February 1, 2021

Whatever Happened to Urban Decay: A Case of Formula Changes

Whatever happened to Urban Decay? Their formulas sure has changed over the last decade hasn’t it? This weekend Christine (Temptalia) did a poll on Instagram asking which brands don’t interest you anymore and I didn’t even hesitate with my reply. Right away my fingers few over my Iphone to type out “Urban Decay”. Urban Decay hasn’t rallied since 2012 when it was purchased by L’Oreal for the sum of 300-400 million (the amount was never disclosed). Maybe they should have held out for the big money like Too Faced who got a cool 1.4 billion in 2016 from Estee Lauder.

In 2011, even before their buy out, I noticed that Urban Decay Primer Potion was having problems. That was prior L’Oreal ever entering the picture. But at the time everything was pretty smooth sailing with Urban Decay aside from my primer issues which did break my heart as it was one of my go to eyeshadow primers.

Ironically in Spring 2012, Urban Decay made the really exciting and scary announcement they were revamping their entire eyeshadow line. As much as we love blaming parent companies for the change in our favorite products this predated the buy out as the buy out was signed in Fall 2012.

Change is unavoidable especially when larger parent companies like L’Oreal take over but in this case the parent company was not to blame.

So, why the change? At the time the beauty bubble had not yet broken and the market wasn’t as saturated as it is now. Why the sudden change in a beloved formula? I personally don’t think Urban Decay Eyeshadows have been the same since the formula change and if anything they have gotten worst with each new release.

Too Faced have somehow managed to rally. For a while their formula was going downhill very quickly and perhaps they actually stopped and listened because I noticed major changes the last two Holiday seasons with their formulas. I’ve also noticed many of their newer launches have been quite good.

Why hasn’t Urban Decay rallied? I literally cringe with each new palette they release as I just know it’s going to be round of dry eyeshadows that blend poorly.

But perhaps the biggest complaint isn’t with the formulas but with the cautionary shades that are released in these palettes. Urban Decay has always been about being bold, edgy, colorful but they do play the caution card in most releases nowadays and brown, brown, brown, and more brown is the order of business. Don’t get me wrong I do love naked anything but hardcore fans of color are grossly disappointed that they aren’t tasting the rainbow lately with Urban Decay’s launches.

For me the most heartbreaking problem with Urban Decay is the formulas. Everything has changed dramatically with their formulas! You know things are bad when you can pick up a Milani Eyeshadow Palette and get better quality from it than an Urban Decay one!

Do you still love Urban Decay or have they changed in such a way you’ll never go back to them?

Do you hope they’ll one day rally?

Do share!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Deb

    I quit UD a while back. You nailed it Muse, the palettes were getting repetitive. I also had a hard time finding anything in their line that was cool toned. They’re not the only brand guilty of that, seems like every brand these days thinks everyone looks good in red eyeshadow. Can’t WAIT for brands to remember that there’s a wide range on skin tones out there and not everyone is suited for red, pink, and warm tones. Uh oh, didn’t mean to go off on that tangent!

    UD is not the only brand to mess around with perfectly good formulas and make them worse in the end. The only thing I can think of is the big parent companies are all about cheap. Cheaper ingredients, cheaper labs, cheaper packaging, and so on.

    • Isabella Muse

      It’s odd that brands have evolved so much with foundation and concealer shades but still ignore the fact that lighter shades are needed in eyeshadows or blushes! I agree on the parent companies cheapening things up but the funny thing with UD is their big change in eyeshadow happened before their parent company took over!

      • Deb

        Maybe they were already starting to cut corners for budgetary issues before L’Oreal showed any interest in purchasing them. I just can’t think of any reasons to revamp perfectly good formulas. Except money

        • Isabella Muse

          I was thinking they didn’t disclose the agreement to the public and L’Oreal had already started asking to cut budget before the buy out!

          • Gemma

            Oooh I’m glad I’m not the only one , primer potion was my go to for years and then it stopped working , I thought maybe I had changed, but it really doesn’t work for me now.

            Pallets are boring and the eye shadow quality is completely poor compared to how it used to be back in the day so sad

          • Isabella Muse

            UD is just in such a sad sad state 🙁

  • Rio

    I picked up UD Naked Reloaded and UD Honey both 50% off this past year and liked them pretty well. Wouldn’t have paid full price tho. I feel like once a brand gets eaten up, they lose uniqueness. Happened to my fave brand Lorac and a few others. Still love Smashbox and Nars, Tarte and prefer their formulas.

    Please stay safe w all the snow in NYC!!

    • Isabella Muse

      Reloaded is actually a fav of mine but at the price point neither was worth it! It’s just not the same formula we know from UD and they are both worth 50% or less. No offense but NARS is another brand that has went downhill horribly 🙁 They consitently disappoint me! Thanks!!!!!!! I’m ok! Snug as a bug in a rug at home 😉

      • Melissa

        I also picked up the Honey palette when it went on sale. I wanted something new from UD and knew about the formula change. I also would not pay full price for any of their new palettes at this point. The drier formula is kinda weird and I don’t dig it. Hope you are staying warm in NYC!

        • Isabella Muse

          Yeah agreed! I actually like Honey but I think 50% off is the better deal for it! I am thank you 🙂 It’s been very cold the last several days!

  • Joyce B.

    I saw Christine’s post too and Urban Decay was my first thought. I used to love their products but now I just avoid their shelves in Ulta. I saw a post today on @trendmood1 that they’re bringing out a new palette with some greens added but again- called Naked. Naked Wild West. Why does everything have to be Naked? Aiiii….. Also, I miss new lipstick shades.

  • kjh

    Rear view mirror; not just because I’m old and losing interest in color. Their bases were always too yellow. Even w/ l/s, they are a prime example of ‘if it’s not broken, don”t fix it. (And don’t get me going on Bite). UD has lost their way in blush as well. I still grab their liners, possibly out of sentiment, but also bec the formula works for me. They haven’t lost as much ground as shadows, but no longer are totally reliable. We have a lot of broken record going on with CP, too, and stuff is iffy, but even a daily CP launch (lol) is more interesting to me at this point.

    • Isabella Muse

      but but but…the liner formulas is even different. Perversion used to be my go to black liner but it’s so much drier now!

  • Jess I

    So THAT’S why UDPP sucks now!!!! I get creases from every primer on the market now that I’ve tried. I thought I just got too greasy for UDPP but now I’m not so sure…

    • Isabella Muse

      It used to be much much better! Now it’s just thin and weird! I haven’t used in in years because the formula is different!

  • Adrienne

    Love this post because the change in UD has been such a disappointment! I used to LOVE their colorful palettes (never was into the Naked palettes), and it was my fave brand, but then the shadow formula tanked. After the last letdown palette I bought I finally got out of denial and realized that it’s over. Unless I hear reliable info that the quality is back, I won’t buy another palette.

  • Sara

    I have a huge problem with this scenario and it happens far too often in beauty. I’ve lost quite a few favorite brands due to them being bought out. “Amazingly unique beauty brand sells out to the corporate big boys (aka Loreal, Estee Lauder, etc.)” At this point it seems like a competition between Loreal and Lauder with who can scoop up the most brands. (I thought monopolies were illegal!?)

    I remember the glory days of UD (Lip Gunk, Flavored Shimmer Powders, Skitz-o-Styx, Nail Colors, etc.) and my were those glorious days. Remember their “Does Pink Make You Puke’ ads? I really think UD sold out when Naked came out and that’s what started the beginning on their end. Sure, we may not blame Loreal for that but in reality they’ve had their hands in the brand for almost a decade and haven’t done a single thing to resuscitate it either, so yeah-they’re really to blame for the final nails in the coffin.

    This happens far too often. I feel like it’s the same case for Smashbox after Estee Lauder bought them who got lost as well. The big corp. giants buying these brands really eliminates competition giving the consumer the same diluted product across all in house brands, making it much harder for the smaller indie brands to thrive.

    I did read this article the other day that gave me hope about the Federal Trade Commission/Bureau of Competition coming between and ending the sale of Billie to Procter & Gamble, due to P&G already being the market leader in razors. My question is where were these guys the last decade when Lauder and Loreal were buying all of these brands?!?

  • MDW

    I’m starting to wonder, does it cost more to make cool toned items than warm tones?

    • Jane

      That makes me wonder the same thing. Warm tones are so omnipresent now, to the near total exclusion of cool tones, as in some companies don’t sell any cool toned eye products at all.

      I never was a big UD fan, but I did buy the shadow primer for my sister’s present every year and then moved on to something else when she said it wasn’t working anymore. I don’t like the corporate buyouts; they limit everyone’s choices but it looks like we have more choice than ever.

  • OliveUnicorn

    I agree . My last big Urban Decay buy was the Elements palette and after that I really didn’t buy anything else from them . It was kind of a mixed palette too , like a few shades were wonky . I will agree with Too Faced , like I don’t like all their releases, but the newer palettes (papaya pop and Pumpkin Spice ) are both quality palettes.

  • Jen H

    I started a relationship with UD back a lonnnng time ago as an older teen, when they were just nail polish and lipstick sold in Nordstrom. They did it right back then. Rebels, completely awesome colors, edgy….I LOVED their stuff.

    I held on and continued to be a fan through the years, but I lost interest some time ago now. They were never the same, even before the L’Oréal purchase. They sure had something fantastic back then though. If they had had hung on and not given into the mainstream brown, they could have held on their unique piece of the market.

    • Isabella Muse

      100% Jen! They def could have hung on to a very good part of a unique market! And you’re right! Problems started before L’OReal and just got worst after!

  • Donna Mandelko

    So upset !!!! All the eyeshadows I use are gone. Time to find another line.

  • Ms Tanya Blakelock

    I think it’s because their eyeshadows are now vegan.
    Before they blended beautifully abs were smooth and almost moisturising .
    Since they went vegan they look uninspiring , they crumble and they do not blend well at all .
    Such a Shame as I loved Urban Decay eyeshadows and used to collect them

  • Oana

    UD is closing shop in Europe, focusing on UK and USA. So I went to loot some stuff, as everything was at 50%. Came home with 2 palettes, the Cyber and Ultraviolet, and for you know, good reasons, I also got Huda Mercury Retrograde. I can’t complain, these UD palettes are good and different than everything I have, there is some thought and quality to them. It’s just this feeling of not enough, they could have gone the extra mile but didn’t. One of many examples: the brush from Ultraviolet actually works better on highlighters so it should have been in Cyber, instead they put a brush that doesn’t pick up duochromes at all, in a palette of duochromes !? and the UV brush didn’t work at all with its own eyeshadows! I just swapped the brushes and it instantly improved both palettes. How crazy is that? And lots of small reasons like this that add up to “What the heck were they thinking?”.
    I was impressed by the Huda one but from all her line, it’s the only one that speaks to me. Still, it made me wonder why UD didn’t improve in the way of Huda? It was quite obvious the Naked full matte decade was over and out. They did use to sell Full Spectrum, it could have been reworked. I don’t know, it’s such a disappointment. My guess, the initial brain who was driving it is gone from the helm.

  • Jessi

    So I have some exciting news! UD just released a new palette! It is Naked #1680 and it features brown, tan, beige and… blush!!! Get it now!

  • Robin

    I know I’m late to this party, but wow I’m glad I’m not the only one!! I’ve been trying to make the new UD Primer Potion work but my shadow will fade by the end of the day and the formula is so watery compared to the old great one………. I don’t understand why they would mess with such a good thing. I actually HATE the wand they put in the primer bottle too!

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m so sad the formula changed so much 🙁 I don’t even use it anymore. It’s just not as good as it was!

  • Laura

    What I hate is that they continually discontinue colors that I love, especially in their Vice lipsticks and 24/7 Eye pencils. Over 7 of my very favorite colors are now gone. So, why even bother to shop them, when the very reason they WERE my favorite brand is no longer there? They were THE lipstick line when they had (was it 100? 90?) colors. Now it’s down to 34. Guess it’s off to MAC to find what I want, but I preferred UD when it was good.

  • Sarah O’Regan

    I used to love their compact foundation and was really disappointed when they discontinued it and I really miss the bright and bold colours they used to do. I used to blend the honey gold, graffit green and peace blue together in a gradient effect and topped it off with glitter liquid eyeliner. Then I was ready for a night on the town!