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  • Sara Century

e.l.f. Beauty's True Crime Parody Calls for End to Cosmetic Theft

Playing ahead of the Mean Girls movie, the satire is the lengthiest branded content ever to run on the big screen.



Niecy Nash-Betts in e.l.f.'s parody.
Niecy Nash-Betts and others star in e.l.f.'s parody.


True crime isn’t always about murder. The genre can also include small-time scams, corporate espionage and, in e.l.f. Beauty‘s case, missing makeup.


The brand ventured into the true crime game with “Cosmetic Criminals,” which addresses the taboo topic of intergenerational makeup theft. This 15-minute satire uses the familiar formula of a hard-hitting documentary to tell the tale of a family torn asunder by their need for beauty products.


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