Urban Decay Replaces All Lipsticks With New Vice Line

Urban Decay announces a summer 2016 lipstick release to replace the prestige beauty brand’s existing lip products.

May 5, 2016 – Cult beauty brand Urban Decay has announced the release of 100 new lipsticks through an exclusive story on Refinery29. Famous for many of their high quality products and huge shade selection, the release will coincide with a line of 50 new, matching lip pencils.

Urban Decay’s new Vice collection will replace all other lipsticks currently sold by the brand. The new collection will include 74 new shades in addition to reformulated versions of its most popular shades—some of which are currently in stores, and some of which are discontinued. Of particular note is the return of the shade Gash, which was discontinued and had to be resurrected as an online-only product when customers demanded its return. Now, it and some other old favorites will be back in stores with an improved formula.

All of the lipsticks will be available on June 5, 2016. The Vice line will include 6 different finishes: Mega Matte, Comfort Matte, Cream, Metallized, Sheer, and Sheer Shimmer. Concurrent with this release, 50 new lip liners were created to match the new colors and consistencies of the lipsticks. Though the price of the lip liners is yet unknown, each tube of the Vice lipsticks will retail at $17. At this time, three of their current lipstick lines (Revolution, Matte Revolution, and Sheer Revolution) are being offered at half price in preparation for the Vice release.

Urban Decay, owned by parent company Loreal, has been an industry leader in prestige cosmetics for over 15 years. Well known for their eyeshadow palettes, award-winning eye pencils, and makeup setting sprays, they have always provided consumers with consistently high-quality products in a wide range of colors and finishes.

Emma, Beauty Junkie

Urban Decay Customer Service:  1 (800) 784-8722

The Only Lip Kit You Need: Sephora’s Secret Weapon

Marvelous Mauve

Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain, specifically in the shade Marvelous Mauve, has risen far above all other cream lip colors. It's exactly the 90’s lipcolor resurgence that everyone wants—and needs. The cool medium pink of Marvelous Mauve flatters warm, cool, and neutral skin tones from the palest ivory to deepest ebony. With just the tiniest hint of brown, its retro roots are perfectly balances with modern trends. This Sephora Collection treasure is the secret weapon for any look: cool, classic, glamorous, or girl-next-door.

The formula glides on, but dries down into a soft, matte stain within seconds of application. Once it dries, it doesn’t budge without the help of an oily makeup remover. When applied with care for a defined shape, “perfect pout” is an understatement. Marvelous Mauve gives the illusion of fuller lips without the hassle of fillers or overdrawing, and an initial layer of lip liner is optional. For a different finish, glosses and balms layer comfortably and increase lip volume even more.

Marvelous Moxie is an intoxicating shade and an essential, but beware: Sephora Cream Lip Stains are so good that just one might not be enough!

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Real vs. Fake

Let's talk lashes.

On one side, there are fake eyelashes, affectionately known as "falsies."
On the other, are varying types of mascara. For example, Benefit Cosmetics' "They're Real!" mascara.

It seems like, when it comes to eyelashes, everyone wants them bigger and bolder. But why the battle between what's "fake" and what's "real"?

Lashes are only one example of this battle. Beauty itself is often seen as something that is fake. The phrase, "beauty is only skin deep" is often used to condemn an interest in outward appearances. It shifts focus to "inner" beauty (generally consisting of a person's interests and character traits).

But really, it's not that simple.

Yes, too much focus on cosmetics is harmful to all of us. But a person can be "fake" on the inside. And a person's interest in cosmetics and appearances can be completely genuine. A makeup artist's work is not shallow just because they're changing someone's appearance. When people look good, they feel good, and when they feel good, their personality shines. Inner and outer beauty may not be the same, but they're not as separated as people seem to think.

In the same way, fake eyelashes and mascara are too similar to separate. They both give their wearers a boost, but in different ways. False eyelashes are actual imitations of human eyelashes, secured with glue. Mascara is combed onto the eyelashes with a tiny brush, coating the lashes and making them look bigger. Either way, the original eyelashes are still there, and the person wearing them is the same person.

So, falsies or real lashes? Either will do. A little makeup won't change who we are.

Eyeliner Gives You Wings

The slogan for Red Bull energy drinks reads, "Red Bull Gives You Wings," implying that it will improve your energy so much that you can fly.

But I think makeup can be better than an energy drink. Especially eyeliner. A good winged eyeliner look (also known as a cat-eye) swoops upward to a point, extending the eye upward and outward to add drama. The "wing," to many makeup users, is one of the most iconic and powerful looks. Some people even get their black eyeliner tattooed onto their eyelids, so that it will never wash away. Though I do advocate taking off your makeup at night, I can see why some people want their makeup to be a permanent feature.

Makeup is powerful. That's why it's been around for so long.

Makeup can hide perceived flaws. Some flaws are real (like a pimple) and some are imagined (like face shape, which makeup users have recently begun altering with makeup). In some ways, hiding a flaw with makeup can be a way of hiding oneself. But I believe that makeup's power can be used for good.

Colors directly affect mood, and lipstick, eyeliner, blush, etc., all come in different colors. With makeup, we can change people's perception of us to what we want it to be. If I feel standoffish, I can say so without a word; I'll just make the wings of my eyeliner bigger and darker. If I want to look glamorous, I will wear deep red lipstick. If I want to look cute, I will wear blush. These are the most familiar ways of using makeup, but there are so many more. And with each new way of wearing makeup, there is a new mood, and a new moment of awe and inspiration once the look is complete. Because when it is finished, we see ourselves in a new light, and we see our own potential.

An energy drink may give you a buzz, but makeup can give you the power to change your look--and your life.

Take Off Your Makeup (Tonight)

After a night out, I often find myself deciding whether or not to take off my makeup before going to bed. If I choose yes, I have to wash my face and apply moisturizer. If not, I can fall into bed and wake up to deal with the consequences.

Glamorous: smudged eyeliner and mussed hair.

Not Glamorous: flaking foundation, lipstick on my chin, bits of mascara trapped in my eyeball.

I'm often tempted to use the "glamorous" side-effects to outweigh the negative, not-glamorous ones. But actually, smudged eyeliner and messy hair are both things that I can create later, after I wake up. It take much more work to remove stubborn makeup, deal with newly-formed acne, and risk an eye infection in the process.

Quick morning-after damage control:

• Leave your eye makeup alone for now.
• Wash base makeup off as soon as possible.
• Wash again, to be sure all the residue and sweat is gone.
• Find a gentle, moisturizing lotion, without scent. Use it all over the face.
• Use a tiny dab of the same lotion, on the tip of your finger, to wipe away eye makeup selectively. Leave some subtle traces of eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara, but tone it down.
• Put on some lip balm.
• Take care of the rest of your body. Drink water and eat something.

But when in doubt, just take it all off.

And consider one more thing: washing off makeup can be a soothing process instead of a hassle. Just like a hot cup of herbal tea, washing one's face at night can be the perfect relaxing routine before bed. Maybe you'll even fall asleep faster. And then, in the morning, we can all wake up to a clean slate.

Pimple Peace

We tend to be our own worst critics:

We see our flaws, we want to fix them, and we worry.

A blemish grows, and the anxiety of having a pimple leads our fingers to poke it and squeeze it, until the pimple finally ruptures and gets goop all over your face. It also leaves you with an ugly red wound, and, probably, a physical scar.

• Damage Control: Acne flare-ups can be covered by makeup and treated with natural remedies, like a paste made of honey and cinnamon, or scientifically proven ingredients like salicylic acid, which is present in many skincare products made to combat acne. If all else fails, find a good local dermatologist for ongoing skin problems, or schedule a facial with an esthetician to take care of a breakout.

But who wants to go through all that trouble every day? Not me. That's why I keep trying to leave my face alone, and stop touching it all the time. I stop smudging all the bacteria from my hands onto my face, by keeping my hands off of it entirely, I can reduce the number of breakouts I have. Then, I'll stop stressing about my breakouts. Then, because professionals always say that stress causes breakouts, my lower stress levels will help me avoid more breakouts.

By making peace and embracing the flaws we see in the mirror, we can create positive change in ourselves both physically and mentally. That's the sort of change I want to see.