Bucking Convention
Challenging the industry standard of costly cosmetics, e.l.f. says, "The buck stops here."
Vital Stats:
Scott Vincent Borba, 31, and Joey Shamah, 23, of e.l.f. Cosmetics
(Eyes.Lips.Face.)
Company:
cosmetics company where every product costs $1
2005 projected
sales: $7 million to $10 million
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East Meets
West: "I've always loved the idea of making people
feel and look beautiful on the outside and inside," says
Shamah. He was a New York University business student working for
his family's apparel company when, at a party, he met Borba, a
Los Angeles beauty-industry veteran who helped launch Hard Candy
cosmetics along with a handful of re-launches for high-end
hair-care and cosmetics lines. Between Shamah's international
sourcing contacts and Borba's extensive experience, an idea was
born.
Dollar Daze:
After discovering that higher-income consumers shopped at dollar
stores, Shamah and Borba saw a perfect opportunity to nestle their
cosmetics into the dollar market. Borba says they target these
customers by offering "the same benefits, look and ingredients
for a reasonable price."
Cosmetic
Procedure: During the month of October, e.l.f. donated 20
percent of the proceeds from its Shimmering Facial Whip to help
fund Win Against Breast Cancer's research and services, and
provided makeup in Color Therapy Care Packages to breast cancer
patients in inner-city hospitals in Los Angeles.