For lack of a better way to define my chemical-free, eco-friendly type makeup and skincare requirements that are absolutely flexible based on how my skin or face looks, let’s call it happy makeup. Like happy cows, chickens, and wild fishes—which are the only animals I will consume. It’s hard to find products that are chemical-free that work and last and look good.
I started to become friends (volleyball partners) with Urban Decay’s founder, and despite loving her lifestyle (also happy-animal-eating, healthy etc), I eschewed her makeup: it’s that normal, chemical stuff, I once told her. She laughed at me. Straight up ‘you-are-so-naive’ laughed. We talked about ingredients, sourcing, packaging, and chemicals. And in her way, she left me to my own devices, never trying to convince me to try anything.
So I plugged some of her cosmetics into the EWG’s Skin Deep database, which is an excellent resource though by no means the final word in what I wear. Green light (mostly).
Speaking of green, how gorgeous is this Vice beauty palette with its green bejewled VICE? The packaging.
I digress. I quietly dipped a toe in the Urban Decay pool and snuck into a Sephora with a guilty heart to snag their new Perversion mascara because it just looked so fantastic, and now that I’m not getting fake lashes anymore, my midgety lashes are just so … midgety.
Perversion is incredible.
Luscious, dark, thick, long. Never smudges. Never clumpy, mever messy, easy to remove.
My coworker, who sees me every single day, asked when I started getting fakes again. It’s that good.
Buy two. My mom did.
For my thirtieth birthday, I am gifted a few more UD products. Celebs, my first reaction on seeing the Naked Flushed face palette was oh, those are pretty but I don’t ever use blush or bronzer or highlighter. See, I’m tan, pink-cheeked, and shiny enough without makeup.
Wrong again.
This stuff is subtle but beautiful! A little pink on the apples of the cheeks, a little bronzing contour, the tiniest subtle sheen … I am now hooked on this face stuff. It makes me better at getting ready in the morning.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Naked Naked Lip Gloss, which people want to borrow every single time I bring it out … which is kind of awesome and kind of gross all at the same time. Go buy your own! Looks good on everyone, obs. Also is very hydrating, not drying like so many glosses.
And then these:
We all know I LOVE glitter.
Like a thirteen-year-old girl loves glitter.
Not only are these eyeliners super fun, but surprisingly wearable. Trace over liner to add subtle pizazz, smooth over eyelid for glittery shadow accents, or layer it on thick to make a statement.
In short, I was wrong. Oh so wrong.
There are still some products I don’t want to use because they contain some ingredients that are not necessarily safe for skin (which, I might remind you, is the biggest organ in your body, which means you are mainlining chemicals into your system). But by and large, I am thrilled to discover that UD’s products are safe—and there’s no question that they are damn gorgeous too. Urban Decay, no wonder I—and celebs!—love you.
I was lucky enough to go to the opening of Urban Decay’s first-ever store, click here to read about it on orangecoast.com.