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Jeffree Star Cosmetics

Jeffree Star Cosmetics is an American makeup and skincare company founded in November 2014 and headquartered in Chatsworth, California .

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Jeffree Star Cosmetics
Jeffree Star Cosmetics
Jeffree Star Cosmetics
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Summary

Overview

Jeffree Star Cosmetics is an American makeup and skincare company founded in November 2014 and headquartered in Chatsworth, California [3]. It was created by Jeffree Star, an internet personality and former musician, and is privately co-owned by Star and his business partner Jeff Cohen [5]. The brand is known for highly pigmented colour cosmetics and built much of its early reach through its founder's large social-media following. It remains active: the company's website carries a 2026 copyright and continues to advertise new launches and restocks [1].

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Origin and founders

According to a five-part documentary series by YouTuber Shane Dawson, Star said the end of his music career had left him essentially bankrupt and that he used his remaining savings to start the brand [4]. Wikipedia records that he conceived the company in 2013 and invested his life savings to launch it the following year. The brand debuted in November 2014 with three Velour Liquid Lipsticks, which became its first signature product. TheIndustry.beauty directory describes the launch as quickly gaining popularity for its vibrant colours and long-lasting formula.

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History and milestones

After its lipstick launch, the company moved into eyeshadow, the category for which it became best known. Its first palette, Beauty Killer, arrived in May 2016, followed by Androgyny in 2017 and Blood Sugar in February 2018. Blood Sugar was the brand's first eighteen-pan palette; Capital FM characterised it as having "literally changed the game" for the company [6]. In an October 2019 documentary, Star said he had made more than $20 million from the Blood Sugar palette [3].

Later releases included Blue Blood (2019) and Jawbreaker (2019), the latter described by Wikipedia as the company's "biggest release to date". The brand also expanded beyond cosmetics into skincare, apparel and accessories.

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Ownership

The company is privately held and co-owned by Jeffree Star and Jeff Cohen. It is not part of a larger corporate parent. As of 2019 it reported around 100 employees. Estimates of annual revenue have varied widely: figures once placed sales near US$100 million, while later estimates cited approximately $45 million for 2022 and $31.7 million for 2023 [3].

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Philosophy and positioning

The company presents itself around bold, unconventional colour cosmetics, summarised on its site as "Highly Pigmented Makeup and High-Performance Skincare with Powerful Ingredients" [1]. It states that all of its products are vegan and cruelty-free [3]. The brand says its makeup is manufactured in Los Angeles using no imported ingredients [2]. Its audience has been characterised as drawn from YouTube beauty enthusiasts and fans of strongly pigmented colour cosmetics, and the brand developed what reviewers described as a cult following within that community.

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Products and innovation

Eyeshadow palettes remain the line most associated with the brand, alongside lip products, concealers, highlighters and a skincare range. Branded product lines on the company's site include the Magic Star concealer and the Magic Candy colour corrector. The single best-known release came from a November 2019 collaboration with Shane Dawson, the Conspiracy palette; Capital FM reported that one million palettes sold in under 30 minutes, after which it became a permanent part of the range [6].

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Controversies

In July 2020, the cosmetics retailer Morphe ended its retail and collaboration partnership with Star following allegations of racism, blackmail and manipulation [3]. The brand has also been the subject of several legal disputes, including copyright-infringement cases with Black Moon Cosmetics (2017, settled) and LunatiCK Cosmetics (2017–2018, dismissed), and a lawsuit filed by the estate of Anna Nicole Smith in October 2020 [3]. Separately, an April 2019 warehouse robbery caused roughly $2.5 million in losses; an FBI investigation reportedly yielded no leads [3].

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Current status

The brand is active. Its website is live with a 2026 copyright and an ongoing new-product launch and restock campaign, and editorial sources describe international shipping to markets including the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Spain and Canada [5].

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References

Sources

T1 primary · T2 secondary · T3 note
  1. [1]T1jeffreestarcosmetics.comjeffreestarcosmetics.com (brand site)
  2. [2]T2jeffreestarcosmetics.com/pages/faqjeffreestarcosmetics.com (brand site)
  3. [3]T3en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffree_Star_CosmeticsWikipedia
  4. [4]T3en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffree_StarWikipedia
  5. [5]T3theindustry.beauty/the_directory/jeffree-star-cosmetics/theindustry.beauty
  6. [6]T3capitalfm.com/lifestyle/jeffree-star-cosmetics-palette-names/capitalfm.com
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