From left : Jenna Dover, the brand’s “vibeologist,” and Wende Zomnir, the “khaleesi” PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIRAY
Urban Decay founder Wende Zomnir has teamed up with Jenna Dover to launch a brand-new beauty company based in Newport Beach. Say hello to Caliray.
How did Caliray Beauty come about? WZ: Before Caliray, while building Urban Decay, I was traveling a ton and meeting journalists and customers from all around the world, and I really felt like every question they had was about surfing and the California lifestyle. I realized that there is this real fascination with California, the West Coast and the archetypal freedom that it implies. I always think about things in terms of beauty, and I began to think a lot about how I could capture that lifestyle in beauty. This sparked my interest in creating Caliray, a brand that captures the free spirit of California.
Free Dreaming Skin Wellness Diffusing Tint PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIRAY
How has Southern California inspired this line? JD: Caliray is our love letter to California. It’s filled with the lived and breathed vibes in SoCal. I don’t think it’s any surprise that both Wende and I, like so many people you meet in California, moved here from somewhere else. This place has a way of capturing the imagination, and, no, it’s not just the weather. There’s a bewitching sense of possibility, of innovation, of freedom, and all its dramatic natural beauty; it moves something within you. To us, the Golden State represents so much more than just a place on a map. It’s a portal to another world, where self-expression, unity and sustainability are all the rage.
A look at Caliray’s debut collection including its Surf Proof Easy Glider Eye Definer pencils PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIRAY
“CALIRAY IS OUR LOVE LETTER TO CALIFORNIA.” –JENNA DOVER
Glazed & Infused Plumping Glassy Lip Trip in Likely Story, a nude-peach hue PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIRAY
What have been some of the highlights of launching the brand thus far? WZ: Being able to have a second act in the beauty business is a highlight in itself for me. But, most importantly, the biggest highlight is working with people I enjoy and admire. From the Caliray team, including Jenna, Ngoc (who I met at Urban Decay) and my husband (the former CFO of Volcom), it’s a dream team of my favorite people. I feel so lucky to have partnered with Sephora again because I love collaborating with them.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIRAY
Which products should we start with? JD: I’d recommend the Free Dreaming Skin Wellness Diff using Tint, Glazed & Infused Plumping Glassy Lip Trip and Come Hell or High Water mascara. These three are all you need for a makeup routine that’s easy enough for every day, but they’re also reliable. With Caliray, we want you to live more and have fun, feeling confident that your makeup is keeping up with your lifestyle.
Come Hell or High Water clean mascara. PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIRAY
Tell us which product you can’t live without. WZ: If I had to choose just one favorite, it’d be the Come Hell or High Water mascara. I saw a hole in the clean-beauty space with mascaras. I couldn’t find a clean mascara that was volumizing enough or long-wearing enough. Jenna and I both love beach volleyball, surfing and hot yoga (like any good Californian), so we knew Caliray’s mascara needed to last through anything. The Caliray mascara just hits all those marks and performs so well. The packaging is also made of 100% upcycled ocean plastic and it’s sprayed with low-impact decoration and inks so that it can be recycled again. I think most people in Orange County are attuned to the importance of environmental responsibility, especially since the recent oil spill. We are pushing our packaging to be as sustainable as possible, and we’ll always try to keep improving it so that the footprint becomes smaller and smaller. We’re definitely not perfect, but it’s an ongoing mission for us.
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