Wende Zomnir, Urban Decay and caliray Makeup Mogul
Learn how she commercialized sustainable, indie beauty. Plus, get her top beauty picks!
Wende Zomnir is a modern beauty industry pioneer. She envisioned a shake-up on an unsuspecting and stodgy beauty industry and unleashed Urban Decay from her Laguna Beach bungalow in 1996, filling the void with makeup that fueled a beauty revolution.
Urban Decay democratized beauty before anyone else and Wende paved the way for the indie beauty movement and every beauty entrepreneur.
After transforming the beauty industry (and helping grow Urban Decay to $1 billion in annual retail sales and elevating it to the #1 brand spot at both Sephora and Ulta, then selling the brand to L'Oreal), Wende, a lifelong surfer, was faced head-on by the amount of plastic trash in the ocean while riding the waves. So she turned her sights on another beauty revolution: sustainability.
In October 2021, Wende Zomnir co-founded Caliray, a west coast beauty brand made of clean formulas, dirty minds, and sexy sustainability. The Sephora Clean + Planet Positive brand blends makeup with wellness to create innovative concoctions with innocent ingredients.
🚨 I love browsing Wende Zomnir’s TikTok for countless makeup tips. See her profile here!
How Wende Zomnir made indie beauty brands household names
We were honored to host Wende Zomnir on the Beyond Beauty by Dillie podcast, where she shared her career evolution.
Wende founded Urban Decay in 1996, before Sephora opened their doors. At the time, indie beauty brands faced significant manufacturing barriers to entry due to:
The early stage of the Internet
The total absence of social media
And the challenge of creating unique products
Determined, Wende asked a body shop where they sourced car paint, in the hopes that the manufacturer would also create nail polish. That lead connected her to a nail polish manufacturer in New Jersey, sparking a referral chain to makeup component and lipstick manufacturers. 💄
On top of creating products that weren’t available on the market, Urban Decay was going against the culture at the time with a brand revolved around self expression, and not unrealistic beauty expectations.
🚨 Urban Decay Instagram featured here.
Building caliray: Wende Zomnir’s vision continues ✨
After Urban Decay gained significant popularity with its bold makeup products, Wende Zomnir sold the company to L'Oréal in 2000 to expand the brand globally, and Zomnir remained with the company for several years after the sale. Reflecting on her time at Urban Decay, she shared:
“At Urban Decay, all of our boxes were made with FSC certified, recycled paper. I even tried to do Bioplastics 18 years ago. I also took all parabens out of Urban Decay products, basically making them clean before clean was a thing and nobody cared at the time, but I cared.”
That commitment to sustainability led to the creation of caliray, her second beauty brand.
“Caliray was about taking everything I believed in and infusing it into a new makeup brand. It’s time for beauty and wellness to intersect.”
🚨 See caliray’s Instagram here with its ultimate California, sun-kissed beauty feed.
On sustainability in beauty
Wende Zomnir discusses the ongoing efforts and challenges in sustainable beauty.
“We still tap a lot into small plastic vials. Even though they are made from PCR (post-consumer recycled), which is great, beauty still has a long way to go because these small items are not really curbside recyclable. My mascara tube is made out of ocean plastic. This gloss is in recyclable glass. The caps are made from PCR, so the materials have a second life. Making small packaging recyclable is really the next step in sustainability for beauty, and we're always finding out new information.”
For those interested in how to recycle their small beauty empties, Wende recommends bringing them to a Sephora Pact bin. ♻️ Here, she discusses why:
Entrepreneurship advice from someone who’s lived it
As a two-time entrepreneur herself, Wende provides words of wisdom for entrepreneurs experiencing burnout:
“You want to look for people who are really resourceful. You’ve got to look for people who don’t need to have their hand held. If you don’t have the money to hire that fancy agency, how are you going to still get that done?”
Beauty brands require the right team and network. Wende's golden nugget advice for improving these relationships? Handwritten notes ✍️
Wende Zomnir’s Beauty Recommendations
When Wende Zomnir met with us, we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to get her product favorites, both from her own brand and others. Here’s what she swears by:
Caliray So Blown Blurring Primer
“This is one of the best things I’ve ever made! It’s a collagen peptide-infused blurring primer that virtually erases pores and fine lines. And primers like that are usually the texture of spackle. But this one is lightweight and hydrating! It’s clear, but complexion-perfecting. My college-age sons use it to minimize the look of acne and redness, so it works for everyone.”
Caliray Blurry Blush
“I love Blurry Blush because the long wearing formula won’t quit, it blends out like an airy dream, and we infused it with Kaolin clay to make pores seem to disappear! I love how I can use it sheer, build up the color for a brighter pop, or even use two shades for a dimensional effect. Whether I tap it in with my fingers or buff it on with a brush, I love the gorgeous blurry effect!”
R&Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo
“I’ve tried lots of dry shampoo, but keep going back to this one because I like how fresh it makes my head feel, plus how effective it is at absorbing oil and keeping my blowout going strong. My blonde is balayage, so the roots are dark; this never looks powdery or leaves a white cast.”
Ranavat Brightening Saffron Serum
“This is aromatherapy plus skin love in a bottle. This is my go-to face oil for when my skin is feeling stressed or sensitive. I warm it up, press it in, and it sinks right in for a glowy, hydrated feeling. The golden color is intoxicating, and my friend Michelle cooked this up with the most luxurious blend of oils.”
Lansinoh Lanoline Nipple Cream
“I have been obsessed with this stuff since I got some as a baby shower present. I didn’t like it for nursing, but I didn’t want to throw it away. So I started using it as lip balm and now I won’t go anywhere without it. It’s more natural than a petroleum-based product, yet stays on all night. I even use it on my cuticles. All of the men in my house now use it too and have nipple cream in their must-have product stash!”
Urban Decay Moondust Shadow in Space Cowboy
“I created these sparkly shadows over 12 years ago, and they are still bestsellers at Urban Decay. I love to use them wet for maximum micro-sparkle effect. You can still get my original formula that uses slurry technology and diamond-like sparkle. Try it on the center of your upper lid and the inside corner of eyes to light them up!”
Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt
“It smells amazing and it’s reasonably priced! It’s a sexy sandalwood fragrance and I love the roll-on oil version. I also like that the perfume oil format travels easily, so I never have to leave my scent behind.”
A pioneer of confidence and empowerment through beauty
Throughout the evolution of both of these brands, Wende Zomnir has remained true to her vision of using beauty as a powerful tool for self-expression, confidence, and empowerment. We're confident that this timeless message, more relevant than ever, has only fueled the success of her brand creations.