From the Mean Girls Musical to the Super Bowl, This Makeup Brand Is Everywhere Right Now (2024)

Founded:Joseph Shamah and Scott Vincent Borba in 2004

Based In:California and New York

Pricing:$2-$50

Best Known For:High-quality vegan and cruelty-free beauty at minimal markups, disruptive social media presence

Most Popular Product:The Poreless Putty Primer, which the brand claims is the #1 bestselling primer in America

Fun Fact:On August 29, 2023, e.l.f. announced it would be acquiring Naturium

Other Brands You'll Love:Keys Soulcare, Well People, Naturium

Halo Glow Liquid Filter

Is it a primer? A foundation? A highlighter? However you prefer to wear the Halo Glow Liquid Filter, one thing is for certain: You're going to love how your makeup turns out. Available in seven shades, this multi-use product blurs imperfections and imparts a subtle, soft-focus glow, leaving the skin looking, as contributing writer Lacey Brown notes in her review, "luminous but not overly highlighted."

Poreless Putty Primer

If flawless-looking makeup starts with a perfectly primed base, this $10 primer is a small—really small— price to pay for a smooth canvas. (And, if you ask me, it's a spot-on dupe for Tatcha's $52 The Silk Canvas Primer.) If you're seeking the same pore-blurring benefits but with a lighter-weight feel, check out the brand's recently launched liquid iteration.

Wow Brow Gel

If you lust over thick, voluminous brows, this $5 find can transform even the thinnest, most sparse arches in a few swipes. The wax-gel formula is infused with micro-sized, hair-like fibers to fluff up your brows and comes in four shades to define those arches.

Camo CC Cream

Perhaps one of the brand's most viral products—which, when it comes to e.l.f. Cosmetics is quite the feat—the Camo CC Cream combines broad-spectrum SPF protection, color correction, and skin-boosting ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide into a full-to-medium coverage foundation. If that sounds too tall an order, think again: Fans love this one for its natural coverage and skin-like finish. "As for wear, it stays fresh all day," contributing writer Emily Algar says in her review. "There's no oxidizing or grease—just soft, natural skin."

Power Grip Primer

The Power Grip primer is beloved for its tacky texture that perfectly fixes makeup in place without feeling drying or dehydrating on the skin. "My makeup did not move at all [over] about six hours," says contributing writer Janiah McKelton in her review. "I was exposed to humid weather, and my makeup still looked super fresh. I normally have lots of creasing around my eyes and nose, but using the primer kept the creasing to a minimum."

Holy Hydration Face Cream

Among the most beloved drugstore moisturizers on the market, the Holy Hydration Face Cream is arguably the hero product of the brand's Holy Hydration Range (though the Eye Cream is fan-favorite, too). The lightweight feel makes it great for all skin types, even if those with dry skin will find it especially beneficial. "After using it several times, I realized the cream was the common denominator on all of my good skin days," reviews writer Michelle Rostamian. "Thanks to the blend of hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump, niacinamide to brighten, squalane for elasticity, and peptides to promote collagen, I'm smitten."

19-Piece Brush Set

This is the most expensive item on e.l.f. 's roster, and trust us, it's worth every penny. Housed in a chic, travel-friendly roll-up case, this set of 19 vegan brushes equates to less than $3 per brush, all of which can be used with wet or dry products. It's a steal if there ever was one.

Putty Bronzer

Available in eight shades and various undertones—so you can warm up your complexion or add a touch of contour—the Putty Bronzer is a user-friendly way to add dimension to the face. "This product has a creamy texture that isn't thick at all—I'd liken it to a thin, gel-like feel—and e.l.f. classifies the formula as putty-to-powder, which is similar to cream-to-powder," explains makeup artist Khera Alexander in her review. "I love these... formulas because they create a lightweight, creamy finish that lays well on the skin, you have time to manipulate and blend the product, and [the] soft matte finish settles into the skin nicely without accentuating oiliness."

Contour Palette

We don't have to tell you that contour palettes can be expensive, but not this one. This collection of four powder shades sculpts, shades, highlights, and brightens your complexion for less than the price of your morning coffee. And the best part is it's infused with vitamin E, so you should never look dry or chalky.

Lip Plumping Gloss

Our favorite drugstore plumper, the Lip Plumping Gloss earns rave reviews for its non-sticky texture, color payoff (it's available in 10 shades), and cooling, comfortable formula that excels at pumping up the lips. Thanks to the inclusion of vitamin E and argan oil, it leaves lips feeling smoother, too.

Gentle Peeling Exfoliant

Quality peeling gels that roll away dead skin without harsh abrasives can easily run you between $40 and $60 a pop. This $10 version gives you the same satisfying exfoliation—via papaya extract—for a fraction of the price.

Halo Glow Beauty Wand

Another multi-use product from the Halo Glow range, the Contour Beauty Wand features a sponge applicator that makes sculpting the face a breeze. Actress Ashley Park likes to keep this one on hand: "It's the size of a chapstick, so I use it for eyeshadow and contouring my face," she tells us.

Big Mood Mascara

A volumizing and lifting formula, the Big Mood Mascara's wand—hourglass-shaped with dense bristles—helps the product give lashes a major boost. "I've run the gambit of lash lifts, lash extensions, and pricey prestige mascaras, and truly nothing compares to the natural, fluttery look I get from Big Mood," associate editorial directorHolly Rhuesays."Just a few coats give me a full-on falsies effect, coating my short, blonde, sparse lashes in a rich, jet-black formula that works like a push-up bra for my lashes."

1. Trevisol TC, Henriques RO, Souza AJA, Furigo A Jr. An overview of the use of proteolytic enzymes as exfoliating agents.J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021;10.1111/jocd.14673. doi:10.1111/jocd.14673