Urban Decay Award?

Okay, call me deeply suspicious but this whole Urban Decay story is really starting to jar with me. First, they are going into China where animal testing is mandatory totally against their animal testing policy, next they ‘have listened to their fans’ and aren’t going into China because of the uproar. Now, they’ve somehow scooped up an award – Courage in Commerce – from US PETA. For what? For making a massively commercial decision undermining every standard they ever stood for, realising they’d given themselves the worst PR since MAC and Rodarte, fleeing for the hills when they realised the outcry and swiftly reversing the decision? And then for that they receive a ‘Courage in Commerce’ award. Something is not right here… 

I can guarantee you that UD will go into China; the poisoning tests that China currently insists on are soon to be phased out anyway as the Chinese government is about to accept its first ever non-animal tests (largely aided, I might say, by US PETA scientists which is commendable). I’m feeling very much as though this entire thing might be a monumentally mishandled marketing drive. I don’t know that to be true of course, but it’s my personal feeling.


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10 responses to “Urban Decay Award?”

  1. I agree, that is a bit shifty! I don’t really think it deserves an award. You get an award like that for NEVER deciding to do animal testing. Sadly they did decide, then decided against it because of all the bad press (and rightly so!)
    A shame 🙁

  2. Courage?
    Cowardice. They wanted the Chinese market, they went for it, they suffered a backlash, they have a rethink.

    Principles and courage have NOTHING to do with any of this. If it was OK to go into China (which it wasn’t) then carry on.

    Sickening.

  3. An award can’t rose tint the fact that UD majorly compromised their values the second they even considered making sales in China considering they hold such strong ethical values against animal testing and pride themselves on this.
    Suspicious and stupid. Clearly the move was not thought through to be taking it back.

  4. Interesting opinion. Indeed very suspicious but i’m thinking US PETA wouldn’t give out an award for no good reason. We probably don’t know half of what has go on behind the scenes.

    Jules x

  5. BGissm

    Totally agree

  6. Alifeinbeautyam

    I totally agree. I think it was a PR Stunt that paid off well for them.

    They are a dissapointment to thier fans.

    And the award? Dissgracefull.

    Ami

    http://alifeinbeautyam.blogspot.com

  7. LydiaTheStrange

    My trust in them has been badly bruised, I’m super happy that they decided not to go into China at this time, but in no way do they deserve an award. They’re had a lot of attention recently, on their facebook and in the blogging community, just in time for them to drop the whole idea of China and bring out the next big palette.

  8. Just me, Leah

    My attachment to UD is an emotional one. My best friend introduced me to UD and used to buy me some UD for every Christmas and birthday, even though I’m really too old for sparkles (Sod the ‘rules’!)

    She died 4 weeks ago tomorrow and I was going to boycott UD, but kind of with a heavy heart because of the connections to and reminders of my friend (Despite my concerns about animal welfare – I know, it’s stupid.) Now I don’t know.

    I’m glad they’ve pulled out of China, but they did it for the wrong reasons. They did it because they knew the backlash was getting out of control. Anyone who’s been on their Facebook page in the last 2 weeks can attest to the PR car crash going on over there. They didn’t do it because they cared about the poor animals who were going to be tested on. They did it to protect their bottom line.

    Do I still use my Naked palette virtually every day? Yes.

    Will I buy from them again? I really don’t know. What I do know is I will never trust them as a brand again, and I think they’re going to need a miracle to recover as a company from this about-face.

  9. Anonymous

    There are different tests. There are tests on individual ingredients, etc. and tests on final products.
    And, there are animal products used in makeup that truly are not tested on other animals.
    There are lits if companies claiming to be cruelty free, but use ingredients another company HAS tested on animals..
    if you realky do NOT want cruelty in cosmetics, buy ‘vegan’.

  10. Charlie

    I haver never believed for one minute that the decision not to go to China was because they listened to the bloggers!

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