by By Kate Wischhover
Cosmetics brand, e.l.f. is no newcomer to the beauty industry. Founded in 2004, e.l.f. Cosmetics, an acronym for eyes, lips, face, has been representative of what those in the beauty industry refer to as, “drugstore” makeup.
Throughout its 20 years of production, the brand has maintained its initial goal of providing customers with high-end makeup and beauty products with reasonable and affordable price tags. After 20 years, e.l.f. remains a brand that people trust for quality products.
“Dupes” All Day
One of the key ways that e.l.f. has maintained its popularity is through its social relevance. The brand manages to draw people in and create buzz around products both old and new. Once a product is trending on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the brand meets that demand head-on.
E.l.f. has recently gotten lots of attention, even becoming known for its “dupes,” or products that mimic the formula of other popular products. E.l.f. understands what is popular and why, it recognizes where other makeup companies are succeeding and nearly replicates their products, only cheaper. While the company would never claim that this replication is on purpose, the brand has become notorious for its affordable “dupes,” especially with the online beauty community.
The most notable replica product of late is the “Camo Liquid Blush.” This new product has recently gone viral on TikTok, with users claiming that the product mimics the liquid blush produced by Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty.
Last year, beauty influencers and makeup artists raved about Charlotte Tilbury’s, “Hollywood Flawless Filter,” shortly after, e.l.f. released its “Halo Glow” product, with a nearly identical function. The product went viral, selling out in most stores.
Leveraging The Resurgence Of “Suits”
In terms of marketing, e.l.f. ads are truly demonstrative of how the brand maintains their relevance. The brand most recently ran an ad during the Super Bowl featuring cast members from the popular TV show, “Suits.”
“Suits” hasn’t aired since 2019, yet the show has recently experienced a resurgence. It broke streaming records late last year after being added to the Netflix catalog and has been frequently discussed on social media since.
Enter e.l.f. The brief commercial featured during Super Bowl LVIII featured a host of well-known celebrities including Judge Judy Sheindlin, Meghan Trainor and several members of the “Suits” cast. With “Suits” experiencing such a resurgence, the presence of the show’s recognizable faces draws attention and recognition to the brand.
E.l.f. may not be the most expensive or luxurious of makeup brands, but there is no denying that when it comes to remaining relevant and recognizable, they know what they’re doing.
Great post, Kate. I agree that e.l.f. has been doing a great job recently. I remember a decade ago when I began wearing makeup, e.l.f. was seen as a cheap brand and did not hold as high of a reputation as it does now. I think TikTok has been crucial for their current popularity. They have done a great job paying attention to makeup trends and offering buyers drugstore versions of popular products. This allows everyone to participate in trends. I think the Super Bowl commercial being “in elf we trust” was super smart because that is definitely how their audience feels about their products.
I loved your blog post, Kate! What has always sparked my interest in e.l.f. Cosmetics is how they are not getting backlash for these dupes. The products they claim are not dupes always launch immediately after the product they copied. I am all for the affordability and quality of e.l.f., but I wonder when these companies will call them out.
Nice post Kate! Growing up I remember thinking the brand e.l.f. was cheap makeup that probably didn’t work as well as expensive makeup. I was never into makeup growing up so I didn’t really understand anything about it. I thought e.l.f. was the makeup you would get from your mom as your a child experimenting with makeup for the first time. While maybe this is true, I totally see e.l.f.’s comeback. I love their products because they are affordable and work just as well as expensive products. This brand has done a great job of staying relevant, and maybe even more popular now!
Hi Kate!
Great job on your post. I own some elf products myself and I can see why they are still relevant by making dupes for more expensive products of the same quality for a third of the price. I haven’t seen the new Mean Girls musical but I heard they push heavy product placement for e.l.f. as well
Hi Kate! I found your post to be so insightful. I have just started to get back into elf products and absolutely love them now. It feels like a full circle moment because it was also one of the first brands I ever used. I agree that this brand did such a good job reinventing themselves with their quality and placements.
Kate, your analysis of e.l.f. Cosmetics beautifully captures the essence of why the brand continues to thrive in the beauty industry. Your exploration of e.l.f.’s strategic approach to staying socially relevant, particularly through the creation of affordable “dupes,” is spot on. I found your discussion about e.l.f.’s ability to leverage cultural phenomena like the resurgence of “Suits” to be particularly insightful. Great work!