Dive Brief: 

• E.l.f. Cosmetics teamed with Pinterest to create an artificial intelligence-powered color analysis tool called “color e.l.f.nalysis,” per details shared with Marketing Dive. 
• Consumers on a designated microsite can upload a selfie to receive a color-season analysis and discover makeup shades that complement their unique features. Participants will also get matched with a curated Pinterest board with shoppable E.l.f. products. 
• E.l.f. partnered with Pinterest’s insights team to map seasonal trends and with creators on the platform to develop season-specific content. The move follows Pinterest’s recent announcements around new AI-driven ad solutions and shopping trend forecasting.

Dive Insight: 

E.l.f. is making it easier for consumers to find their ideal makeup shades with its AI-powered tool, an innovation inspired by the growing number of individuals looking for online beauty analysis tests. There have been 1.6 billion makeup-related searches over the past year on Pinterest, along with a 22-times increase in interest around tools like “color season analysis,” per information shared in release details. While product recommendations are nothing new, E.l.f. has an opportunity to build loyalty with Gen Z consumers, who make up nearly half of Pinterest’s users, by offering personalized guidance in a way that's easily accessible.

The E.l.f. news comes on the heels of other AI-focused announcements that Pinterest revealed around this year’s Cannes Lions event, including auto-collages, an AI feature that allows advertisers to turn their existing Pinterest product catalog into thousands of shoppable collages in minutes. Macy’s is among the retailers currently working with the platform to test and provide feedback on the new solution, which is being piloted through Pinterest Ad Labs. 

Along with auto-collages, Pinterest enhanced its Trends tool with AI and visual clustering technologies to equip advertisers with deeper insights around what users are planning to buy next. In addition to leveraging search data, the tool leverages insights into what Pinterest users are saving, curating on their boards and shopping for. 

To use the E.l.f. color analysis tool, consumers on a microsite can either take a selfie or upload one from their camera roll and wait as the tool identifies their hue (warm or cool), value (light or deep contrast) and chroma (bright or muted). Users will receive their color season, offering insights into makeup shades that harmonize with their features, and will be redirected to Pinterest to receive their custom board with E.l.f. products that align with their results. 

To build the tool, E.l.f. worked with Pinterest to analyze its users’ search, save and shop behavior, which revealed insights like a 23% increase in “true summer makeup” and a 30% increase in “spring color palette analysis” that helped inform the curated boards. E.l.f. also teamed with Pinterest creators for season-specific content through the platform’s new creator partnership packages, a collaboration that enables creators to produce Pinterest-first content and maximize their reach using Idea ads with paid partnerships, per release details. 

The AI elements behind the e.l.f.nalysis experience are designed to complement, not replace, the human touch, explained E.l.f. Beauty’s Chief Integrated Marketing Officer Patrick O’Keefe in written comments to Marketing Dive. E.l.f. is approaching AI as an investment that will eventually be embedded across every function of business, from marketing and creative to talent, finance and the supply chain. 

“While tools are still being tested and refined, they're already accelerating execution, reducing manual workload and unlocking new levels of creativity — all with human oversight built in by design,” said O’Keefe. “Responsible AI is core to our approach, and we’re committed to ensuring that e.l.f. AI is inclusive, ethical, and representative of the diverse community we serve.” 

E.l.f. worked with social-focused creative agency Movement Strategy for the effort. The brand and Pinterest will showcase the tool at the Carlton Beach Club on June 19 during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where attendees will get a first look at the experience along with a mini seasonal makeup styling session.

E.l.f. has strategized other buzzy marketing plays of late, including a YouTube comedy special targeted at Gen Z consumers who forget to apply sunscreen. In February, E.l.f. Cosmetics stepped into the world of telenovelas, a type of soap opera primarily produced in Latin America, for a drama-filled series on TikTok.