Urban Decay is done playing it safe. The brand that made grunge glam and glitter armor just launched its boldest campaign in years — and it’s not mincing words. Dubbed “Battle the Bland,” the campaign signals a fiery new era focused on uncensored beauty, radical self-expression, and a hard pass on algorithm-approved sameness.
Led by new Global Head Anika Majithia, the campaign is more than a vibe shift — it’s a middle finger to safe palettes and performative inclusivity.
“Personal identity is more filtered than ever,” Majithia notes. “Feeds blur together with safe makeup and censored beliefs. This isn’t just a beauty problem — it’s an individuality crisis.”
To detonate that crisis in full color, Urban Decay tapped Ariel “Ari” Kytsya, a TikTok creator and adult content icon known for her boundary-pushing honesty and agency over her body. In the campaign’s centerpiece film — an “anti-bland broadcast” — Ari storms the airwaves with a PSA against basic, beige beauty, urging viewers to unleash their primary character energy. Watch below:
“Most brands hesitate to collaborate with me because of the content I create,” Ari said. “Urban Decay didn’t just say yes — they celebrated me. No censorship. No tone-down. Just raw, real, and unashamed.”
That raw energy extends to Urban Decay’s new Resident Global Makeup Artist, Lochie Stonehouse, whose clients include Lorde, Billie Eilish, and Troye Sivan. Stonehouse is known for editorial chaos and next-level artistry, and will lead campaign looks while helping reinvent the brand’s product education with a “performer’s mindset.”
“This is about makeup that does the most — high-performance formulas, wild finishes, shades that don’t whisper,” said Stonehouse. “We want people to be the main character in their own story.”
Also joining the lineup: TikTok DJ Tara Yummy, now the face of Urban Decay’s reformulated All Nighter Setting Spray. The new formula promises 24-hour wear, perfect for outlasting rooftop sets and 3 a.m. confessions.
And coming later this summer? Urban Decay’s mystery encore ambassador — teased as a “princess turned rockstar, actress turned alt-pop siren.” No names yet, but the brand’s clearly stacking a coalition of culture-shakers, not safe bets.
Urban Decay is back, loud, and glitter-drenched — not asking for permission, and definitely not blending in.
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