When Rhode sold to e.l.f. For 1 Billion, we did a deep dive on the brand and the audience behind it.
Along the way we discovered three other beauty brands who will likely follow in e.l.f.’s footsteps with a big acquisition.
Wet n wild, Colour Pop, and Revolution Beauty are all brands similar to e.l.f. in the sense that they have a similar price point and strategy, and they are all manufactured in China.
Because all three compete on price, they all rely on Chinese manufacturing for their cost-effective formulas and large volume production.
So if tariffs continue to rise (which is likely the case), these brands will face similar pressures on their margins unless they do what e.l.f. did and diversify by acquiring a smaller creator-led brand.
Using Audiense we were able to analyze all three makeup brands and identify which creator led brand would make the most sense acquisition wise, based on audience overlap.
Check it out:
When we list smaller creator makeup brands, and assess the audience overlap - influencer Nikki Tutorials brand Nimya would be the perfect acquisition opportunity for a brand like Wet n Wild.
A partnership between these two, when the audiences are already so similar makes complete sense. Nimya is manufactured in the US and the UK, and this partnership would marry Wet n Wild’s broad reach but low audience engagement, with Nimya’s small reach but high audience engagement (just look at any of their social posts and you’ll see the difference).
It also lets Wet n Wild enter the skip prep category - right now they don’t have any of the skin prep products that Nimya offers. Plus NikkieTutorials has 15M+ YouTube subscribers and a massive global reach (especially in Europe).
Wet n Wild brings the distribution and scale and Nimya brings the credibility and culture - and their audiences already buy each other's products so it’s the perfect pairing.
Together, they could bridge drugstore accessibility with creator-driven trust, and give Wet n Wild a reason to be relevant to Gen Z again.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics emerges as a high-impact acquisition opportunity for a brand like ColourPop - and the customer overlap between these two brands is undeniable:
ColourPop has always owned the fast-beauty lane - including trend cycles, collabs, and viral TikTok moments - but in recent years, they’ve lacked the diehard fandom that built their early momentum.
That’s exactly what Jeffree Star Cosmetics still commands. While the brand has a smaller digital footprint today, its audience is fiercely loyal and high-converting - look at the comment sections, product drops, and restock alerts. His fans don’t just browse, they buy.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics also brings categories ColourPop hasn’t fully capitalized on, like bold artistry palettes, cult-loved liquid lips, and viral complexion products like the Magic Star Concealer.
And Jeffree’s reach? Still massive. Over 15M+ YouTube subscribers, 6M+ on Instagram, and a proven history of selling out makeup pallets in minutes (very similar to Hailey Bieber’s strategy). That kind of creator-led demand engine layered on top of ColourPop’s manufacturing speed and DTC infrastructure could be a powerhouse.
ColourPop brings affordability, and mass reach. Jeffree Star brings creative innovation and a global cult following.
Together, they could reignite ColourPop’s cultural edge and tap into a passionate customer base that still moves fast, spends big, and knows exactly what they want. And finally, Jeffree Star Cosmetics is manufactured in LA - so no tariffs.
When we evaluate creator-led beauty brands with high engagement and broad appeal, Lunar Beauty by Manny MUA stands out as a smart acquisition target for Revolution Beauty.
Revolution has always built its brand on accessibility/ inclusivity, and fast-turnaround trend drops - but what it’s lacking is a face the community rallies around. Manny brings exactly that:
Lunar Beauty also brings something Revolution doesn’t yet fully own: aesthetic sophistication + storytelling-rich product launches. Think: limited-run celestial themes, collector-style palettes, and packaging that feels personal and giftable.
This potential partnership offers clear wins:
Together, they could reintroduce Revolution Beauty to the creator economy with a brand that feels authentic and ready for Sephora.
And just like with Rhode, there’s a practical upside: Lunar Beauty is U.S.-manufactured, giving Revolution a hedge against rising tariffs and global supply chain volatility.
The Rhode acquisition proved that in today's beauty landscape, audiences trump inventory every time. As tariffs reshape manufacturing costs and Gen Z demands authentic brand connections, the smart money isn't on expanding product lines - it's on acquiring creator-led brands with devoted fanbases.
For Wet n Wild, ColourPop, and Revolution Beauty, the question isn't whether to follow e.l.f.'s playbook, but which creator partnership will get them there first.
Sign up for Audiense to discover which creator led label your brand should acquire.