As beauty junkies, we read voraciously about beauty brands online or in print media but for me, the only way to get up close and personal with a brand is by speaking to one of the brand’s representatives and if the representative happens to be from their Head Office, so much the better as they can give a more in-depth understanding and insight about the brand as they’d be working day to day with the people who manage and in some cases, the founder of the brand. In Urban Decay’s case, Brand Ambassador Steve Kassajikian was in town on Sunday to demonstrate the usage of the brand’s latest collection, Pulp Fiction. He had Sephora customers spellbound by his make-up skills and thanks to the wonderful people at Urban Decay, I had an opportunity to chat with Steve about everything Urban Decay.
As Urban Decay’s Brand Ambassador, what role do you play?
I have been with Urban Decay for 6 years. As Brand Ambassador, I focus on sales, on teaching customers about beauty with an edge (which is the brand’s mantra), helping women take risks in playing with colours, not to be afraid to express themselves. I love spending one on one time with customers helping them decide what to take home. I impart new tips, tricks and techniques for an every day or fun look and making women feel beautiful. Just an eyeliner and lipstick on a woman can make her feel more confident. Make-up is about an art of transformation.
Have you travelled around Asia and what’s the reception in Asia to Urban Decay?
I was in Singapore last year for the launch of the Vice 2 palette and have just come from Thailand where we launched Urban Decay. The response in Asia to the brand has been phenomenal They love the products and are not afraid to show how passionate they are about the products. It’s been overwhelming in the most amazing way. Make-up is a universal language as you can see and feel the energy and excitement of customers even though they don’t speak English. Everyone is hungry to learn more about Urban Decay and the products. They are open to trying and experimenting.
What would you say makes Urban Decay different from other make-up brands?
Urban Decay is about beauty with an edge, it’s a brand with its own twist and own look. It’s about being feminine, dangerous and fun. The products have substance and 100% do what they are meant to do. Wende Zomnir co-founded the brand in 1996 and is a beauty junkie who lives and breathes make-up. She believes in making make-up long-lasting as she is very active in sports and exercise like surfing and yoga. She believes in her products and still is very much part of the decision-making in coming up with new products. Wende is involved in every aspect of the brand from marketing, advertising, merchandising to testing. This is really what sets Urban Decay apart from other brands, that one of the founders is still so involved in everything to do with the brand. She is the heart of Urban Decay and this is what makes the brand successful.
What are your personal must-have/favourite Urban Decay products?
1. Urban Decay Primer Potion – a product I wear every day to absorb oil and keep skin matte.
2. Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup – blurs imperfections for a flawless finish, ultra definition coverage with a weightless feel. It’ll look like your second skin once you have this on.
3. Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette – multi-purpose for brows, eyes, liner, concealer, highlighter. This is a great palette with matte warm tones to start with for any look.
4. Setting Spray – ideal for the humid weather in Malaysia, make-up lasts for 16+ hours once you use the setting spray.
5. Naked2 Basics – a matte cool tones palette which will be available end of October. This is the sister palette to Naked Basics.
What are Urban Decay’s make-up trends for 2014 and how do we adapt these trends into our daily make-up?
The trends are bold and deep lips as well as ombre lips. We see a pop of colour for fall/winter. Go from darker in the middle of lips to lighter. Use 2-3 shades to add dimension. Shame Revolution lipstick can be paired with Venom 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil. It’s also about making a statement piece with bold eyebrows and loading up on lashes.
What products would you recommend to me?
Naked Skin Beauty Balm with the following benefits:-
- hydrates instantly and improves hydration over time
- blurs skin unevenness
- has SPF20
- primes skin
- contains DNA repairing ingredient
- helps colour correct skin
Naked Flushed Palette which contains blush, highlighter and bronzer shades. Naked (the original trio) contains medium-pink shades, Streak skews toward peachy/coral hues, Native is light pink-based, and Strip (the deepest of the four) has more of a mauve vibe. Good palette for contouring, highlighting and colouring.
Your make-up recommendations specifically for Asian women?
Eyeliner is a must to extend the eyes. Apply eyeshadows for a smoky look by using darker shadows as a base. Go lighter towards the brows as this helps accent Asian eyes and opens up eyes.
Great pic!
Thank you for the great tips! I love the recommendation for makeup since our face builds are different.