Question 1

How does Urban Decay score in Clientele's Best Makeup Brands comparison?

Accepted Answer

Urban Decay scores 7.8 out of 10 overall, ranking number 4 of 12 in our independent Best Makeup Brands comparison.

Question 2

What is Urban Decay best for?

Accepted Answer

People who need makeup that holds through a full day or night without touch-ups. Stay Naked Foundation comes in 50 shades and is tested for oily skin.

Question 3

What are the pros and cons of Urban Decay?

Accepted Answer

Pros: All Nighter Setting Spray ($36) is formulated to prevent makeup oxidation and transfer over 16 hours. Stay Naked Foundation ($42) comes in 50 shades with specific undertone options across deep and dark tones. Available at both Sephora and Ulta. Loyalty points from either program can be applied. Vegan and cruelty-free. Maintained by keeping the brand out of mainland China, unusual for an LVMH brand. All Nighter Foundation ($42) is transfer-resistant and specifically tested for oily skin. Naked Eyeshadow Palettes set a palette standard in 2010. The pigment quality and blendability have held up against newer competitors. Cons: All Nighter Setting Spray has a high alcohol content. Can dry out skin with daily use, relevant for dry or dehydrated skin. Stay Naked Foundation is $42 for the same shade count as Fenty ($38, 50 shades). The value argument depends on the long-wear benefit. No skincare-forward ingredients. Unlike ILIA or Rare Beauty, Urban Decay products are makeup-only with no skin benefit claims. Some Naked Palette shades have been discontinued. Supply is no longer guaranteed for buyers who built a routine around specific shades. The edgy aesthetic competes with a much more crowded alternative makeup market than it did 10 years ago. Urban Decay was named in a 2022 Prop 65 lawsuit (Alameda County) alleging the Stoned Vibes Eyeshadow palette contains respirable, unbound titanium dioxide particles. But a federal court permanently enjoined this entire category of claim in August 2025, ruling Prop 65's TiO2 cancer-warning requirement for cosmetics unconstitutional under the First Amendment, which blocks new lawsuits like this one and undercuts pending cases making the same allegation.