Jean-Michel Basquiat’s legacy lives on — through makeup! Urban Decay debuted a 12-piece collection inspired by the contemporary artist who died in 1988 at age 27. The limited-edition line includes blush, eyeliners, eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks and cosmetics bags.
“Beauty Junkies know art is makeup, makeup is art,” Urban Decay wrote on Instagram Wednesday, March 15, to introduce the collection.
In collaboration with Basquiat’s estate, the products — available in colors inspired by his works — are packaged using small reproductions of his pieces and feature his signature motifs. Even the shades’ names are based on his short yet high-impact life as one of the most well-known neo-expressionist painters.
As a graffiti painter in the ’80s, Basquiat transformed Lower Manhattan with his vibrant paintings and eventually began selling his works in SoHo galleries. The Brooklyn native covered New York Times magazine in 1985 and then in the height of his fame, tragically overdosed on heroin and died three years later.
Urban Decay shared a photo of its Most Addictive New Vice (UD’s version of a brand ambassador) Ruby Rose wearing various hues from the collaboration. “This is beauty with an edge,” the cosmetics brand captioned the March 15 social-media shot of the Orange Is the New Black star.
The Urban Decay x Jean-Michel Basquiat collection ($17 to $39) launches April 20 and will be “SERIOUSLY limited edition,” the company warned on Instagram. For beauty lovers who want to own the whole line, the UD Jean-Michel Basquiat Vault will set them back $165 — which is much less than any Basquiat piece goes for.
