’t have time to take it off on a Friday morning before work after I’d gone out for the night the previous Thursday. They were the most cutting edge brand I’d ever heard of for years, very urban.
Love these looks back, I remember that was the Kurt Cobain grunge era. You’re right- they’ve lost their vision- chasing the market instead of setting the trends. They kill great products then relaunch meh stuff in their place.
Smash box & bareMinerals in future? I love my Naked Basics 2. That is a cool neutral minimalist dream palette but it’s an add on to cool other warm palettes, or give a gradient of cool taupe neutrals.
The naked palette did so well because it was one of the first not because it was the best. The quality of affordable make up has increased drastically. Also the Lorac palettes were also very popular at the time as well
I've never tried a naked palette from them, but the two palettes I have (Stoned Vibes and Born To Run) I like quite a lot. I think those two also maybe are closer to the spirit of the brands original vision.
I have an idea for a video for you: retrace the evolution of brands and trendy techniques of the last 10 years and the trends that we have seen on youtube
- at the beginning only some big names like mac and makeup for ever
- the stars of youtube 2014 like the chocolate bar or the naked
- brand launches and when they are popular (kvd, abh, huda, fenty, glossier, sephora collection, beauty bay...)
- the big trendy techniques (freckles, insta brows, soap brows, arrival of the highlighter, the beginning of the beauty blender,...)
- and the great palette releases that have marked: modern renaissance, sweet peach, ...
I think, something to remember when we talk about the demise of these brands because they’ve gone stale to us, is that these brands have shifted their focus to China and that market that has opened up to them now. The beauty trends there are very different than what we have here.
i live in France and urban decay was sold at sephora for at least 10 years and the brand has just announced their closure to the french territory and in a short time they will no longer be sold at sephora either
That’s such a bummer!
The same at the Czech republic
Yesssss, bring it! I’ve always been more interested in UD since I got into the makeup game a little late (my first HE palette was Naked Heat when it released!) and it feels like by the time I got there they were already hit or miss 😅
OMG. You are so right!! This was my go-to brand for everything for so long!! Over the last few years tho, there has been a dramatic difference and I thought it was just me getting older and aging out of their brand. I feel a little more validated now, so thanks!! (I will always love Native tho. Always!!)
I used to be intensely into makeup, not so much in the last 5 years, so when it was discontinued in 2018 that went completely under my radar. I definitely would have purchased another palette. I like these breakdowns - well researched and presented! This is how I remember it, as well.
Urban Decay holds a special place for me because the Electric palette was THE palette that got me into makeup. At the time, there was nothing like that on the market. I bought it for half-off at Sephora when it was being phased out and I still have it and love it. I also have two of their 24/7 eyeliners and they're so incredible. But yes, I wish they were still as edgy and interesting as they used to be. And now that so many more brands are on the market I just feel like they're struggling to keep up. But I'm rooting for them too!
I remember UD from the 90s. Literally took up a single shelf with their products & looked like Halloween Makeup. Black lipstick, acidic neon green nail polish & lots of silver glitter in graffitti & grunge inspired packaging. I remember thinking their brand name was kind of interesting & thought they were targeting the Neo Punk/Skate fashion that was emerging around comic book/scifi pop culture at the time. I found it very amusing when several years later they were known for Naked makeup :D Neutral/natural sells. It might be boring, but it's reliable & always appropriate. I got the impression UD shadow's formula was designed for people who usually only wear one shadow looks, 2 at most & don't want anything too bright, too dark, too shiny, etc. & is easy to apply with the brush that is included with the palette.
As a huge consumer of makeup and skincare (just ask my husband 🙈) you are nailing this series! Brands should be snapping you up as a re- brander - seriously- you are amazing and hitting every salient point. Your knowledge and foresight is phenomenal!
Can’t wait for more! 😍
Xo 🇨🇦
I looove a lot of UD's stuff... Their foundations and concealers have been my go to for years and I also enjoy their mascaras, eyeliner and some other things. I have the Moondust palette and Born to Run and while I don't hate them they are definitely not my favorite palettes. Now I have enough palettes for years to come and won't buy anything new from any brand for a while. I'll continue buying my go-tos which I also think many others do and why the brand can keep going like they have been. Some more basics like blush and bronzer would be great indeed!
I feel like also when they first launched the naked palette, there weren't really big palettes around? Only Singles, Duos, Trios and Quads Maximum. So having a big as palette with quality Shades that can Last very long time was also pretty innovative.
I loved their single eyeshadows and had loads of them-all my babysitting money went on them! The light purple sparkly shadow ( Asphyxia, I think!) was gorgeous, Uzi with a light silver base and holographic glitter, this gorgeous slightly iridescent bright grass green, Midnight Cowboy… Their liquid eyeliners were divine too, beautiful colours and really long-lasting/truly waterproof- I had a sparkly browny/antique gold shade that was just perfect! I may have cried when I found out it was discontinued!
I miss old UD shadows. They were the best. There, shimmers were out of this world. I find myself always looking for eyeshadow like their first ones
I love this series, so well researched & interesting! Brings back so many memories, such nostalgia. Personally I miss the original urban decay, hard candy type brands that have become so toned down and boring now…where’s the excitement, the unusual, the thrill?!😅
I was a teenager ten years ago and never invested in a product but happened to come across this video. I was always confused why it was called urban decay when their products didn’t reflect that (in 2014) so learning how anti-makeup their original products were was really fun!
My first ever high end makeup purchase was from Urban Decay back in 2009. My Aunt gave me a $25 gift card to Sephora for Christmas that year. I had never heard of Sephora but one had just recently opened in our local mall and Urban Decay immediately caught my eye with their unique grungy/punk style. It was like nothing I had ever seen at the time and I instantly gravitated to their display. I ended up purchasing the original Ammo palette (came with a free full size eye primer) and it was the only eyeshadow palette I used for years until I graduated college and could afford more makeup. I still have that palette today and even though I haven't worn it in almost a decade at this point, I can't get rid of it.
Oh my goodness. I remember when UD first came out- it was so different and cool. I have had such brand loyalty since then. But it seems like when companies are bought out, their original intent (what makes the brand the brand) is just lost. I mean- there is so much talk about the same-ish similar colors that are the backbone of makeup that sells. I just feel like when small companies are bought out, they are then changed into less of a competition for other lines the company is producing. Its unfortunate, but such is the way corporate america goes. I will always have a fondness for UD, but I am turning towards them less and less. I feel the same way about so many companies now. So many of them have been turned into something that doesn't resemble the company when it first started.
Good morning I love urban decay I have the honey and Wild West. I think they really need blush and bronzer in their collection
I hope they add blush & bronzer soon!
i remember going to sephora for the first time when i was in 7th grade (2014). i took a picture of myself with the three naked palettes and posted it on facebook 😭
Not sure if they still have it, but they had a shade called Mildew.
Their eyeliner is amazing!! Such great colors, too.
I still love their eyeliners and lipsticks and nothing can change my love for the Naked 3 pallet.
I love this series too. ❤️ interesting information about UD and no blush, bronzer and highlight singles?!?! I would love to see these in their line.
Just came across this video and I completely agree with you. I used to love UD. My first palette was the tiny one that came in a little bamboo case that rotated open; I'd never seen anything so sparkly! I still love their matte lipsticks and their eyeliners but I found the small Naked palettes had almost no pigment so I stopped buying eyeshadow from them. The last straw was when I went into their London store a few years ago to buy eyeliner and, because I'm in my fifties and not exactly glamorous, the assistants laughed at me. I spend my money elsewhere now.
I was teen in the 80s and in my 20s during the 90s and I don't remember UD being the only game for color, they certainly were the first to have a different marketing strategy but they were NOT inventing color. They just made it more acceptable and mainstream.
i remember getting into the makeup world at the hype of the naked and chocolate bar eyeshadow palettes and being absoultey obsessed with both urban decay and too faced. i loved how dark and edgy urban decay was and how pink and cutesy too faced was now they both are pretty neutral brands. i think the last naked palette i bought was their ultraviolet. i guess the wild west could be the closest thing they have to their older style. i love this series
Someone recommended this video in a comment. I love this concept!
I was an angsty preteen when Urban Decay launched, so it was a perfect fit. I remember wanting certain products but my mom wouldn't let me because the product names were too macabre 😋
I used to be completely obsessed with urban decay!!!!! Over the last year???? I've totally gone OFF them!!!! It's like???? There disinterested and have lost their passion for make up!!!! Excellent job!!!! Love 💗 from the UK sweetheart!!!! 💗🍭🌹💯💐🤞
UD even though they’re nothing like they once were always hold a special place in my heart. I remember the 1st singles I ever bought was called stray dog and roach. I have hope they’ll turn around and start going back to more edgy makeup.
The Kristen Leanne palette is still one of my absolute fave the color story was fun but wearable. I wish they would’ve continued to add some edge such as the KL palette.
Surprised you were not a big fan of UD! I fell in love immediately when they came out and have purchased each and every one of them at least twice.Gifted as well to other fans of the line.Also a fan of their lipsticks and eyeshadow primer.The shadows will NEVER go out of style! They are all classics!
I used to pine after Urban Decay as a brand, and I still watch for their releases. I just wish they would put out something interesting. I would LOVE a fall collection of lipsticks with some greys, browns and a true black. And palettes that have dark mattes and an improved formula. And a peach-pink duochrome highlighter. Their brand could release so much fun makeup, yet they keep playing it safe with Naked palettes.
Thanks, Kelly. Super interesting.
Happy Friday! I hope you and everyone else has a lovely weekend!!!
💗💗💗💗💗💗
Really enjoyed this! My first high end palette was also the Naked 2! My dad took me to the first Sephora to open in our city in 2012 and bought it for me as a gift for getting through my first year of college lol. I definitely hit a few pans on that one. Can’t believe it’s 10 years old now! 😅
In my teens and early twenties, I LOVED UD because they had great colorful eyeshadow palettes! It's what made them stand out from the other brands. I loved their Vice series and they had an Electric eyeshadow palette that I adored too. I eventually stopped using UD because the eyeshadow formulas were not nearly as good as their competitors, as you said. Ugh I hope they make a comeback though!
I miight buy one or two of the new lipsticks eventually someday, but it'd be a severe struggle not to buy that entire first launch in one go if it was still available. UV-B, wow! Frostbite and Oilslick..It's so hard being a periwinkle girl when blue lipstick always has to be navy or teal these days.
Started out totally 90s grunge. We were all wearing dark lips and nails with our ripped jeans and flannels. I love it.
Agreed! I loved Urban Decay in highschool, I'm pretty sure 99% of my makeup routine was their products. I still use one of their blushes from 6 years ago b/c I love it. I really wish they'd go back to their roots and get more creative w the palettes. I'd love a rerelease or new jewel-toned palette personally. Plus they have great glitter products that are super fun for Halloween or when you're just feeling extra. I wish they'd lean into that a bit more.
I love love love the naked honey- for my skin tone it’s THE neutral palette.
I remember I first fell in love with urban decay because they had pigmented eyeshadows that flattered deeper skin tones.
Some of their products are still my holy grail- all nighter setting spray, eyeshadow primer, smog eyeshadow, zero eyeliner.
But you’re right- they are no longer the only game in town and they have hyped their Naked line TO DEATH. Those of us that have favs still purchase, but I haven’t fallen in love with anything since the Naked Honey came out.
I used to love urban decay eyeshadows even before the naked palette, which I wore and loved so much! You’re right, eyeshadow formula has come such a long way, I got rid of all of their other products, except the eyeliners, they still have one of my favorite formulas so I do repurchase those.
Thanks for sharing Kelly 💞 I love UD and I love learning where they came from wow Loreal I would love to see them do more ❤️
spent my very first paycheck on a Naked Palette back in middle school, and i LOVED IT.
Commenting again after having watched the whole video.
I was around in what I would consider their heyday in the early-mid 2000s. Being an “alternative” teen I was definitely their target demographic at the time. Back then they struck a balance between goth/alternative colors and more mainstream colors - it felt like there was something for everybody. That’s where I’d like to see them head again. My dream product from UD would be a re-imagining of their Face Cases, which were palettes that had a quad of eyeshadows, and then a mix of lipsticks, Lip Gunks, blushes, and highlighters (sometimes a cream glitter). If they made a new face palette in the style of Natasha Denona with the creams and glosses protected by plastic panels in the right color scheme, I would be all over it.
I have a soft spot for UD and I still enjoy their eyeshadow formula. Personally I like the subtle shimmers.
My first palette from them was the ammo palette and I had so many pans before I had to toss it.
One thing that bothers me is that they do t have a full line.
Was shocked to realize going through my own collection that the ONLY thing I own from UD are the moon dust shadows. They just do not put out products that excite me, which is sad because palettes like Ammo are my all time faves
I agree I have the number 3 and Naked 2 Basics and after that I just stopped buying except the one you mentioned the honey does look like something I might purchase but the rest of them I can't see spending money on something where I probably would use less than half of the colors
I´ve lately dug out the naked 2 palette. It´s still really really good! So easy to work with and stays forever.
So many good points like lack of blushes and foundation
As a teenager with no money, I would go to the UD counter and just admire all the products. Mainly because they were so different than other brands at the drugstore. I remember I asked for a green glittery liner (with basically no colour payoff - so patchy) and loved it because it was so different and was so excited to wear it. Then I got the bamboo palette from my friends who put money together to get me it (anyone remember this??) which had all these crazy colours and I had NO clue how to use it haha. Back in 2007 there was no beauty community so I had no guidance. But still LOVED playing around with it, found so much joy in the crazy interesting colours. None of my looks actually looked good lol.
Then when I made my own money, I invested in the naked palette and it was literally the only palette I used every day for years. It just did the job of giving you a great day look and enhancing your features, instead of making makeup be the focus. Toasted is still my number one favourite eyeshadow. It just makes your eyes and complexion pop.
Fast forward today, I no longer use eyeshadow and love more minimalistic looks! But still have a soft spot for UD for igniting my love of makeup back then.
I remember the original Naked launch! I was on the wait list for a month to buy it. It was my first high end palette, and it was actually reasonably priced back then. It came with a dual ended eye liner instead of a brush. This is what caused the backorder/wait list bc they couldn't make the pencils fast enough! Still my favorite palette of all time to this day! I also remember when they tried to relaunch it before they discontinued it, and I bought one, but the formula was completely different to the original. I also love Honey, but I didn't like any of the others' formulas. So strange how it differs so much from palette to palette!
I always thought swapping the eyeliner for the crappy brush was a cost thing. The eyeliner was amazing. I threw the brush in the trash. 😅
I think it's probably a challenge for brands nowadays to be edgy because everything goes these days. And I feel like Melt have taken over UD's role in the beauty industry.
Then again, we don't see green, blue, black lipstick from other brands, even now. I think an interesting lipstick range and a good blush formula would do UD some good. Or maybe they could take on the challenge of making good colourful mascara.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the new green palette and the mascara if you try them. I'm enjoying them both, the mascara is a drier formula and feels like a good every day mascara, but for the price, and with drugstore brands killing it with mascara formulas it feels like maybe it needs a little something more.
I owned the Book of Shadows Vol 2, 3, and 4, and then I bought the Spectrum palette. They were some of the only palettes where I could get these gorgeous grungy shades and an actually *black* eyeshadow that didn't come in a single. I was 17/18 when the Naked palette dropped and I think maybe I was being a bit petty, but I really felt betrayed at the time. This was my special brand where I could get eye shadows in a formula that worked for me in a colour that worked for me... and I felt like they'd sold out. I did try NYX and Sugarpill, but they were more expensive, at the time I could only buy singles which I didn't like using, and because I had to buy them online from the US, they had to be shipped to the UK and it was really expensive for me as a teen.
My mom bought the Naked palette and to me - as an edgy goth/grunge 18yo - there was absolutely nothing in the world less cool than using the same makeup as my mom. In fact, everyone's mom used Naked. The brand lost so much credibility to me, that I put my palettes from UD in a box and didn't touch them again unless it was a special occasion, when I had used to wear makeup every single day as a form of expression. I felt like this little piece of the beauty industry that I had found that matched me when nothing else had, had somehow been taken away.
Looking back, it's a needlessly dramatic reaction, but I went from being makeup obsessed to barely using it until about five years ago when my partner bought me some morphe palettes that had similar colours to what my UD palettes had contained. I realised then, the beauty industry had come a long way and that I could readily buy the colours I was drawn to.
I did buy the Ultraviolet palette - I was pleasantly surprised to see UD release a palette with purples, as they had once done when I was a teenager. However, I was completely and utterly underwhelmed with the quality of the shadows. I feel UD has not really improved their formulas in about ten years, and that means they haven't kept up with other brands that have significantly better formulas. For the price you pay for a frankly quite bland palette compared to what else is on the market at the moment, I would really expect a better formulation.
I bought a lot of UB
I have black talk, born to run,try purple naked pallete and they heavy metal glitter eyeliner
Tbh they have changed a lot tho
I learned about Urban Decay when I was around 11-12 years old (?) and I was so stunned by how different makeup could be. I think that's how I first got exposed to the more artistic, unconventional side of makeup. When I got around into learning how to apply makeup, I knew I would go to Urban Decay. Still have many holy grails from them (especially Perversion liner), I might have to run to the store ASAP while sale still lasts. I hope they will not pull away from EU market!
Ok but finally someone mentions Revlon streetwear! With this whole Y2K comeback happening, Revlon should consider a small re-release of that line. It would bring back some excitement for them since they're a little stale right now and those nail polishes, glosses and even eye glitters were pretty great.
I listened to Sandy Lerner’s “How I built This” episode and it’s so fascinating. She went from being a tech pioneer to a makeup pioneer because her aunt wanted her to be more feminine. I also love her relationship with her ex-husband. He’s the supportive spouse I wish yo have and be.
Ooh I need to listen!
Glad you brought up the “How I Built This” episode. I was going to comment about it too! It’s one of the episodes that really interested me having a STEM career and loving makeup.
Urban Decay didn’t come out with the concept of “Naked”. Kevyn AuCoin worked for a long defunct company called Ultima II, and he created a line for them called “The Nakeds” in the 80s.
Such an interesting topic! I wonder if they could do like a blush palette or duos that come in really wild colors like purples oranges and yellows like some indie brands have done.
I remember when they released their book of shadows - and back the you couldnt get urban decay that easily here in germany and people would pay horrendous prizes to get those - AND THE PRIMER POTION which was absolutely one of a kind back in the day
I recall the singles and how murky they were. The formula was amazing and the colors were unique.
I think it would be amazing if they went back to their roots!!
Just found your channel through your brand deep dives and Kackie! Loving it already 😊 the Naked 2 pallet was my first high end eyeshadow too & my grandpa took me to ULTA to buy it ❤️🥺
Such an interesting video Kelly. I like it when you step us through the timeline of a brand. I completely agree with you about UD eyeshadow formula. I had the first 3 Naked palettes. I enjoyed them and at one point wore Naked 3 every day for over a year. When the Naked 2 was being discontinued I ordered a new one. I barely recognized the formula. I don't think it is very good. I think in the past compared to other items on the market it felt great, but now so much time has passed and other formulas have improved while this one has remained the same it just seems subpar. I more recently picked up the Ultra Violet and have put it in a declutter box to give away. That said I think your look is super pretty so I might pull it back out and give it another shot. I completely agree I would be happier if they replaced the deep shimmers with deep mattes. I still have and enjoy the Naked Cherry but that's really it for me. Thanks for the video!
Okay I still have my Naked palette, the original because I haven’t hit pan on all the colors. Yes, they say it has an expiration date but it still works for me. I remember buying it and thinking “this is sooo much money” it was worth it. 💜💙 Anyone else?
I have mine . I still use all my old shadows with no issues. Except the old Anastasia palettes like Word Traveler and before. I used to love Pink Champagne, but it doesn’t work the same anymore. It was such a beautiful shade.
I am so glad you picked urban decay! I started to question their future with all of the products they seem to be phasing out. I honestly haven't tried much of the Naked line but I am obsessed with the All Nighter line. I love the All Nighter primers, sprays, and I love using the concealer as an eyeshadow base. I think they did really well with the longevity and I thought it would be something they would keep around but it seems like the concealer is already being phased out so I stocked up. But I used those products for my wedding day and they were fabulous. I totally agree with it being bizarre about huge gaps in the line, especially products that I could see them thriving with. As sparkly and out there their eyeshadow shades used to be, I am so surprised they haven't come out with fun blush and highlighters. I would love a lilac blush or highlighter with a lilac sheen, something unique to them. Loved this episode.
I think due to your age...what you remember for Urban decay and what i remember (in my 40s) as their best selling products are different. Before the Naked pallettes they had the Book of Shadows palatte series which everyone had - they even had vegan eyeshadow palettes and movie ones like Alice in Wonderland - and these would sell out. Also you couldnt watch a youtube video without seeing their eyeshadow primer potion or all nighter setting spray - they were their best sellers. They also had these all over scented body glitter powders in smells like chocolate, mashmellow - before MAC or Too Faced did any of these things like eye shadow primers, setting sprays or scented powders etc
Urban Decay is a brand I really love! I used to collector all the Naked palettes and was a regular buyer for other things as well. Most of my makeup collection comes from UD but they surely are having some troubles because they are stopping selling products in France 🤔
I agree the naked honey is the best palette. I did get naked Wild West and regretted buying it. I hardly reach for it.
I started really getting into makeup around a year or two before the original Naked launch and UD (along with Smashbox and Lorac) was one of my intros to higher end makeup in the 2000s. I still have such good memories of the Ammo and Mariposa palettes. I think the reason their collection feels incomplete is because they've scrubbed so much of their pre-Naked identity from the brand that they have no personality left.