e.l.f. Beauty
An American beauty brand built around accessible pricing, trend-responsive cosmetics, skincare, and digital-first community marketing.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
e.l.f. Beauty, originally known as Eyes Lips Face and commonly styled e.l.f., is an American cosmetics and skincare brand founded in June 2004 by Joseph Shamah and Scott-Vincent Borba, with assistance from Shamah's father, Alan Shamah. The brand was created around a simple proposition: make contemporary beauty products available at prices substantially below traditional prestige cosmetics while maintaining appealing packaging, broad shade and product selection, and a strong sense of experimentation. The original assortment contained only 13 makeup products. Over time, e.l.f. expanded into complexion products, eye makeup, lip color, blush, bronzer, mascara, mineral cosmetics, brushes, professional tools, bath products, skincare, and related beauty accessories. Its historical product architecture included e.l.f. Studio, e.l.f. Minerals, and e.l.f. Essentials. By the 2020s, the business had largely consolidated its consumer-facing designations around e.l.f. Cosmetics and e.l.f. Skin. The company presents its products as vegan and cruelty-free, positioning those attributes alongside affordability and trend accessibility. Retail distribution has been central to the brand. Products have been sold through the e.l.f. website and through major American retailers including Target, CVS, Sephora, Walmart, Ulta, and Dollar General, as well as regional drugstores, supermarkets, and discount apparel retailers. Target became an especially important early retail partner: the brand's low-priced and Studio products began expanding across Target stores in 2010 and 2011. International distribution subsequently extended e.l.f. to numerous markets, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Spain, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia. The company's website became more than a transaction channel. After an initial retail rollout that was only partly successful, e.l.f. relaunched its website as an e-commerce operation in 2004, allowing the company to serve customers directly and respond quickly to demand generated by editorial coverage. It later added a beauty blog, advice content, makeup-artist assistance, a virtual makeover tool, customer profiles, product recommendations, wish lists, community functions, and educational videos. The site was reported to have more than two million members and historically generated a substantial share of sales. In February 2014, TPG Growth acquired a majority stake in e.l.f. Cosmetics. Around the transaction, Joseph Shamah was replaced by Tarang P. Amin as president, chief executive officer, and director. The business later operated as e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. and became publicly traded under the ticker ELF. Amin's tenure has been associated with continued expansion of the core cosmetics brand, digitally oriented marketing, retail growth, and a willingness to use acquisitions and partnerships to broaden the portfolio. The brand has expanded beyond basic makeup through acquisitions and collaborations. In 2023, e.l.f. announced and completed the acquisition of Naturium, a West Hollywood-based skincare brand, for $355 million. In 2025, it announced an agreement to acquire Rhode, the beauty brand founded by Hailey Bieber, for up to $1 billion; the transaction was subsequently described as completed in August 2025. e.l.f. said it intended to expand Rhode into European Sephora stores in 2026. Marketing has increasingly combined social platforms, entertainment, gaming, inclusion themes, and sports. Initiatives have included online casting, cause-related promotions, the digital series Vanity Table Talk, the Roblox experience e.l.f UP!, a public-company board diversity campaign titled So Many Dicks, and sponsorship of Katherine Legge in IndyCar and NASCAR. In 2025, e.l.f. became the first beauty sponsor of the National Women's Soccer League in a three-year partnership that included athlete development and the Glow for Glory Contest. Today, e.l.f. is best understood as an accessible, mass-market beauty platform rather than only a low-price makeup label. Its differentiation rests on affordable products, rapid response to beauty trends, broad retail availability, digital community building, vegan and cruelty-free claims, and marketing designed to engage younger and socially active consumers while retaining reach across a broad age range.
History
e.l.f. Cosmetics was established in June 2004 by Joseph Shamah and Scott-Vincent Borba, with support from Alan Shamah. The name derives from Eyes Lips Face, reflecting the brand's initial focus on basic color cosmetics. Its founding proposition challenged the conventional beauty hierarchy by pairing modern product presentation with unusually low prices. The company began with 13 products and initially encountered difficulty achieving consistent placement in physical retail. Its early presence included discount and dollar-oriented outlets, but a pivotal distribution change came when the company rebuilt its website as an e-commerce channel in 2004. The online store allowed e.l.f. to reach consumers directly after Glamour indicated that national availability was necessary for broad editorial exposure. Subsequent magazine coverage helped drive online demand and established the website as a major commercial and community platform. During the late 2000s, e.l.f. invested in email marketing, promotional referrals, online events, and interactive beauty content. The site developed a blog and advice column in 2007, live access to in-house makeup professionals, digital makeover functions, customer profiles, product recommendations, wish lists, videos, and community publishing tools. This digital orientation helped the brand cultivate a large membership base and maintain a direct relationship with customers. The product portfolio expanded into skincare, bath products, mineral cosmetics, professional tools, brushes, eye and lip products, complexion products, blush, bronzer, and mascara. In 2011, the principal lines were e.l.f. Studio, e.l.f. Minerals, and e.l.f. Essentials. Retail growth also accelerated: low-priced and Studio products entered more than 700 Target stores in 2010, followed by broader Target availability in 2011. The brand also developed distribution through CVS, Walmart, Ulta, Dollar General, Sephora, drugstores, supermarkets, and discount retailers. In October 2004, shortly after its founding, e.l.f. donated a portion of sales from its Shimmering Facial Whip product to breast-cancer research and facilities and provided care packages to patients in inner-city Los Angeles hospitals. In 2007, it promoted a PETA fur-free initiative through sales of specially packaged tweezers. Following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the company ran an online campaign that contributed a portion of online purchases to Red Cross relief efforts in Japan. A major ownership and management transition occurred in February 2014, when TPG Growth acquired a majority stake. Joseph Shamah left the chief executive role, and Tarang P. Amin became president, CEO, and a director. The business subsequently developed as e.l.f. Beauty, Inc., a public company traded under ELF. Its operating model continued to combine mass retail, direct-to-consumer commerce, social content, frequent digital promotions, and a value-oriented product proposition. The 2020s brought broader brand-building and portfolio expansion. e.l.f. continued to use entertainment and social platforms while entering interactive media through the 2023 Roblox experience e.l.f UP! It also launched Vanity Table Talk, featuring celebrity guests and distributed across major social-video platforms. In 2023, the company acquired Naturium for $355 million, strengthening its skincare presence and contributing to the more visible e.l.f. Skin designation. The company increasingly connected its brand to representation and participation beyond cosmetics. Its 2024 So Many Dicks campaign drew attention to the low representation of women on public-company boards by comparing the number of board members with traditionally male names to the number of women serving overall. In sports, e.l.f. sponsored Katherine Legge at the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and extended the relationship into NASCAR in 2025. It also announced a three-year partnership with the National Women's Soccer League, including athlete-development programming and the Glow for Glory Contest. In 2025, e.l.f. announced an agreement to acquire Rhode, Hailey Bieber's skincare and beauty brand, for up to $1 billion; the transaction was later described as completed in August. The company indicated plans to broaden Rhode's European presence through Sephora in 2026. The same period also brought reputational criticism over an advertisement featuring Matt Rife and Heidi N Closet. After public reaction, e.l.f. stated that the campaign was intended to address beauty injustice humorously but recognized that it had failed to meet the expectations of members of its community. The brand's historical development therefore runs from a small, low-cost online cosmetics seller to a public beauty company with mass retail distribution, a substantial digital ecosystem, an expanded skincare portfolio, acquisition ambitions, and a marketing strategy that blends product accessibility with social participation and cultural conversation.
- 2025
Rhode acquisition announced and completed
[1]e.l.f. announced a planned acquisition of Rhode for up to $1 billion and the transaction was reported as completed in August.
- 2024
Indianapolis 500 sponsorship
[1]e.l.f. sponsored Katherine Legge's No. 51 IndyCar and was identified as the first beauty brand to serve as a primary Indianapolis 500 sponsor.
- 2023
Naturium acquisition completed
[1]e.l.f. completed its $355 million acquisition of the skincare brand Naturium.
- 2014
TPG Growth acquired majority ownership
[1]The investment was accompanied by Tarang P. Amin's appointment as president and CEO.
- 2011
Major Target rollout continued
[1]e.l.f. expanded availability across most Target outlets and organized its assortment around Studio, Minerals, and Essentials lines.
- 2010
Target distribution expanded
[1]The brand's low-priced and Studio products entered more than 700 Target stores.
- 2007
Digital beauty community expanded
[1]e.l.f. added a beauty blog, advice content, and other interactive features to its website.
- 2004
e.l.f. Cosmetics was founded
[1]Joseph Shamah and Scott-Vincent Borba founded the brand in June, with assistance from Alan Shamah.
- 2004
The website became an e-commerce channel
[1]The company relaunched its product website as a direct online store after early retail distribution proved limited.
Products and positioning
Accessible, trend-responsive beauty with value pricing and vegan, cruelty-free product claims.
Color cosmetics · 2004
e.l.f. Cosmetics
The core makeup assortment includes complexion products, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, gloss, blush, bronzer, and related color products. It is built around accessible pricing, trend-led launches, a broad consumer age range, and distribution through both direct e-commerce and mass, drug, specialty, and discount retailers.
Skincare
e.l.f. Skin
The skincare designation includes products such as cleansers, moisturizers, and other routine-focused treatments. It represents the brand's expansion beyond makeup and became more strategically important after e.l.f. acquired Naturium in 2023.
Professional and advanced makeup · 2011
e.l.f. Studio
Historically positioned as a more professional-oriented makeup line, Studio offered products intended for makeup artists as well as consumers seeking a broader or more technical assortment.
Mineral makeup · 2011
e.l.f. Minerals
The Minerals line was organized around mineral-based makeup and formed one of the company's principal product designations in the early 2010s.
Everyday cosmetics · 2011
e.l.f. Essentials
Essentials was the value-focused line for routine makeup needs, reinforcing e.l.f.'s strategy of offering everyday beauty products at particularly accessible prices.
Skincare brand
Naturium
Naturium is a West Hollywood skincare brand acquired by e.l.f. in 2023. The acquisition broadened e.l.f.'s skincare portfolio and added a distinct brand platform to its beauty portfolio.
Skincare and beauty brand
Rhode
Rhode is the beauty brand founded by Hailey Bieber. e.l.f. announced its acquisition in 2025 and stated that it planned to expand Rhode into European Sephora stores in 2026.
Controversies
2025
Controversy over Matt Rife advertising campaign
An August 2025 advertisement featuring comedian Matt Rife and drag performer Heidi N Closet attracted criticism because of Rife's earlier controversial jokes, including material characterized as sexist and body-shaming. e.l.f. responded publicly that the campaign intended to address beauty injustice through humor but acknowledged that it had missed the mark.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Katherine Legge NASCAR partnership
United States
The brand supported Legge in selected NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series events, including at least seven reported national-series races.
Outcome. Continued motorsports visibility
- 2025NWSL partnership and Glow for Glory Contest
United States
e.l.f. became the first beauty sponsor of the National Women's Soccer League in a three-year partnership combining league sponsorship, talent development, a youth-athlete contest, and Footballco content.
Outcome. Athlete support, sponsorship, and leadership programming
- 2024So Many Dicks
United States
The campaign highlighted the underrepresentation of women on public-company boards by comparing the number of board members with common male names to the number of women serving overall.
Outcome. Public discussion of board diversity and representation
- 2024Katherine Legge Indianapolis 500 partnership
United States
e.l.f. sponsored Katherine Legge's No. 51 IndyCar for the Indianapolis 500, extending the brand into professional motorsports.
Outcome. Beauty-brand sports sponsorship
- 2023Vanity Table Talk
Global digital
A monthly digital series distributed on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, beginning with an episode featuring Jennifer Coolidge.
Outcome. Social and entertainment content program
- 2023e.l.f UP!
Global digital
A Roblox tycoon-style experience allowed users to play as entrepreneurs in a branded virtual environment.
Outcome. Interactive gaming and youth engagement
- 2011Mi & You Can Make a Difference
United States · Japan
Following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, e.l.f. donated 5% of online purchases to Red Cross recovery efforts in Japan.
Outcome. Disaster-relief fundraising
- 2010Face of e.l.f. casting program
United States
e.l.f. invited customers of different ages and ethnicities to submit for annual model selection, with finalists receiving New York makeovers and participating in a brand photo shoot.
Outcome. Customer participation and brand representation
- 2007PETA Fur Free Campaign
United States
The brand sold tweezers in packaging supporting PETA's fur-free campaign, directing 50% of proceeds from that product to PETA.
Outcome. Cause partnership and cruelty-free brand positioning
- 2004Shimmering Facial Whip breast-cancer initiative
United States
e.l.f. donated 20% of proceeds from Shimmering Facial Whip to Win Against Breast Cancer research and facilities and provided Color Therapy Care Packages to patients in inner-city Los Angeles hospitals.
Outcome. Cause-related fundraising and patient support
Brand decisions
2025
Announced acquisition of RhodeM&ABackground
The transaction was intended to broaden e.l.f.'s beauty portfolio and add a globally recognizable skincare and beauty brand.
Action taken
e.l.f. announced an agreement to acquire Rhode, founded by Hailey Bieber, for consideration of up to $1 billion.
Aftermath
The acquisition was reported as completed in August 2025, with planned expansion into European Sephora stores in 2026.
Maximum stated acquisition consideration. Up to $1 billion (Announced May 28, 2025; completion reported in August 2025)
2025
Responded to criticism of advertising campaignOtherBackground
An advertisement featuring Matt Rife and Heidi N Closet was criticized because of Rife's previous controversial comedy material.
Action taken
e.l.f. issued a public response stating that it had listened and that the campaign had missed its intended mark.
Aftermath
The controversy became a reputational issue associated with the campaign, while the company reaffirmed attention to its community's feedback.
2023
Acquired NaturiumM&ABackground
e.l.f. was expanding from core color cosmetics into a broader skincare and beauty portfolio.
Action taken
The company announced and completed the acquisition of Naturium for $355 million.
Aftermath
Naturium strengthened the company's skincare presence and complemented e.l.f. Skin.
Acquisition price. $355 million (2023 acquisition announcement and completion in October 2023)
2014
Accepted TPG Growth majority investmentM&ABackground
The company sought a new ownership and management structure as it continued to scale its affordable beauty model.
Action taken
TPG Growth acquired a majority stake in e.l.f. Cosmetics.
Aftermath
Tarang P. Amin replaced Joseph Shamah as president and CEO, and the business later operated as a public company under ELF.
2004
Shifted the website toward direct e-commerceStrategyBackground
Early retail placement was only partly successful, while national editorial exposure created the possibility of substantial direct demand.
Action taken
e.l.f. relaunched its website as an online store and developed it into a broader beauty-content and community platform.
Aftermath
The website became a major sales and customer-engagement channel.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
E.l.f. Beauty maintains lower prices on selected products[3]
Reported:
After receiving tariff refunds, E.l.f. Beauty walked back many previous price increases and kept selected products at lower prices after finding that only 10% of items saw a meaningful sales increase.
- Unconfirmed
E.l.f. Cosmetics names Joaquina as its brand ambassador[4]
Reported:
E.l.f. Cosmetics has named artist Joaquina as its brand ambassador, with the announcement made alongside her second album drop.
e.l.f. Cosmetics and Chipotle announce a collaboration[5]
Reported:
e.l.f. Cosmetics and Chipotle announced a collaboration involving a limited-edition vegan makeup set inspired by Chipotle's menu and a beauty-inspired vegan bowl. The article said the makeup set and bowl would launch on March 10.
Chipotle and E.l.f. announce limited-edition makeup collection[6]
Reported:
Chipotle and E.l.f. announced a limited-edition makeup collection themed around Chipotle ingredients, with four products, as well as a vegan burrito bowl created for the collaboration. The collection was due to launch on March 10 and be sold exclusively on the brands’ websites and NTWRK.
- Unconfirmed
e.l.f. Beauty acquires W3ll People[7]
Reported:
e.l.f. Beauty acquired clean beauty brand W3ll People for US$27 million. The article describes the acquisition as the company's first strategic extension.
Sources7 sources
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