The Influencers Behind e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Recent Successes

A common sense of nostalgia can be felt by most women today when we hear about the brand e.l.f. Cosmetics. A cult beauty brand that simultaneously promises its fans high-quality, cruelty-free, yet affordable products. But over the years, with the rise and increasing hype of luxury and celebrity beauty brands like Rare Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, Fenty Beauty and more, the once popular drugstore beauty brand has seemingly faded away in the midst of the ever-growing beauty industry — or has it? 

Although the accessible beauty brand has suffered within the past few years, since 2020, it seems like e.l.f. Cosmetics is officially making a comeback. The brand has successfully relied on and utilised the power of social platforms like TikTok to tap into its Gen-Z target audience whilst establishing innovative ways to work with micro-influencers and trending personalities. 

So how did the beauty brand manage to strategically set itself apart?

E.l.f. Cosmetics has successfully paid careful attention to the interests of Gen-Z influencers, initially being one of the first beauty brands to leverage the power of TikTok marketing. E.l.f. Cosmetics’ eagerness to appeal to what’s trending in the content creator world has the brand building relationships and collaborations with micro-influencers with target audiences that align with the brand. 

For instance, Meredith Duxbury is the new face for e.l.f. Cosmetics’ latest campaign. The content creator and makeup artist has a pulse on consumer demand and has the perfect social presence in the beauty industry that naturally goes hand in hand with the brand’s target audience. 

There is probably no makeup brand that beauty content creator and makeup artist Danielle Marcan have not collaborated with. From Charlotte Tilbury, YSL Beauty, Pat Magrath, ISAMAYA Beauty, and of course, e.l.f. Cosmetics. She regularly posts content relevant to the evolving trends circulating on the social feeds of her followers (for example, creating makeup looks inspired by trending TV shows or moments of culture), which is very important for the brand’s relevancy in the Gen-Z community. 

In the spirit of keeping an ear to current conversations and trends, a face that e.l.f. Cosmetics has continuously collaborated with is Chloe Cherry. She’s an influencer and the star of the TV show Euphoria – a show that grew popular on social media for recreating its character’s makeup looks amongst the audiences that the brand targets. The now content creator has worked with big-name brands in the beauty world, such as Urban Decay and Mac Cosmetics, featured in publications like PAPER Magazine, Hypebeast and i-D and collaborated with fashion brands like Blumarine, GCDS, and Versace.

The brand has also authentically circulated content into innovative and up-and-coming social platforms for target audiences, pioneering their campaigns through applications like BeReal and Twitch. Intent on keeping its reputation as the favourite makeup brand amongst Gen-Z consumers. Australian Twitch gaming streamer Kathleen Belsten, who goes under Loserfruit or Lufu, has partnered with e.l.f. Cosmetics to launch e.l.f. U (University). An initiative that looks to support female gamers in “a male-dominated gaming world”, attempting to merge the world of gaming and beauty. Through working with the gamer, the brand continues to advance on emerging digital platforms.  

Additionally, 2023 officially became the year the Gen-Z favourite beauty brand solidified its position in the game. It expanded its reach by creating meaningful partnerships with brand ambassadors with a sense of relatability and significance in current social and cultural trends. For the first time ever, the brand’s latest campaign was released in a 30-second TV commercial during this year’s Super Bowl, starring The White Lotus’ Jennifer Coolidge. 

These collaborations effectively represent the brand’s intention of exploring ways to transcend different categories in their community and as a super brand in culture, existing through equal parts of beauty and entertainment.