ELF and Liquid Death bring corpse paint to life with coffin-shaped black metal makeup kit

27 Mar 2024 --- ELF Cosmetics and canned water company Liquid Death come together as “challenger brands on a one-way path to disruption” to create a black-metal-inspired makeup vault. 

Liquid Death says “ELF was the perfect partner to bring this collaboration to life because they could help bring this versatile, everyday look to the masses with high-quality, cruelty-free products.” The company markets its products with metal and gothic motifs to play on the “fun marketing of unhealthy brands” and has the tagline “Murder your thirst.” It says ELF was the top choice for a collaboration. 

The Corpse Paint Vault is a limited-edition coffin-shaped makeup kit with five products, including a setting spray, lipstick, cream eyeshadow, eyeliner and makeup brush. 

“When you set out to create a different kind of company, it’s important to align yourself with like-minded kindred spirits. ELF and Liquid Death share a passion for self-expression and unexpected creativity. We’ve had a lot of fun — and a lot of laughter — bringing corpse paint to life. Pun intended,” says Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer at ELF Beauty.

The companies say the corpse paint look was “influenced by people who aren’t afraid of making a strong statement,” and users should “be prepared to murder [their] eyes, lips and face.” 

Black metal goes mainstream
ELF x Liquid Death Corpse Paint Vault retails for US$34. The collection includes:

• Dead Set: Matte Magic Mist & Set setting spray.
• Kiss of Death: O Face Satin Lipstick in All Night.
• Eye Die: No Budge Cream eyeshadow in Wispy Cloud.
• Dead Line: H2O Proof Eyeliner Pen.
• Brush with Death: Makeup brush applicator.
• Closed Casket: Removable coffin keepsake box. 

ELF Cosmetics and Liquid Death launches a limited-edition makeup vault for metal-inspired looks (Image credit: ELF).“No one knows more about makeup than the black metal community. Think how many times they’ve put it on or taken it off with every show,” says Andy Pearson, VP of creative at Liquid Death. 

Corpse paint was made famous, in large part, by legendary rock band Kiss.

ELF includes a “how to” guide for achieving the corpse paint look. It says consumers should use the provided brush to apply Eye Die all over the face, pressing into the skin, then swiping lips with Kiss of Death, applying it in large circles around the eye area and blending it out. It then suggests creating irregular, jagged lines with Dead Line around the edges of the lipstick, followed by the Dead Set spray to mattify the skin.

ELF cosmetic sales are soaring, as evidenced by the company’s most recent earnings report, with its products constantly trending on social media apps, including TikTok.

ELF Cosmetics just opened its first European office in London to further its commitment to growing the company’s international business. Across its business practices, the company said it is prioritizing three areas for overall growth and market penetration: Color cosmetics, skin care and expanding internationally. Global net sales grew 119% year-over-year in the last quarter (Q3 FY24).

By Sabine Waldeck