Urban Decay Again Defies Expectations

With product names such as "All Nighter," "Full Frontal," "Naked" and "Perversion," Urban Decay has been promoting its notion of "beauty with an edge" for almost 20 years. Launched in 1996, the cosmetics line offered an alternative to premium makeup's sweet standards of pink, red and beige. Urban Decay's colors — and the brand's overall attitude — were inspired by cityscapes and an electric underground vibe. So it may come as something of a surprise that Urban Decay's first brick-and-mortar store is set to open Monday at an upscale shopping mall overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach, Calif.