UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No.     )

Filed by the Registrant   x                             Filed by a Party other than the Registrant   ☐

Check the appropriate box:
¨ Preliminary Proxy Statement
¨ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
x Definitive Proxy Statement
¨ Definitive Additional Materials
¨ Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
x

 No fee required.
¨ Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
(1)
Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
(2)
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
(3)
Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
(4)
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
(5)
Total fee paid:
¨ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

¨ Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
(1)
Amount Previously Paid:
(2)
Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
(3)
Filing Party:
(4)
Date Filed:
 


2018 proxy statement
notice of annual meeting of stockholders

elflogosmall.jpg



Tuesday, May 22, 2018
9:00 a.m., local time
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607




front_cover.jpg



inside_frontxcover.jpg


table of contents



elfbeautylogo.jpg



page
2021 PROXY STATEMENT
Letter from our Chairman and CEO&
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS






August 26, 2021
8:30 a.m., Pacific time
Virtual Meeting








Proposal 1: Election of Class II Directors

Continuing Directors14
Roles and Responsibilities of the Board of Directors17
Board Composition17
Board Leadership Structure17
Director Selection Process18
Director Independence19
Risk Oversight19
Meeting Attendance19
Board Committees19
Director Compensation21

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Corporate Governance Guidelines
Communications with our Board of Directors
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance


General26
Named Executive Officers26
Compensation Setting Process26
Compensation Components26
Employment Agreements29
Compensation Risk Assessment29
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation29
Executive Compensation Tables30



Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm35
Audit Fees and Services35
Pre-Approval Policy36
Audit Committee Report36

Policy and Procedures37
Related Persons Transactions During the Year37
Rule 10b5-1 Plans38

Other Business for Consideration39



TABLE OF CONTENTS
pagepage
Letter from our Chairman and CEOCompensation Philosophy, Objectives, and Design
Notice of Annual Meeting of StockholdersCompensation Setting Process
IntroductionCompensation Program Components
Our Board of DirectorsOther Compensation Information
Proposal 1: Election of Four Class II DirectorsCompensation Committee Report
NomineesExecutive Compensation Tables
Continuing DirectorsSummary Compensation Table
Our Board of DirectorsGrants of Plan-Based Awards
Membership and Key AttributesOutstanding Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The Role and Responsibilities of our BoardStock Option Exercises and Stock Vested
How our Board is OrganizedAdditional Tables
How our Directors are SelectedCompensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
How our Directors are EvaluatedEquity Compensation Plan Information
Meeting AttendanceOur Stockholders
How our Directors are PaidBeneficial Ownership of Common Stock
How You can Communicate with our BoardStockholder Engagement
Our CompanyStockholder Proposals
Our Executive OfficersAudit Matters
Our Team, Culture, and ValuesProposal 3: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Certain Relationships and Related Party TransactionsAudit Fees and Services
Corporate Governance MaterialsPre-Approval Policy
Executive CompensationAudit Committee Report
Proposal 2: Advisory Vote to Approve Compensation for our Named Executive OfficersAdditional Information
Compensation Discussion and AnalysisQuestions and Answers
Named Executive OfficersAnnex A: GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation Tables
Executive Summary
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

2021 Proxy Statement


elfingamazing.jpg
2021 Proxy Statement
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg


LETTER FROM OUR CHAIRMAN AND CEO
Dear Fellow Stockholders,
FY 2021 was a year unlike any other, with the unprecedented events that took place across our country and communities. While our business results certainly stand out, these results were years in the making. We were strong entering the pandemic, and we leaned into our strengths—our digital engagement, core value proposition, and ability to adapt at “e.l.f. speed”—to continue to fuel our performance. We have now posted nine consecutive quarters of net sales growth.
image57.jpg
Tarang Amin
Chairman and CEO
elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statementi


e.l.f. Cosmetics was the only top five U.S. color cosmetics brand to post growth and gain share in FY 2021. Our FY 2021 results demonstrate that our business model and competitive advantages are robust, as we successfully navigated a challenging landscape and strengthened our market position.
page
No Incorporation by Reference39
Annual Report39
Internet AvailabilityOur mission to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face is more important than ever. Since our founding, we’ve had a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. As of March 31, 2021, we were one of only five public companies listed in the United States with a board of directors with over 55% women and over 20% Black or African American representation (out of nearly 4,000 public companies). We’re also proud that our employee base, which, as of March 31, 2021, was over 75% women, over 40% diverse, and over 60% Millennial and Gen Z, is representative of the diverse consumers we serve.
Looking ahead, we believe we’re still in the early stages of realizing the full potential of our business. In the year ahead, we plan to continue to focus on executing our five strategic imperatives:
1.Driving brand demand.
2.Major step-up in digital.
3.Delivering industry-leading innovation of prestige-quality products at extraordinary prices.
4.Driving productivity with our national retail partners.
5.Delivering cost savings to fuel brand investments.
We commend the hard work of our Board of Directors and our team, who rose to the occasion to navigate a challenging environment. As we continue to leverage our strengths, we believe we are well positioned to deliver growth to increase stockholder value and lead with purpose as we strive to make the best of beauty accessible for all.
We are pleased to invite you to attend our 2021 Annual Meeting Materials
39
Stockholders Sharing the Same Address39
of Stockholders. Your vote is important to us.
Proxy CardThank you for your ongoing support of, and continued interest in, e.l.f. Beauty.
41Sincerely,


ii2018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpgtarangsignaturea08.jpg



elflogosmall.jpg
April 10, 2018
To Our Stockholders:
We cordially invite you to attend the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. The 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. local time, at e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.’s offices located at 570 10th Street, Oakland, California 94607.
The matters expected to be acted upon at the meeting are described in detail in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and proxy statement.
Your vote is important. Please cast your vote as soon as possible over the Internet or by completing, signing and returning a proxy card so that your shares are represented. Your vote will mean that you are represented at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders regardless of whether or not you attend in person. Returning the proxy card does not deprive you of your right to attend the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and to vote your shares in person.
On behalf of management and our Board of Directors, we thank you for your continued support of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
Sincerely,
 tarangsignaturea05.jpg
Tarang P. Amin
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
201812021 Proxy Statement1


elflogosmall.jpg
notice of annual meeting of stockholders
E.L.F. BEAUTY, INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

whenwhererecord date
August 26, 2021 at 8:30 a.m., Pacific timeVirtual Meeting
meetings.computershare.com/MW2Q9Z9
July 6, 2021
when:Tuesday, May 22, 2018, 9:00 a.m., local time
where:e.l.f. Beauty, Inc., 570 10th Street, Oakland, California 94607
record date:March 23, 2018
items of business:businessvoting recommendation
1.“FOR” all of the 3 nominees for Class II director
2.“FOR”
3.
3.
“FOR”
4.Transact other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting.annual meeting.
recommendation:
The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR each nominee and FOR proposal2.
admission:Proof of share ownership as of the record date will be required to enter the Annual Meeting.
proxy materials:We encourage you to carefully read the proxy materials as they contain important information about the Company, the Annual Meeting, and the items of business to be voted on at the Annual Meeting.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
scottsignaturea03.jpg
Scott K. Milsten
Corporate Secretary

Oakland, California
April 10, 2018
YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT! Make your vote count. YourPlease cast your vote is very important. Whether or notas soon as possible, even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, please promptly vote over the Internet or by completing, signing, dating2021 annual meeting. For information about registering, attending, and returning your proxy card or voting instruction form so that your shares will be represented at the Annual Meeting. Submitting your2021 annual meeting, please see under the heading “Additional Information—Important Information Regarding the Virtual Meeting” on page 78 of the proxy now will not prevent you from voting your shares at the Annual Meeting, as your proxy is revocable at your option. Please note that if your shares are held by a broker and you wish to vote at the Annual Meeting, you must obtain a proxy issued in your name from your broker.statement.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be Heldheld on May 22, 2018August 26, 2021.
: The Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Proxy Statement, Proxy Card and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended DecemberMarch 31, 20172021 are available at www.envisionreports.com/ELF.

We are making the proxy statement and the form of proxy available on or about April 10, 2018.
www.edocumentview.com/ELF.

22018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg




proxy statement summary
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary does not contain all information you should consider. Please read the entire proxy statement carefully before voting. For more complete information regarding the Company’s 2017 performance, please review the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (the “2017 Annual Report”).
The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (the “Company”) is providing these materials to you and soliciting the enclosed proxy in connection with our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), which will take place on May 22, 2018. The Annual Meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. local time at the Company’s headquarters located at 570 10th Street, Oakland, California 94607.
You are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and are requested to vote on the proposals described in this proxy statement, as well as any other business properly coming before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting. Directions to the Annual Meeting may be found on our website at http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/ir-resources/contact-us.
Only stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 23, 2018, the record date for the Annual Meeting, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or at any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting.
annual meeting of stockholders


record date

March 23, 2018

mailing date

This proxy statement was first made available to stockholders on or about April 10, 2018.

meeting agenda

The meeting will cover the proposals listed below under “Proposals,” and any other business that may properly come before the meeting.

voting

Stockholders as of the record date are entitled to vote. Each share of common stock of the Company is entitled to one vote.

date: May 22, 2018

time: 9:00 a.m. local time

place:   Company Headquarters
             570 10th Street
             Oakland, California
             94607
Directions to the Annual Meeting may be found on our website at
http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/ir-resources/contact-us


internet.jpg
phone.jpg
voting
ml.jpg
inperson.jpg
Vote by InternetvoteVote by internetPhonevoteVote by mailMail*Vote by Ballot
    Go to www.envisionreports.com/ELF (record holders)
    Go to www.proxyvote.com (beneficial owners)
    FollowAccess the steps outlinedwebsite indicated on the secure website
Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, proxy card, or voting instruction form.
Call the number on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, proxy card, or voting instruction form.
Stockholders of Record: Sign, date, and return yourthe proxy card
Beneficial Owners: Sign, date and return your or voting instruction form to your brokerin the postage-paid envelope.
*if you requested paper materials
Attend the 2021 annual meeting and vote your shares using the online ballot.

By Order of the Board of Directors,
skmsignaturea01.jpg
Scott Milsten
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Oakland, California
July 16, 2021
elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statement3

proxy statement summary

proposals2021 Proxy Statement
proposalboard recommendationreason for recommendationsee page
Election of three Class II directors2
ü Forelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
Each Nominee
The Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believe the three Class II director nominees possess the skills, experience, and diversity to effectively monitor performance, provide oversight, and advise management on the Company’s long-term strategy.
Ratification of appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) as independent registered public accounting firm for 2018
üFor
Based on the Audit Committee’s assessment of Deloitte’s qualifications and performance, it believes their retention for fiscal year 2018 is in the best interests of the Company.


     director nominees
     
 nameageprimary occupationcommitteesdirector sincesee page 
 Lauren Cooks Levitan52Chief Financial Officer of Fanatics, Inc.Audit, NomGov201612 
 Richelle P. Parham50General Partner at Camden PartnersNone201812 
 Richard G. Wolford73Advisor; Former executive of multiple companiesAudit, Comp201413 
IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

INTRODUCTION
Our Company and Brands
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (NYSE: ELF) (“e.l.f. Beauty” or “we”) is a multi-brand beauty company that offers inclusive, accessible, cruelty-free cosmetics and skincare products. Our mission is to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face.
We believe our ability to deliver 100% cruelty-free, premium-quality products at accessible prices with broad appeal differentiates us in the beauty industry. We believe the combination of our fundamental value equation, digitally-led strategy, as well as our world-class team’s ability to execute with speed, has positioned us well to navigate a rapidly changing landscape in beauty.
Our brands are:
image18.jpg
e.l.f. Cosmetics makes the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face by offering high-quality, prestige-inspired cosmetics and skincare products at an extraordinary value, all formulated 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
w3llpeoplelogo1.jpg
W3LL PEOPLE is a clean beauty pioneer, raising the standard for high-performance, plant-powered, cruelty-free cosmetics since 2008. W3LL PEOPLE’s product-line includes 35+ EWG VERIFIED™ products, a leading standard of “clean and healthy” in the beauty space.
keyssoulcarelogo.jpg
Keys Soulcare is a lifestyle beauty brand created with artist, producer, actress, and New York Times best-selling author Alicia Keys. With an inclusive point of view, an authentic voice and a line of skin-loving, dermatologist-developed, cruelty-free offerings, Keys Soulcare aims to bring new meaning to beauty by honoring ritual in our daily life and practicing intention in every action.
elf-cosmetics.jpg
w3ll-people.jpg
keys-soulcare.jpg
Our brands are available online and in leading beauty, mass-market, and clean beauty specialty retailers. Our brands are positioned to touch diverse consumer cohorts at different price points. All three of our brands have accessible pricing relative to their competitive set and further our mission of making the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
32021 Proxy Statement

audit matters     
The Audit Committee has selected Deloitte as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2018. Deloitte was the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2017 and 2016. 
 Type of Fees2017
2016
see page 
 Audit Fees$1,163,560
$2,675,580
 
 Audit-Related Fees$52,835
$
 
 Tax Fees$59,646
$14,872
 
 All Other Fees$240,000
$
 
 TOTAL FEES$1,516,041
$2,690,542
 
IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Below is a chart of our brands and how we view them based on distribution and price point:

brandpositioning.jpg

Our Board and Our Team

Diverse and Highly Experienced Team

Our Board of Directors (our “Board”), management, and employees are highly experienced, with proven track records managing and growing brand portfolios. At e.l.f. Beauty, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe it is important that our team reflects the diverse consumers we serve. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion starts at the top with a highly skilled and diverse Board.

We are proud to be, as of March 31, 2021, one of only five public companies listed in the United States with a board of directors that has over 55% women and over 20% Black or African American representation (out of nearly 4,000 public companies). We’re also proud that our employee base is representative of the diverse consumers we serve.



9
Directors
220
Employees
56%
Women
33%
Diverse
77%
Women
63%
Millennial/Gen Z
42%
Diverse
1 of 5
Public Companies
with
>55%
Women on
Board of Directors
and
>20%
Black Representation
on Board of Directors
4*2018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg
Employment statistics represent our employees in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, where over 70% of our workforce is located.


proxy statement summary


board of
directors
        
 
graphs2.jpg
 
   
 Average Age:56.4 years 
   
 Average Tenure:2.1 years 
   
 
Our directors have or exhibit:

 
 
* a proven track record
* personal and professional integrity
* public company board
* experience
 
 
* innovative thinking
* diversity of expertise and experience
* extensive operational
* experience
 
 
* financial and accounting
* expertise
* knowledge of corporate governance
* practices and requirements
* significant retail and
* consumer packaged goods
* experience
 
 nameageindependent?committeesclassterm endssee page 
 Tarang P. Amin53NoNoneIII201914 
 Lauren Cooks Levitan52YesAudit, NomGovII201812 
 William E. McGlashan, Jr.54YesComp (Chair)III201914 
 Richelle P. Parham50YesNoneII201812 
 Kirk L. Perry51YesNoneI202015 
 Beth M. Pritchard70YesNoneIII201915 
 Sabrina L. Simmons55YesAudit (Chair)I202016 
 Maureen C. Watson50YesNomGov (Chair)I202016 
 Richard G. Wolford73YesAudit, CompII201813 
    executive officers
    
 nameageposition 
named
executive
officer?
see page 
 Tarang P. Amin53Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director Yes 
 John P. Bailey37President and Chief Financial Officer Yes 
 Richard F. Baruch, Jr.50Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer No25 
 Jonathan T. Fieldman48Senior Vice President, Operations No25 
 Scott K. Milsten48Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corp. Sec. & Chief People Officer Yes25 


2021 Proxy Statement4
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
Strong, Independent, and Active Board
89%
independent

key qualification/experiencenumber of directorskey qualification/experiencenumber of directors
image34.jpg
Consumer Products
lllllllll
7 out of 9
techdigitalmedia.jpg
Tech/Digital Media
lllllllll
6 out of 9
image89.jpg
Retail/Beauty
lllllllll
4 out of 9
image92.jpg
Operations
lllllllll
5 out of 9
image98.jpg
Financial/Accounting
lllllllll
4 out of 9
otherpubliccompanyboards.jpg
Public Company Boards
lllllllll
5 out of 9
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
lllllllll
9 out of 9
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
lllllllll
9 out of 9
image108.jpg
Brand/Marketing
lllllllll
6 out of 9
image79.jpg
M&A/Transactions
lllllllll
5 out of 9
Our Board is actively engaged in overseeing the strategic direction of e.l.f. Beauty and is committed to acting in the best interests of e.l.f. Beauty and our stockholders. Our Board recognizes the importance of having the right mix of skills, expertise, and experience, and is committed to continuously reviewing its capabilities, structure, and ongoing member refreshment on behalf of our stockholders. To that end, seven of our independent directors have joined our Board within the last six years.
Highlights from FY 2021
$318 million
65%
$6.2 million
$61 million
FY 2021 net salesFY 2021 gross marginFY 2021 net income
FY 2021 Adjusted EBITDA (1)
12%
80 basis points
$0.12
while continuing to invest in marketing and digital
YoY net sales growthYoY gross margin growthearnings per share
5.7%
100 basis points
e.l.f. Cosmetics was the only top five color cosmetics brand to grow sales and market share.
#2
market share (2)
YoY market share growth
 favorite teen brand (3)
(1)
elflogosmalla12.jpgSee Annex A for a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA.
2018 Proxy Statement(2)5According to Nielsen xAOC 52 weeks ending March 27, 2021.
(3)According to the Piper Sandler 41st Semi-Annual Taking Stock With Teens® Survey, Spring 2021. Up from #4 a year ago.

Strong Financial Results Despite COVID-19 Pandemic Headwinds


questionsOur results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 (“FY 2021”) demonstrate that our business model and answers
Why did I receivecompetitive advantages are robust, as we strengthened our position in a notice regardingchallenging environment. We delivered 12% year-over-year net sales growth in FY 2021, greatly outpacing the availability of proxy materials onU.S. color cosmetics category, which declined approximately 14% according to Nielsen. e.l.f. Cosmetics was the Internet instead of a full set of proxy materials?
Pursuantonly top five U.S. color cosmetics brand to rules adopted bypost growth and the SEC, we have electedonly brand to provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet. Accordingly, we are sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) to our stockholders of record. All stockholders will have the ability to access the proxy materials on the website referred to in the Notice or to request to receive a printed setgain share, with 5.7% of the proxy materials. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a printed copy may be found in the Notice. We encourage stockholders to take advantage of the availability of our proxy materials on the Internet to help reduce the environmental impact of the Annual Meeting.
What does it mean if I receive more than one Notice?
If you receive more than one Notice, your shares may be registered in more than one name or in different accounts. Please follow the voting instructions on each Notice to ensure that all of your shares are voted.
Will I receive any other proxy materials by mail?
No, we will not be sending any additional proxy materials by mail unless you request such materials.
How can I access the proxy materials over the Internet?
The Notice and proxy card or voting instruction card will contain instructions on how to view the proxy materials on the Internet, vote your shares on the Internet, and request electronic delivery of future proxy materials. An electronic copy of the proxy materials and the 2017 Annual Report are available at www.edocumentview.com/ELF.
What information is contained in these materials?
The information included in this proxy statement relates to the election of directors and other proposals to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting, the voting process, the compensation of directors and our named executive officers, and certain other required information. Our 2017 Annual Report is also included. Copies of exhibits filed with, and documents incorporated by reference in, our 2017 Annual Report will be furnished to stockholders upon written request and payment of our reasonable expenses in furnishing such documents.

Who may attend the Annual Meeting?
All stockholders of record as of March 23, 2018 (including stockholders who hold shares in “street name” through a brokerage firm, bank, dealer, or other similar organization, trustee, or nominee (generally referred to in this proxy statement as a “broker”)), holders of valid proxies for those stockholders and other persons invited by us may attend the Annual Meeting.
How do I attend the Annual Meeting?
The Annual Meeting will be held on May 22, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. local time at the Company’s headquarters located at 570 10th Street, Oakland, California 94607. Directions to the Annual Meeting may be found on our website at http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/ir-resources/contact-us. If you are not a stockholder of record but hold shares through a broker, you will need to provide proof of beneficial ownership as of March 23, 2018. Please note that if you intend to vote your shares held by a broker at the Annual Meeting you must request and obtain a valid proxy form from your broker. You should also be prepared to present a valid, government issued photo identification for admittance. Information on how to vote in person at the Annual Meeting is discussed below.
What if another matter (other than the proposals listed in this proxy statement) is properly brought before the Annual Meeting?
The Board knows of no other matters that will be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters are properly brought before the Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof, it is the intention of each person named as a proxy holder in the proxy card to vote on those matters in accordance with his best judgment.
Who is entitled to vote?
Stockholders as of the close of business on March 23, 2018, the record date of the Annual Meeting, are entitled to vote on all items properly presented at our Annual Meeting. On the record date, 47,425,139 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. Every stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on the record date. A list of these stockholders will be available during regular business hours at the Company’s headquarters, from our Corporate Secretary, at least ten days before our Annual Meeting. The list of stockholders will also be available at the time and place of our Annual Meeting. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors.

62018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg


questions and answers


How do I vote?
You may vote your shares by written proxy, over the Internet, or in person at the Annual Meeting. Please also see the detailed instructions on your proxy card or voting instruction form. All shares entitled to vote and represented by properly executed proxies received before the polls are closed at the Annual Meeting, and not revoked or superseded, will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions indicated on those proxies. YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Voting procedures based on how your shares are held are described below.
Stockholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name. You are a stockholder of record if your shares were registered directly in your name with the transfer agent for our common stock, Computershare, Inc. (“Computershare”), at the close of business on the record date. If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting, vote by proxy through the Internet, or vote by proxy using a proxy card that you may request or that we may elect to deliver at a later time. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote by proxy to ensure your vote is counted. You may still attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person even if you have already voted by proxy.
To vote in person, come to the Annual Meeting and we will give you a ballot when you arrive.
To vote through the Internet, go to www.envisionreports.com/ELF to complete an electronic proxy card. You will be asked to provide the company number and control number from the Notice. Your vote must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on May 21, 2018 to be counted.
To vote using the proxy card, please request a proxy card (if we haven’t already delivered one to you) and simply complete, sign, and date the proxy card and return it promptly. If you return your signed proxy card to us before the Annual Meeting, we will vote your shares as directed by your proxy card.
Beneficial Owner: Shares Registered in the Name of Broker. If your shares were held not in your name, but rather in an account at a broker, at the close of business on the record date, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and the broker holding your account is considered to be the stockholder of record for purposes of voting at the Annual Meeting. If you are a beneficial owner of shares registered in the name of your broker, you should have received a Notice containing
voting instructions from your broker rather than from us. Please follow the voting instructions in the Notice to ensure that your vote is counted. Alternatively, you may vote over the Internet as instructed by your broker. To vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you must obtain a proxy form from your broker. Follow the instructions included with the Notice, or contact your broker to request a proxy form.
Internet proxy voting will be provided to allow you to vote your shares online, with procedures designed to ensure the authenticity and correctness of your proxy vote instructions. However, please be aware that you must bear any costs associated with your Internet access, such as usage charges from Internet access providers and telephone companies.
Who can vote in person at the Annual Meeting?
Stockholders of record at the close of business on the record date may vote in person at the Annual Meeting. If you held your shares through a broker, you may not vote your shares in person at the Annual Meeting unless you request and obtain a proxy form from your broker. Please contact your broker to request a proxy form.
Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we urge you to fill out and return the proxy card or vote by proxy on the Internet as instructed above to ensure your vote is counted.
How many votes do I have?
On each matter to be voted upon, each holder of shares of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held as of the record date.
Who counts the votes?
Computershare has been engaged as our independent agent to tabulate stockholder votes (the “Inspector of Election”). If you are a stockholder of record, your executed proxy card is returned directly to Computershare for tabulation. As noted above, if you hold your shares through a broker, your broker will return one proxy card to Computershare on behalf of all its clients.
How are votes counted?
Votes will be counted by the Inspector of Election appointed for the Annual Meeting, who will separately count “For,” “Withheld,” and broker non-votes with respect to Proposal 1 and “For,” “Against,” abstentions and broker non-votes with respect to Proposal 2. If your shares are held by your broker, you will need to obtain a valid proxy form from the institution that holds your shares

category, up 100 basis points year-over-year.
elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
201852021 Proxy Statement7

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
Continued Progress against Strategic Imperatives
In FY 2021, we continued our focus on executing our five strategic imperatives to create long-term value for our stockholders, highlights of which are discussed below:
Drive Brand Demand
questions
We continued to find innovative ways to engage and answersentertain our community, moving far beyond traditional beauty boundaries. In music, we were the first beauty brand to create a holiday album, launch on Triller, and have four songs make the U.S. and Global Billboard’s Triller Top 20 list. In gaming, we were the first major beauty brand to launch a branded channel on Twitch.
We announced unexpected brand-on-brand partnerships with like-minded disruptors, including Chipotle. Our limited-edition product collaboration generated four billion press impressions and sold out in record time across multiple online channels.
elfxchipotle1.jpg
We increased our rank in Piper Sandler’s semi-annual teens survey from fourth favorite cosmetics brand last year to second this year, and just eight votes shy of the number one spot, reflecting our growing appeal with Gen Z.
Our brand-building efforts continued to win awards, including being named one of Beauty’s Most Powerful Brands, Newsmaker of the Year, and one of the Top 10 Marketers of the year, among many others.


Major Step-Up in Digital
beautysquad-011.jpg
Digital consumption remained strong throughout FY 2021, up triple-digits year-over-year, with strength across elfcosmetics.com, retailer.coms, and Amazon.
Digital channels expanded to 17% of our net sales in FY 2021, up from 9% a year ago.
On elfcosmetics.com, approximately 75% of our shoppers in FY 2021 were new consumers.
e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Beauty Squad loyalty program grew to over 2.4 million members, up 40% year-over-year.

2021 Proxy Statement6
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
Provide First-to-Mass Prestige-Quality Products
e.l.f. Cosmetics saw continued success in its core segments—brushes, primers, concealers, brows and sponges—which make up approximately half of our sales. e.l.f. Cosmetics has the number one or two position in all five core segments and continued to drive market share gains in each, according to Nielsen.
We continue to leverage our unique ability to create prestige-quality products at extraordinary prices. Two of our biggest product launches were Camo CC Cream and Lash it Loud mascara, which are helping to drive momentum in foundation and mascara (the two largest categories in color cosmetics).
cccream.jpg
We fueled our momentum in the skincare category, which remains a major focus area across our brand portfolio. e.l.f. Cosmetics’ skincare consumption was up 22% in FY 2021 versus a category that was down 3%, according to Nielsen.

Drive National Retailer Productivity
productivityproxystatement.jpg
e.l.f. Cosmetics maintained its industry-leading productivity on a sales per foot basis at both Walmart and Target, our two largest customers. We also earned space expansion in FY 2021 with both Walmart and ULTA Beauty.
We achieved new milestones internationally, which made up approximately 11% of our net sales in FY 2021. e.l.f. Cosmetics now ranks number eight in mass cosmetics in the United Kingdom, up from number 12 last year, and was the only top 10 brand to post growth, according to Nielsen.
We celebrated a significant milestone on our sustainability journey—eliminating an estimated 650,000 pounds of packing since the inception of “Project Unicorn”.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
72021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
Deliver Cost Savings to Fuel Brand Investments
We delivered 80 basis points of gross margin expansion in FY 2021 against tariff related pressure and growing foreign exchange headwinds.
We successfully transferred all W3LL PEOPLE products to our China-based supply chain, unlocking significant cost of goods savings which we redeployed into more accessible pricing and greater brand investment.
We delivered $61 million in Adjusted EBITDA in FY 2021 while continuing to invest in marketing and digital.
a060421_wpxpowdersx103xfin.jpg
Executing on Strategic Extensions
FY 2021 marked our first full year operating W3LL PEOPLE, our plant-powered clean beauty brand. The key focus in FY 2021 was “recharging” W3LL PEOPLE, as we fundamentally transformed many aspects of the brand, including price points, imagery, website, social channels, media strategy, and follow the instructionsin-store experience. We expanded distribution for the brand, launching six of W3LL PEOPLE’s best-selling stock-keeping units (“SKUs”) in all ULTA Beauty stores as part of ULTA’s Conscious Beauty program, an initiative to provide consumers greater choices and transparency in clean beauty.
We also took an important step in our transformation to a multi-brand company with the launch of Keys Soulcare, our groundbreaking new lifestyle beauty brand with Alicia Keys. Keys Soulcare carves out a new category in beauty, called “soulcare”, which goes beyond skincare to care for the body, mind and spirit. The brand’s initial skincare collection included nine product offerings with dermatologist-developed clean formulas, skin-nourishing ingredients, and soul-nurturing rituals. Keys Soulcare is also accelerating our global retail strategy, launching in the United States with ULTA Beauty, in the United Kingdom with Cult Beauty, and in eight countries across Western Europe with Douglas.
Furthering our Environmental, Social and Governance Commitment and Initiatives
e.l.f. Beauty is led by its purpose—we stand with every eye, lip, face and paw—and we are committed to operating in a sustainable manner and being a responsible corporate citizen for the benefit of our consumers, our investors, our team, the environment, and the communities in which we live and work.
Consistent with our values and commitments, we took a number of steps in FY 2021 to further our environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) journey, including:
Enhanced ESG Policies and Disclosure. In FY 2021, we launched a new initiative to enhance our ESG policies and disclosures. These efforts were led by our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief People Officer and our Vice President of Investor Relations, with support from business leaders throughout the company. Members of this group meet on a monthly basis and report to our executive officers quarterly on the status and progress of the team’s initiatives. Early in our fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 (“FY 2022”), our
2021 Proxy Statement8
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
management reviewed and updated various ESG policies and processes. Our ESG policies and processes can be found on the social impact page of our website at www.elfbeauty.com/social-impact.
Expanded ESG Oversight. Our Board expanded the scope of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s responsibility to include oversight of our ESG processes, policies, and performance, and making ESG-related recommendations to our Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will receive regular updates from management on progress and strategy.
Improved Board Diversity. With the addition of Kenny Mitchell, we now have over 20% Black or African American representation on our Board. We are proud to be, as of March 31, 2021, one of only five public companies listed in the United States with a board of directors that form regarding howhas over 55% women and over 20% Black or African American representation (out of nearly 4,000 public companies). Our Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will continue to instruct your brokerconsider diversity in all forms as it evaluates Board composition in the future.
Achieved Sustainability Milestone. We celebrated a significant milestone on our sustainability journey—eliminating an estimated 650,000 pounds of packaging waste since the inception of “Project Unicorn”. Project Unicorn was designed to vote your shares. If you do not give instructionselevate e.l.f. Cosmetics’ product assortment, presentation, and navigation on-shelf, and resulted in a significant streamlining in our packaging footprint. The elimination of packaging waste was achieved by removing secondary cartons, vacuum formed trays, and paper insert cards, and slimming down secondary packaging.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
92021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Proposal 1:Election of Four Class II Directors
þ
FOR ALL
Our Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” all of the nominees for Class II director.
Our Board believes we have the right directors to lead e.l.f. Beauty. Our nominees, who are all current members of our Board, have strong consumer products, retail, and marketing experience, senior leadership and public company board experience, and a deep understanding of our business.
What am I Voting On?
Stockholders are being asked to your broker, your broker can vote your shares with respect to “routine” items, but not with respect to “non-routine” items.
How many votes are needed to approve the proposals?
Election of threeelect four Class II directors, each for a three-year term—however, in order to evenly distribute our directors across all classes, Mr. Mitchell (if elected as a Class II director) will be reclassified by our Board as a Class I director immediately after election and serve a two-year term (rather than a three-year term).
What is the Required Vote?
The threeelection of Class II directors will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast, meaning that the four nominees receiving the most “For” votes will be elected.elected as Class II directors. “Withhold” votes and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for this purpose,proposal and will have no effect on the election of Class II directors.
Who are the nominees.Nominees?
Ratification of appointment of Deloitte
This proposal will be decided by a majority ofOur Board has nominated the votes cast “For” or “Against” it, meaning that the number of shares voted “For” this proposal must exceed the number of shares voted “Against” it in order to approve the proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes castfollowing four individuals for this purpose, and will have no effect on the vote for this proposal.
What are “broker non-votes”?
If you hold shares beneficially through a broker and do not provide your broker with voting instructions, your shares may constitute “broker non-votes.” Broker non-votes occur on a matter when a broker is not permitted to vote on that matter without instructions from the beneficial owner and instructions are not given. Matters on which a broker is not permitted to vote without instructions from the beneficial owner are referred toelection as “non-routine” matters. Broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining whether or not a quorum exists for the transaction of business.
As a beneficial owner, in order to ensure your shares are voted in the way you would like, you must provide voting instructions to your broker by the deadline provided in the materials you receive from your broker. If you do not provide voting instructions to your broker, your broker will only have discretion to vote your shares on “routine” matters.
The proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting are classified as follows:
Election of Class II directors is considered a “non-routine” matter; and
The ratification ofat the appointment of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018 is considered a “routine” matter.
If you hold your shares beneficially through a broker, it is critical that you cast your vote if you want it to count in the election2021 annual meeting. All of our directors. If you hold your shares beneficially through a broker and you do not instruct your broker how to vote in the electionnominees are current members of our directors, no votes will be cast on your behalf.Board.
What if I return a proxy card but do not make specific choices?
If you return a signed and dated proxy card or otherwise vote without marking voting selections, your shares will be voted:
“For” each nominee in the election of Class II directors; and
“For” the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018.
Can I change my vote or revoke my proxy after submitting my proxy card?
Yes. You can revoke your proxy at any time before the final vote at the Annual Meeting. If you are the record holder of your shares, you may revoke your proxy before the final vote in any one of the following ways:
You may submit another properly completed proxy card with a later date.
You may grant a subsequent proxy through the Internet.
You may send a timely written notice that you are revoking your proxy to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607

You may attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person. Simply attending the Annual Meeting will not, by itself, revoke your proxy.
Your most current proxy card or Internet proxy is the one that is counted.

levitan.jpgLauren Cooks Levitan
kmitchellheadshot.jpgKenny Mitchell
82018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpgChief Financial Officer of Faire Wholesale, Inc.
Director since 2016, Audit Committee member.


Chief Marketing Officer of Snap, Inc.
Director since 2020, Compensation Committee member.
questions
parhama01.jpgRichelle Parham
wolforda01.jpgRichard Wolford
President of Global eCommerce and answersBusiness Development at Universal Music Group.
Director since 2018, Audit Committee member.
Retired; Former Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Del Monte Foods Company.
Director since 2014, Audit Committee chair.


Note that if your shares are held by your broker, you should follow the instructions provided by your broker.
What is a quorum and what constitutes a quorum?
A “quorum” is the number of shares that must be present, in person or by proxy, in order for business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting. The required quorum for the Annual Meeting is the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding as of the record date and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Because there were 47,425,139 shares of our common stock issued, outstanding and entitled to vote as of the record date, a quorum will be present for the Annual Meeting if an aggregate of at least 23,712,570 shares are present in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting. If a quorum is not present, the meeting will be adjourned until a quorum is obtained. “Withhold” votes, abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a quorum.
If you are a stockholder of record, your shares will be counted towards the quorum only if you submit a valid proxy or vote at the Annual Meeting. If you hold your shares beneficially through a broker, your shares will be counted towards the quorum if your broker submits a proxy for your shares at the Annual Meeting, even if such proxy results in a broker non-vote due to the absence of voting instructions from you. “Withhold” votes and abstentions will also be counted towards the quorum requirement. If there is no quorum, either the chairperson of the Annual Meeting or a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, may adjourn the Annual Meeting to another time or place.
What happens if a nominee is unable to stand for re-election?
If a nominee is unable to stand for re-election, our Board may reduce the size of the Board or our Board may name a substitute nominee. If a substitute is named, shares represented by properly executed proxies may be voted for the substitute nominee.
Who is paying for this proxy solicitation process?
The proxy is solicited on behalf of our Board, and we are paying for the cost of the proxy solicitation process. Copies of the proxy materials will be given to brokers that hold shares that are beneficially owned by others. Upon request, we will reimburse these brokers for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in forwarding these proxy materials to the stockholders who are the beneficial owners. Original solicitation of proxies may be
supplemented by telephone or personal solicitation by our directors, officers or other employees. No additional compensation will be paid to our directors, officers or other employees for soliciting proxies.
How can I find out the results of the voting at the Annual Meeting?
We will announce preliminary voting results at the Annual Meeting and publish final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K within the time-frame required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). If final voting results are unavailable at that time, we will file an amended Current Report on Form 8-K within four business days of the day the final results are available.
When are stockholder proposals due for the annual meeting in 2019?
In the event that a stockholder desires to have a proposal considered for presentation at the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders and included in the Company’s proxy statement and form of proxy used in connection with such meeting, the proposal must be forwarded in writing to our Corporate Secretary so that it is received no later than December 11, 2018 (120 days prior to the anniversary of the date this year’s proxy statement was first made available). Any such proposal must comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and our bylaws, which contain additional requirements about advance notice of stockholder proposals and director nominations.
If a stockholder, rather than including a proposal in our proxy statement as discussed above, commences his or her own proxy solicitation for the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders or proposes business for consideration at that annual meeting, we must receive notice of such proposal between January 22, 2019 and February 21, 2019; provided, that if the date of that annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after May 22, 2019, notice must be received not later than the 90th day prior to the annual meeting date or, if later, the 10th day following the day on which public disclosure of the annual meeting date is first made.
If we hold the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after May 22, 2019 (the one-year anniversary date of the Annual Meeting), we will disclose the new deadlines by which stockholders proposals must be received under Item 5 of Part II of our earliest possible Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or, if impracticable, by any other means reasonably determined to inform our stockholders.

elflogosmalla12.jpg
20182021 Proxy Statement910
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

questions and answers


Proposals and notices should be directed to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
Will the Company’s independent public accountants be present at the Annual Meeting?
Representatives of Deloitte, our independent registered public accounting firm for 2017, are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make statements, if they so desire, and to respond to appropriate questions.
What if my question isn’t listed here?
If you question wasn’t listed here, please contact our investor relations department.
http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/ir-resources/contact-us
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Investor Relations
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607

10Intro2018 Proxy StatementBoard
elflogosmalla07.jpg
Company
Exec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes





Each of the nominees has consented to being named as a nominee in this proxy statement and to serving as a Class II director (and with respect to Mr. Mitchell, to serving as a Class I director upon reclassification) if elected.
boardMs. Cooks Levitan, Ms. Parham, and Mr. Wolford were previously elected to our Board by our stockholders in 2018. Mr. Mitchell was appointed to our Board in November 2020 to fill a vacancy on our Board created by an increase in the size of directorsour Board; he is standing for election as a director by stockholders for the first time. Mr. Mitchell was recommended to our Board by Boardspan Inc., an independent director search firm engaged by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
If elected:
proposal 1: election of three class II directors

Our Board currently consists of nine directors. Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Board consists of three classes of directors designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, each serving staggered three-year terms. At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors of the class which term is expiring will be elected for a term of three years. The Class II directors’ term is expiring at the Annual Meeting.

The Board has nominated three nominees for election as Class II directors at the Annual Meeting: Lauren Cooks Levitan, Richelle P. Parham, and Richard G. Wolford.

If elected at the Annual Meeting, the nominees would serve until the third annual meeting of stockholders following their election and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. Each of the nominees for election as Class II directors is presently a member of our Board.

If for any reason, any of the nominees is unable or unwilling to serve at the time of the Annual Meeting, the persons named as proxies in the proxy card will have the authority to vote for substitute nominees, or vote to allow the vacancy created thereby to remain open until filled by our Board. The Board has no reason to believe that the nominees will be unable or decline to serve as directors if elected.
The nominees receiving the most “For” votes will be elected.
The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the election of each nominee.



each of Ms. Cooks Levitan, Ms. Parham, and Mr. Wolford will serve until the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, or removal; and
Mr. Mitchell, upon reclassification by our Board, will serve until the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders and until his successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his earlier death, resignation, or removal.
If for any reason any nominee is unable or declines to serve at the time of the 2021 annual meeting, the persons named as proxies in the proxy card will have the authority to vote for substitute nominees, or vote to allow the vacancy created thereby to remain open until filled by our Board. Our Board has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unable or decline to serve as a director if elected.
What are the Qualifications of the Nominees?
The following pages contain a brief biography as of the date of this Proxy Statement, of each nominee and each continuing director and a discussiondescription of the relevant experiences, qualifications, attributes, orand skills of each nominee that led the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and theour Board to recommend that person as a nominee for director.
We have carefully evaluated the other forms of service of our nominees and determined that all of our nominees can commit the requisite time and attention to serve our stockholders’ interests. Additionally, none of our nominees are “over-boarded” according to thresholds of certain major institutional investors and proxy advisory firms, according to their respective voting policies.
For additional information about our nominees, please visit investor.elfbeauty.com/corporate-governance/board-of-directors.

elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018112021 Proxy Statement11

board of directorsIntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes




nominees
Nominees
levitan.jpgLauren Cooks Levitan
laurencookslevitana01.jpg
Age:
55
Ms. Levitan has served as a memberCurrent Occupation and Select Prior Experience
Chief Financial Officer of our BoardFaire Wholesale, Inc., an online wholesale marketplace company, since June 2016. Ms. Levitan currently serves as September 2019.
Chief Financial Officer of Fanatics, Inc., a retailer of licensed sports apparel and merchandise, a position she has held sincefrom June 2015. Previously, from January 20092015 to May 2015, Ms. Levitan was September 2019.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner atof Moxie Capital LLC, a private equity firm, where she provided capital investmentfrom January 2009 to May 2015.
Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
25 years of financial and advisory services to branded, consumer-facing businesses that operated in wholesale, retail, e-commerceaccounting experience.
Member of the board of directors of Crew Knitwear, a privately held women and direct sales. Prior to that, she served as Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst at Cowen & Company, an investment bank, and as Managing Director at Robertson Stephens, an investment bank, and worked in various capacities in the retail industry at Crate & Barrel and the Gymboree Corporation and in equity capital markets and investment banking at Goldman Sachs.girls clothing company.
Ms. Levitan received her Education
B.A. in Political Science from Duke University and received her University.
M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Independent
Director since: 2016
Age: 52
Director Since:Term ends:
20162021
Term Ends:
2018
Committees:
Audit NomGov
Key qualifications:
Independentimage89.jpg
Retail/Beauty

image98.jpg
Financial/Accounting
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
techdigitalmedia.jpg
Tech/Digital Media
image92.jpg
Operations
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
image79.jpg
M&A/Transactions
We believe Ms. Cooks Levitan’s operational, financial and strategic experience across a variety of retail businesses provide her with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.
Richelle P. Parham2021 Proxy Statement12
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Nominees
richelleparham.jpgkmitchellheadshot.jpgKenny Mitchell
Age:45
Current Occupation and Select Prior Experience
Chief Marketing Officer of Snap, Inc., a camera and social media company, since June 2019.
Vice President, Brand Content and Engagement, at McDonald’s Corporation, a fast food company, from February 2018 to June 2019.
Head of Consumer Engagement at Gatorade (a division of PepsiCo, Inc., a global food and beverage company) from March 2015 to February 2018.
Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
Over 17 years of brand and marketing experience.
Member of the advisory board at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Member of the board of the Sanford School.
Advisor to Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league for high schoolers.
Education
A.B. in Economics and Sociology from Dartmouth College.
M.B.A. from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Independent
Director since: 2020
Term ends: 2021
Committees: Comp.
Key qualifications:
image34.jpg
Consumer Products
Ms. Parham has servedimage82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image108.jpg
Brand/Marketing
techdigitalmedia.jpg
Tech/Digital Media
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
We believe Mr. Mitchell’s extensive experience in building iconic brands and driving industry-leading performance through innovative, fully-integrated and award-winning marketing programs provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.

elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
132021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Nominees
parhama01.jpgRichelle Parham
Age:53
Current Occupation and Select Prior Experience
President of Global eCommerce and Business Development at Universal Music Group, a music publishing company, since March 2018. Ms. Parham is currently a general partner atJune 2021.
Partner of WestRiver Group, an investment manager, from September 2019 to June 2021.
General Partner of Camden Partners, Holdings, LLC, a Baltimore-based private equity firm, focused on providing growth and seed capital to lower-middle market companies in technology, business services, education and health care. Prior to joining Camden Partners infrom October 2016 Ms. Parham served as to September 2019.
Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, of eBay, Inc., a multinational e-commerce corporation,global payments and commerce company, from November 2010 to March 2015. At eBay, Ms. Parham was responsible, globally, for eBay brand strategy and brand marketing, to reach over 108 million active eBay users, Internet marketing, and content resource management. Prior to joining eBay, Ms. Parham served as head
Head of Global Marketing Innovation and Initiatives and head of Global Marketing Services at Visa, Inc., a financial services company, from 2008 to 2010. Her experience also includes 13 years at Digitas, Inc., a leading marketing agency, where she held a variety of senior leadership roles, including Senior Vice President and General Manager of the agency’s Chicago office. Ms. Parham serves on the board of directors of
Other Public Boards
Best Buy, Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY), a position she has held since 2018, the board of directors of an electronic products retailer (audit committee; and nominating, corporate governance, and public policy committee).
Laboratory Corporation of American HoldingsAmerica (LabCorp) (NYSE: LH), a position she has held since 2016,laboratory testing company (audit committee; and is a member of the Drexel University Board of Trustees, a position she has held since 2014. Ms. Parham previously served on the board of directors of nominating and corporate governance committee).
Scripps Network Interactive Inc. (NYSE:(prior to acquisition, NYSE: SNI), a content developer for television, the Internet, and emerging platforms, from 2012 until its acquisition in 2018. Furthermore, as an advocateto 2018 when it was acquired.
Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
•    Over 25 years of empowering female leaders through STEM programs, Ms. Parham is a memberglobal strategy and marketing experience.
•    Member of the advisory board for Girls Who Code.
Ms. Parham holds double Bachelor•    Member of Science degreesthe board of trustees of Drexel University.
Education
•    Double B.S. in Business Administration and Design Arts from Drexel University.
Age: 50
Independent
Director Since:since:
2018
Term Ends:ends:
20182021
Committees:
NoneAudit
Key qualifications:
Independentimage34.jpg
Consumer Products

image98.jpg
Financial/Accounting
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image108.jpg
Brand/Marketing
techdigitalmedia.jpg
Tech/Digital Media
otherpubliccompanyboards.jpg
Public Company Boards
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
We believe Ms. Parham’s executive experience and more than 20 years of global strategy and marketing experience, as well as expertise in understanding consumers, and the consumer decision journey, provide her with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.

1220182021 Proxy Statement14
elflogosmalla07.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg


Introboard of directorsBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes




nominees
Nominees
wolforda01.jpgRichard G. Wolford
rickwolforda01.jpg
Age:
76
Mr. Wolford has served as a member of our Board since September 2014Current Occupation and has been designated to serve as a member of our Board by TPG Growth II Advisors, Inc. (“TPG Growth”). Mr. Wolford served as interimSelect Prior Experience
Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Foods, Inc., an Americana packaged food company, from February 2012 untilto May 2012. Mr. Wolford served as
Chief Executive Officer and a directorPresident of Del Monte Foods Company, a North American food production and distribution company, from April 1997 until March 2011. Heto 2011 when it was elected President of Del Monte in February 1998 and Chairman of the board of directors in May 2000. From 1988 to 1996, Mr. Wolford was acquired.
Chief Executive Officer of HK Acquisition Corp., where he developeda food industry investments with venture capital investors. From 1967investment manager, from 1988 to 1987, he held a variety of positions at Dole Foods, an agricultural multinational corporation, including 1996.
President of Dole Packaged Foods, a division of Dole Food Company, Inc., a multinational agricultural company, from 1982 to 1987. Mr. Wolford
Other Public Company Boards
Schiff Nutrition, Inc. (prior to acquisition, NYSE: SHF) from 2011 to 2013 when it was a memberacquired.
Del Monte Foods Company (Chairman) (prior to acquisition, NYSE: DLM) from 1997 to 2011 when it was acquired (chairman of the board of directors from 2000 to 2011).
Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
Over 30 years leading consumer products businesses.
Former and current member of Diamond Foods, Inc. from April 2011 until May 2012. Mr. Wolford served on the boardboards of directors of Schiff Nutrition from September 2011 to January 2013. Mr. Wolford served as a member of the board of directors of Pulte Homes, Inc., a homebuilding company, from May 2008 to August 2009. In addition, Mr. Wolford served as numerous private companies.
Chairman of the board of directors of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (“GMA”), from January 2010 to March 2011, resigning upon the sale of Del Monte. AsMonte Foods Company, and Vice Chairman of GMA Mr. Wolford also served onfrom 2008 to 2010.
Member of the board of directors of Consumer Goods Forum, a global association of consumer-packaged goods companies, retailers, and manufacturers. Prior to that, Mr. Wolford servedmanufacturers, during tenure as Vice Chairman of GMA from January 2008 to January 2010, and chaired GMA’s Industry Affairs Council from June 2005 to January 2010. In 2011, Mr. Wolford was the recipient of the GMA Hall of Achievement award honoring extraordinary leadership and commitment to the consumer-packaged goods industry.GMA.
Mr. Wolford holds aEducation
    B.A. in Economics from Harvard University.
Age: 73
Independent
Director Since:since:
2014
Term Ends:ends:
20182021
Committees:
Audit Comp(Chair)
Key qualifications:
Independentimage34.jpg
Consumer Products

image98.jpg
Financial/Accounting
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image92.jpg
Operations
otherpubliccompanyboards.jpg
Public Company Boards
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
image79.jpg
M&A/Transactions
We believe Mr. Wolford’s extensive public company management, reporting, finance, and corporate governance experience, as well as deep knowledge of the consumer products industry, provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.



elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018152021 Proxy Statement13

board of directors


continuing directors
Tarang P. AminIntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Continuing Directors
tarangamina01.jpgimage57.jpgTarang Amin Chairman
Age:56
Mr. Amin has served as our Current Occupation and Select Prior Experience
Chief Executive Officer and Directorof e.l.f. Beauty since January 2014, and has served as our Chairman of the Board since August 2015. Mr. Amin has more than 25 years2015, and President of consumer products experience, as well as a demonstrated record of driving profitable growth at the companies he leads. Previously, he served as e.l.f. Beauty since March 2019.
President and Chief Executive Officer and Director of Schiff Nutrition, Inc. (prior to acquisition, NYSE: SHF), a manufacturer of nutritional supplements, from March 2011 to January 2013. Under his leadership, Schiff Nutrition, with leading brands Airborne, MegaRed, Digestive Advantage2013 when it was acquired.
Vice President, General Manager, Litter, Food, and Move Free, grew enterprise value from $190 million to $1.5 billion. Prior to that, Mr. Amin worked forCharcoal Strategic Business Units, of The Clorox Company, a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer products, from December 2002April 2008 to March 2011. He served as Vice President, General Manager2013.
Other Public Company Boards
Schiff Nutrition, Inc. (prior to acquisition, NYSE: SHF) from 2011 to 2013 when it was acquired.
Other Affiliations/Experience
Nearly 30 years of The Clorox Company’s $1.7 billion Litter, Food,experience leading consumer products and Charcoal Strategic Business Units, taking Kingsford, Hidden Valley and Fresh Step to new records. He also served in senior management roles that helped to double the sales of the global Clorox franchise to $1.5 billion. Prior to Clorox, Mr. Amin held management positions at Procter & Gamble, a multinational consumer goods company, where he helped grow Pantene’s sales from $50 million to $2 billion, as well as helped increase sales of Bounty by $300 million.
Mr. Amin earned his B.A. in international policy and M.B.A. from Duke University.
Age: 53retail businesses.
Director Since:
2014
Term Ends:
2019
Committees:
None

We believe Mr. Amin’s executive leadership skills and considerable experience in consumer products provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.
William E. McGlashan, Jr.
billmcglashana02.jpg
Mr. McGlashan has served as a member of our Board since August 2015 and has been designated to serve as a member of our Board by TPG Growth. Mr. McGlashan is the Managing Partner of TPG Growth, LLC, the middle market and growth equity platform of TPG and an affiliate of the Company, and a member of the TPG Executive Committee. Mr. McGlashan currently serves on the boards of directors of several private companies. Mr. McGlashan served as a director of SuccessFactors, Inc. from 2005 to 2012, where he served on the audit committee, nominating and governance committee, and mergers & acquisition committee from 2007 to 2012. Mr. McGlashan also served as a memberMember of the board of directors of Schiff NutritionPharmavite LLC, a privately held dietary supplements company.
Education
B.A. in International Policy from 2010Duke University.
M.B.A. from Duke University.
Director since: 2014
Term ends: 2022
Committees: None
Key qualifications:
image34.jpg
Consumer Products
image89.jpg
Retail/Beauty
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image108.jpg
Brand/Marketing
techdigitalmedia.jpg
Tech/Digital Media
image92.jpg
Operations
otherpubliccompanyboards.jpg
Public Company Boards
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
image79.jpg
M&A/Transactions

2021 Proxy Statement16
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Continuing Directors
keith.jpgLori Keith
Age:52
Current Occupation and Select Prior Experience
Portfolio Manager of the Parnassus Mid Cap Fund at Parnassus Investments since 2008.
Senior Research Analyst at Parnassus Investments from 2005 to 2012, where he served on the compensation committee2008.
Vice President of Investment Banking at Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance from 2010 to 2012. From December 2001 to March 2004, Mr. McGlashan served as Chairman2003.
Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
Over 25 years of financial and institutional investment experience, including ESG and sustainable investing experience.
Member of the executive committee of Parnassus Investments.
Member of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officertrustees of Critical Path, Inc., a digital communications software company.The Athenian School.
Mr. McGlashan holds a Education
B.A. in HistoryEconomics from Yalethe University and an of California, Los Angeles.
M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.Harvard Business School.
Independent
Director since: 2020
Age: 54
Director Since:Term ends:
20152022
Term Ends:
2019
Committees:
Comp (Chair)
Independent
We believe Mr. McGlashan’s significant corporate governance experience and operational expertise provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.
Committees: NomGov

Key qualifications:
image98.jpg
Financial/Accounting
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
image79.jpg
M&A/Transactions
142018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg



elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
board of directors172021 Proxy Statement



continuing directors
Kirk L. PerryIntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Continuing Directors
kirkperrya01.jpgimage33.jpgKirk Perry
Age:54
Mr. Perry has served asCurrent Occupation and Select Prior Experience
President and Chief Executive Officer of Information Resources, Inc. (“IRI”), a member of our Boarddata analytics and market research company, since September 2017. Mr. Perry currently serves as May 2021.
President, BrandGlobal Client and Agency Solutions at Google Inc.,LLC, a technology company, a position he has held sincefrom December 2013 and is responsible for driving Google’s revenue with the world’s largest advertisers and advertising agencies. Prior to this role, Mr. Perry was May 2021.
President, Global Family Care at The Procter & Gamble Company, a multinational consumer goods company, from May 2011 to December 2013. He held numerous positions of increasing responsibility with Procter & Gamble beginning in 1990 in marketing and general management roles, including General Manager Northeast Asia Baby & Family Care from 2001 to 2003 (Mr. Perry was based in Korea and Japan from 1997 to 2003), Vice President North America Baby Care from 2003 to 2008, and Vice President, North America Marketing and U.S. Operations from 2008 to 2011. Mr. Perry has served as a member of the board of directors of
Other Public Company Boards
The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) since 2017, and he served as, a memberbranded food products manufacturer (executive compensation committee).
Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
24 years of consumer products experience with Procter & Gamble.
Member of the board of directors of the Hillerich & Bradsby Co. (Louisville Slugger), a sporting goods manufacturer, from September 2013 to August 2017. Other volunteer board affiliations have included
Member of the Ronald McDonald House, The CityLink Foundation, The United Way Campaign Cabinet, The Marchboards of Dimes National and Regional boards, the Universitydirectors of Cincinnati Foundation and the University of Cincinnati Bicentennial Commission.several non-profit organizations.
Mr. Perry graduated with a Education
B.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from the University of Cincinnati.
Independent
Director since: 2016
Age: 52
Director Since:Term ends:
20162023
Term Ends:
2020
Committees:
None
Independent
We believe Mr. Perry’s extensive operational experience in marketing, operations, general management, consumer products, technology and digital media provides him with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.
Committees: Comp. (Chair)
Beth M. PritchardKey qualifications:
bethpritcharda01.jpgimage34.jpg
Consumer Products
Ms.image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image108.jpg
Brand/Marketing
techdigitalmedia.jpg
Tech/Digital Media
image92.jpg
Operations
otherpubliccompanyboards.jpg
Public Company Boards
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership


2021 Proxy Statement18
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Continuing Directors
pritcharda01.jpgBeth Pritchard has served as a member of our Board since November 2017. She currently serves on the board of directors of Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE: L)Lead Independent Director
Age:74
Current Occupation and the board of directors of The Vitamin Shoppe (NYSE: VSI) and has previously served on numerous public and private company boards. Ms. Pritchard served as Select Prior Experience
Principal and Strategic Advisor of Sunrise Beauty Studio, LLC, a beauty branding company, from February 2009 to October 2017. She served as
North American Advisor to M.H. Alshaya Co., a multinational retail franchise operator based in the Middle East, from 2008 to 2013. From 2006 to 2009, Ms. Pritchard was the
President and Chief Executive OfficerCEO and subsequent Vice Chairman of Dean & DeLuca, Inc. Ms. Pritchard was the , a gourmet and specialty foods retailer, from 2006 to 2009.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Organized Living Inc., an organization products company, from 2004 to 2005. Prior to that, from 1991 to 2003, she held
Various executive positions with L Brands, Inc., serving as Presidenta multinational apparel and Chief Executive Officerretail company, from 1991 to 2003 (President and CEO of Bath & Body Works, Chief Executive OfficerCEO of Victoria’s Secret Beauty, and Chief Executive OfficerCEO of The White Barn Candle Company.Company).
Ms. Pritchard received her Other Public Company Boards
Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE: L), a food and pharmacy company (governance, employee development, nominating and compensation committee; and risk and compliance committee).
Cabela’s Inc. (prior to acquisition, NYSE: CAB), an outdoor products retailer, from 2011 to 2017 when it was acquired.
Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. (NYSE: VSI) from 2008 to 2018.
Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
Over 30 years of experience leading consumer products and retail businesses.
Former member of the boards of directors of numerous private companies.
2019 National Association of Corporate Directors (“NACD”) Directorship 100 Honoree.
Education
B.A. in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and her Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
M.B.A. from Marquette University.
Independent
Director since: 2017
Age: 70
Director Since:Term ends:
20172022
Term Ends:
2019
Committees:
None
Independent
We believe Ms. Pritchard’s experience in general management and the beauty industry, track record of building brands, and considerable experience as a board member for public companies provide her with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.
Committees: NomGov (Chair)
Key qualifications:
image34.jpg
Consumer Products
image89.jpg
Retail/Beauty
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image108.jpg
Brand/Marketing
image92.jpg
Operations
otherpubliccompanyboards.jpg
Public Company Boards
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
image79.jpg
M&A/Transactions

elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018192021 Proxy Statement15

board of directorsIntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes




continuing directors
Continuing Directors
Sabrina L. Simmons
sabrinasimmonsa01.jpg
Ms. Simmons has served as a member of our Board since March 2016. Ms. Simmons served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Gap, Inc., a clothing company, from January 2008 until February 2018. Previously, Ms. Simmons also served in the following positions at Gap: Executive Vice President, Corporate Finance from September 2007 to January 2008, Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance and Treasurer from March 2003 to September 2007, and Vice President and Treasurer from September 2001 to March 2003. Prior to that, Ms. Simmons served as Chief Financial Officer and an executive member of the board of directors of Sygen International PLC, a British genetics company. Prior to that, Ms. Simmons was Assistant Treasurer at Levi Strauss & Co., a clothing company. Ms. Simmons currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), a consumer retail company, where she is a member of the audit and finance committee. Ms. Simmons currently also serves on the Haas School of Business Advisory Board.
Ms. Simmons received her B.S. in Business from the University of California, Berkeley and received her M.B.A. from the Anderson School at the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Simmons is a certified public accountant (inactive status).image50.jpgMaureen Watson
Age:53
Age: 55Current Occupation and Select Prior Experience
Director Since:
2016
Term Ends:
2020
Committees:
Audit (Chair)
Independent
We believe Ms. Simmons’ significant financial and accounting experience provide her with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.
Maureen C. Watson
maureenwatsona01.jpg
Ms. Watson has served as a member of our Board since August 2015 and has been designated to serve as a member of our Board by TPG Growth. Ms. Watson currently serves as Chief Product Officer of Madison Reed, Inc., a hair care and color company, a position she has held since AugustMarch 2015. Previously, she served
Senior Vice President, Merchandising, at Sephora USA, Inc., a cosmetics company, as Senior Vice President, Merchandisingand personal care products retailer, from March 2013 to March 2015. Prior to that, she served as
Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Merchandising of Lucky Brand Jeans, (Luckyat Lucky Brand, Inc.), a clothing company, from September 2010 to September 2011. Prior to that, Ms. Watson served in various leadership roles at The Gap, Inc.
Ms. Watson earned a Other Affiliations/Experience/Information
Over 30 years of retail experience.
Member of the board of directors of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Education
B.A. in Political Science and French from Middlebury College.
Independent
Director since: 2015
Age: 50
Director Since:Term ends:
20152023
Term Ends:
2020
Committees:
NomGov (Chair)
Independent

We believe Ms. Watson’s extensive consumer products and cosmetics experience provide her with the qualifications and skills to serve as a member of our Board.
Committees: NomGov

Key qualifications:
image34.jpg
Consumer Products
image89.jpg
Retail/Beauty
image82.jpg
Corporate Governance
image108.jpg
Brand/Marketing
techdigitalmedia.jpg
Tech/Digital Media
image70.jpg
Senior Leadership
162018
2021 Proxy Statement20
elflogosmalla07.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg


IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Our Board
Membership and Key Attributes, Skills, and Experiences
committee memberships
nameindependentage
years
on board
auditcompnomgov
Tarang Amin—Chairman
567.4
Lori Keithü521.0Member
Lauren Cooks Levitanü554.9Member
Kenny Mitchellü450.7Member
Richelle Parhamü533.3Member
Kirk Perryü544.8Chair
Beth Pritchard—Lead Independent Director
ü743.7Chair
Maureen Watsonü535.9Member
Richard Wolfordü766.9Chair
Percentage/Average89%584.3
Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion starts at the top with a highly skilled and diverse Board. We believe diversity on our Board is important because a variety of points of view improves the quality of dialogue, contributes to a more effective decision-making process, enhances overall culture, and ultimately increases our capacity for long-term growth. We are proud to be, as of March 31, 2021, one of only five public companies listed in the United States with a board of directors that has over 55% women and over 20% Black or African American representation (out of nearly 4,000 public companies).
89%
Independent
56%
Women
33%
Diverse
4.3years
Average Tenure
58
Average Age
1 of 5
Public Companies
with
>55%
Women on
Board of Directors
and
>20%
Black Representation
on Board of Directors
Currently, 77% of our Board self-identifies as a member of a diverse gender, racial, ethnic, or underrepresented group. Our directors self-identify as follows:
boardpercentage of directors
American Indian or Alaska Native— 
Asian11 %
Black or African American22 %
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander— 
Hispanic, Latinx or Spanish Origin— 
White67 %
Male44 %
Female56 %

elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
212021 Proxy Statement


IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
role and responsibilities of the board of directors
The

Our directors bring a broad set of skills and experiences to our Board represents the stockholders’ interests. Listed below are certain skills and is responsibleexperiences that we consider important for furthering the long-term success and valueour directors to possess in light of the Company, consistent with its fiduciary duties to the stockholders. Theour current business.
nameconsumer productsretail/beautyfinancial/accountingcorporate governancebrand/marketing
tech/
digital media
operationspublic company boardssenior leadershipm&a/transactions
image34.jpg
image89.jpg
image98.jpg
image82.jpg
image108.jpg
techdigitalmedia.jpg
image92.jpg
otherpubliccompanyboards.jpg
image70.jpg
image79.jpg
Tarang Aminüüüüüüüüü
Lori Keithüüüü
Lauren Cooks Levitanüüüüüüü
Kenny Mitchellüüüüü
Richelle Parhamüüüüüüü
Kirk Perryüüüüüüü
Beth Pritchardüüüüüüüü
Maureen Watsonüüüüüü
Richard Wolfordüüüüüüü
78%44%44%100%67%67%56%56%100%56%
Director Independence
All of our directors, except Mr. Amin, are independent under NYSE listing standards, making our Board 89% independent.
Our Board has responsibility for establishing broad corporate policies, setting strategic direction and overseeing management, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Company. In fulfilling this role, each director must exercise hisor her good faith business judgment in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Company is committed to conducting its business in accordance with ethical business principles. Integrity and ethical behavior are core values of the Company. The Board will provide the best example of these values and will reinforce their importance at appropriate times.
The Board meets at least quarterly each year and special meetings may be held as permitted in our bylaws. Directors are expected to attend and participate in Board meetings and meetings of committees on which they serve, and to spend the time needed and meet as frequently as necessary, to discharge properly their responsibilities. Directors are also encouraged to attend the annual meeting of stockholders.
board composition
The Board is currently comprised of nine members. The current members of the Board are Mr. Amin,determined that Ms. Keith, Ms. Cooks Levitan, Mr. McGlashan,Mitchell, Ms. Parham, Mr. Perry, Ms. Pritchard, Ms. Simmons, Ms. Watson, and Mr. Wolford. Mr. Perry, Ms. Simmons, and Ms. Watson were each elected as a Class I director for a three-year term at our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders. Ms. Pritchard was appointed to the Board in November 2017 and serves as a Class III director, with a term ending at our 2019 annual meeting of stockholders. Ms. Parham was appointed to the Board in March 2018 and serves as a Class II director, with a term ending at the Annual Meeting. Mr. Amin and Mr. McGlashan have served on our Board since 2014 and 2015, respectively, and serve Class III directors, with a term ending at our 2019 annual meeting of stockholders.
Under our Second Amended Stockholders Agreement (as defined under the heading “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions”), TPG Growth has the right to designate up to three nominees for election our Board (and certain of our pre-IPO stockholders have agreed to vote their shares in favor of such nominees), depending on the percentage of our outstanding common stock TPG Growth holds. As of February 28, 2018, TPG Growth held 28.9% of our outstanding common stock.
Percentage of Outstanding Common StockNumber of TPG Growth Nominees
30% or greater3
Less than 30% but greater than or equal to 20%2
Less than 20% but greater than or equal to 5%1
Less than 5%0
TPG Growth’s designees currently comprise three of our nine directors. In addition, subject to applicable laws and stock exchange regulations, TPG Growth has the right to have a representative appointed to serve on each committee of our Board other than the Audit Committee as long as TPG Growth has the right to nominate at least one director for election to our Board.
board leadership structure
Our Board has not adopted a specific policy on whether the same person should serve as both the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. The Board believes it is appropriate to retain the discretion and flexibility to make these determinations as needed to provide appropriate leadership for the Company. At this time, we believe the most appropriate Board leadership structure is for Mr. Amin to serve as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. As our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Amin is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and performance of the Company, and as the Chairman, Mr. Amin sets the agenda for Board meetings and presides over meetings of the full Board. Although the Board has determined that Mr. Amin is not independent under New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) listing standards, the Board believes the experience, leadership, and vision he provides as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman are important to the short- and long-term success of the Company.

elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statement17

board of directors


The Board has also not designated a lead independent director. Mr. McGlashan, however, presides at the regularly scheduled executive sessions of the independent directors.
Each of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is led by an independent chair. These committees play a critical role in our governance and strategy, and each committee has access to management and the authority to retain independent advisors as it deems appropriate
director selection process
The Nominating and Corporate Governance committee is responsible for reviewing with the full Board, on an annual basis, the appropriate characteristics, skills and experience required for our Board as a whole and its individual members. In evaluating the suitability of individual candidates (both new candidates and current members), the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, in recommending candidates for election, and the Board, in approving (and, in the case of vacancies, appointing) such candidates, may take into account many factors, including but not limited to the following:
•    personal and professional integrity;
•    ethics and values;
•    experience in corporate management, such as serving as an officer or former officer of a publicly held company;
•    experience in the industries in which we compete;
•    experience as a board member or executive officer of another publicly held company;
•    diversity of expertise and experience in substantive matters pertaining to our business relative to other Board members;
•    conflicts of interest; and
•    practical and mature business judgment.
Our Board evaluates each individual in the context of the Board as a whole, with the objective of assembling a group that can best maximize the success of our business and represent stockholder interests through the exercise of sound judgment using its diversity of experience in these various areas.
In late 2017, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee engaged Boardspan Inc., an independent director search firm, to assist it in identifying and recruiting potential new candidates for the Board, including Ms. Pritchard and Ms. Parham. In late 2017 and early 2018, Boardspan completed its efforts in supporting the successful recruitment of Ms. Pritchard and Ms. Parham, respectively, to the Board.
Our Board will consider stockholder suggestions for nominees for directorship. In order for our Board to consider a stockholder nominee, the stockholder must submit a detailed resume of the candidate and an explanation of the reasons why the stockholder believes the candidate is qualified for service on our Board. The stockholder must also provide such other information about the candidate that would be required by the SEC rules to be included in a proxy statement. In addition, the stockholder must include the consent of the candidate and describe any relationships, arrangements or undertakings between the stockholder and the candidate regarding the nomination or otherwise. The stockholder must submit proof of Company stock ownership. Recommendations received after December 11, 2018 (120 days prior to the anniversary of the date this year’s proxy statement was first made available) will not be considered timely for consideration at next year’s annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws also specify further requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s submission.
All communications should be submitted in writing to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
The Company did not receive notice of any director nominations from its stockholders for the Annual Meeting.

182018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg


board of directors


director independence
Our Board has determined that each of Ms. Levitan, Mr. McGlashan, Ms. Parham, Mr. Perry, Ms. Pritchard, Ms. Simmons, Ms. Watson, and Mr. Wolford each qualifies as an independent director in accordance with theunder NYSE listing requirements.standards. Mr. Amin is not considered independent because he is an employeethe Chief Executive Officer of the Company. e.l.f. Beauty.
NYSE’s independent director definition includes a series of objective tests, including that the director is not, and has not been within the last three years, one of our employees and that neither the director nor any of his or her family members has engaged in various types of business dealings with us. In addition, as required by NYSE rules,listing standards, our Board has made an affirmative determination as to each independent director that he or she has no material relationship with the Companye.l.f. Beauty (either directly or as a partner, stockholder, or officer of an organization that has a relationship with us). In making these determinations, our Board considered ownership of our common stock by each director and reviewed and discussed information provided by the directors and useach director with regard to eachthat director’s business and personal activities and relationships as they may relate to use.l.f. Beauty and our management.
There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
The Role and Responsibilities of our Board
Our Board represents our stockholders’ interests and is responsible for furthering the long-term success and value of e.l.f. Beauty, consistent with our Board’s fiduciary duties to our stockholders. Our Board has responsibility for establishing broad corporate policies, setting strategic direction, and overseeing management, which is responsible for the day-to-day operations of e.l.f. Beauty.
In fulfilling this role, each director must exercise his or her good faith business judgment in the best interests of e.l.f. Beauty and our stockholders. We are committed to conducting our business in accordance with ethical business principles.
2021 Proxy Statement22
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
risk oversight


Integrity and ethical behavior are core values of e.l.f. Beauty. Our Board provides the best example of these values and will reinforce their importance at appropriate times.
Our Board oversees the risk management process, while executive management oversees and manages risk on a daily basis. Executive managementOur executive team provides regular reports to our Board on areas of material risk to the Company,e.l.f. Beauty, including operational, financial, legal, regulatory, and strategic risks. In addition, as part of its review of operational risk, our Board reviews cybersecurity risks facing e.l.f. Beauty, including the potential for breaches of our key information technology systems and the potential for breaches of our systems and processes relating to the protection of consumer and employee confidential information.
While our Board is ultimately responsible for risk oversight, each of theour Board committees assists in fulfilling these oversight responsibilities. Their specific areas of responsibility are:
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee oversees management of risks relating to financial and internal controls by identifying key areas of risk for the Company.controls. The Audit Committee also discusses with managementaids in the Company’s policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management and the Company’s significant financial risk exposures and the actions management has taken to limit, monitor or control such exposures.review of cybersecurity risks facing e.l.f. Beauty.
Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeingoversees the management of risks relating to the compensation of executivesexecutive officers and employees.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate considers potentialGovernance Committee oversees the management of risks related to the effectiveness of our Board, including succession planning for our Board, and our overall governance and structure. structure, and ESG matters.
To facilitate our Board’s oversight of our risk management process, the relevantchair of each committee reports (or delegates to another committee member or to our General Counsel or other relevant executive officer to report) on its discussionsactivities to theour full Board, at its regular meetings, thereby enablingwhich enables our Board and its committees to coordinate the risk oversight role and keep informed of any developments impacting the Company’sour risk profile.
meeting attendance
During 2017, ourHow Our Board held 4 meetings.is Organized
Our Board currently consists of nine directors, with three classes of directors designated as Class I, Class II, and Class III. Each director, for the portionclass of 2017 that such director wasdirectors serves a member of our Board or a particular committee, as applicable, attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of our Board held during 2017 and the total number of meetings held during 2017 by all committees of our Board on which that director served. Although we do not have a policy with regard to directors’ attendance at ourstaggered three-year term. At each annual meeting of stockholders, alldirectors of the class whose term is expiring are elected for a term of three years. Our directors are encouragedcurrently classified as follows:
class Iterm endsclass IIterm endsclass IIIterm ends
Kirk Perry2023Lauren Cooks Levitan2021Tarang Amin2022
Maureen Watson2023
Kenny Mitchell (1)
2021Lori Keith2022
Richelle Parham2021Beth Pritchard2022
Richard Wolford2021
(1)If elected to the Board at the 2021 annual meeting, Mr. Mitchell will be reclassified by our Board as a Class I director (and serve a two-year term rather than a three-year term) in order for the directors to be evenly distributed across the three classes. The imbalance in the classes was created by the appointment of Mr. Mitchell as a Class II director in November 2020 and the resignation of Sabrina Simmons, a Class I director, effective May 31, 2021.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
232021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Board Leadership
nameposition
Tarang AminChairman
Kirk PerryChair of the Compensation Committee
Beth PritchardLead Independent Director and Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Richard WolfordChair of the Audit Committee
Our governance framework provides our Board with the discretion and flexibility to attend such meetings. Each directormake determinations as needed to provide appropriate leadership for our Board. In making these determinations, our Board considers many factors, including the specific needs of the business and what is in the best interests of e.l.f. Beauty and our stockholders.
Our Board believes that wasour current Board leadership structure provides an effective balance between strong management leadership and appropriate safeguards and oversight by our independent directors.
Our Board encourages all directors to play an active role in overseeing our business. The non-management directors meet in executive session without management directors or management present on a director atregularly scheduled basis. These meetings allow non-management directors to discuss issues of importance to e.l.f. Beauty, including the timebusiness and affairs of e.l.f. Beauty as well as matters concerning management, without any member of management present.
Chairman. Mr. Amin, our Chief Executive Officer, currently serves as our Chairman. Our Board believes that having Mr. Amin serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is important to our short- and long-term success as it provides certain synergies and efficiencies that enhance the functioning of our 2017 annual meeting stockholders, other thanBoard and, importantly, allows our Board to most effectively execute its role in overseeing business strategy.
As the director closest to our business, Mr. McGlashan, attendedAmin is best able to identify many of the business issues that require the attention of our 2017 annual meetingBoard and, as Chairman, can best focus our directors’ attention on the most critical business matters. Further, in our Board’s experience, having Mr. Amin serve as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer allows for timely and unfiltered communication with our Board on these critical business issues.
Lead Independent Director. When the roles of stockholders.Chair of our Board and Chief Executive Officer are combined or the Chair is not an independent director (as defined under the NYSE listing standards), our independent directors appoint an independent director to serve as the Lead Independent Director. Ms. Pritchard currently serves as our Lead Independent Director.
board committeesOur Board believes that having a Lead Independent Director helps to ensure sufficient independence in Board leadership and provide effective independent functioning of our Board in its oversight and governance responsibilities. The Lead Independent Director performs the functions and duties provided in our Lead Independent Director Guidelines and as otherwise may be requested by our Board. Our Lead Independent Director Guidelines are periodically reviewed and updated by our Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. A copy of our Lead Independent Director Guidelines is available on our investor relations website at investor.elfbeauty.com/corporate-governance/governance-guidelines.
Committee Chairs. Each of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is led by a chair that is an independent director.
Below is a summary of the key responsibilities of our Board leadership positions:
2021 Proxy Statement24
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



rolekey responsibilities
Chairman
Presides over meetings of our Board.
Sets the agendas and schedules for Board meetings in consultation with our Lead Independent Director.
Consults and advises our Board and its committees on the business and affairs of e.l.f. Beauty.
Performs such other duties as may be assigned by our Board.
Chief Executive Officer
In charge of the daily affairs of e.l.f. Beauty, subject to the overall direction and supervision of our Board and its committees and subject to such powers as reserved by our Board.
Lead Independent Director
Together with the Chairman and management, develops and approves Board meeting agendas and meeting schedules.
Provides to our Board supplemental materials or information as advisable.
Presides at executive sessions of the independent directors.
Facilitates discussion and open dialogue among the independent directors.
Serves as a liaison between the Chairman and management and the independent directors.
Communicates to the Chairman and management, as appropriate, any decisions reached, suggestions, views or concerns expressed by independent directors.
In appropriate circumstances and in conjunction with our Board, makes himself or herself available for consultation and communication with our major stockholders.
Provides the Chairman with feedback and counsel concerning the Chairman’s interactions with our Board.
Performs such functions and duties set forth in the Lead Independent Director Guidelines.
Committee Chairs
Preside over committee meetings.
Set the agenda and schedules for committee meetings.
Regularly report to the full Board on committee activities.
Board Committees
Our Board currently has three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

The primary responsibilities (and other details) of each committee are
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
252021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



described below. These committees play a critical role in our governance and strategy, and each committee has access to management and the authority to retain independent advisers as it deems appropriate.
Each committee operates pursuant to a written charter, which are available on our investor relations website at investor.elfbeauty.com/corporate-governance/board-committees. Each committee reviews and assesses its charter at least annually and recommends changes to our Board to reflect the evolving role of the committee.
Audit Committee
Current members:
Independent (1):
lll
3out of 3
Four meetings held in FY 2021.
Richard Wolford (Chair)
Lauren Cooks Levitan (2)
Financially Literate (3):
lll
3out of 3
Richelle Parham
The Audit Committee Report is on page 76.
(1)Each member of the Audit Committee meets the independence requirements of SEC regulations and NYSE listing standards.
(2)Designated as an “audit committee financial expert” by our Board within the meaning of Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations.
(3)Per NYSE’s financial literacy requirements.
Primary responsibilities:
Appoints, compensates, retains, and oversees the work of our independent auditors.
Oversees and evaluates the scope of the external and internal audit reviews and results.
Assesses the qualification and independence of our independent auditors.
Reviews and discusses with management our periodic reports and earnings releases.
Oversees and reviews our financial and accounting controls and processes.
As appropriate, initiates inquiries into aspects of our internal accounting controls and financial affairs.
Compensation Committee
Current members:
Independent (1):
ll
2out of 2
Five meetings held in FY 2021.
Kirk Perry (Chair)
Kenny Mitchell
(1)Each member of the Compensation Committee meets the independence requirements of SEC regulations, the regulations of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and NYSE listing standards.
Primary responsibilities:
Reviews and sets the compensation of our executive officers.
Reviews and makes recommendations to our Board regarding compensation for our directors.
elflogosmalla12.jpgReviews and approves all employment, severance, and change in control arrangements with our executive officers.
2018
Reviews and approves our incentive-compensation and equity-based compensation plans.
The Compensation Committee has the authority to retain consultants and advisers as it may deem appropriate in its sole discretion and has the sole authority to approve related fees and other engagement terms.
For additional information regarding the Compensation Committee, see under the heading “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Compensation Setting Process”.
2021 Proxy Statement1926
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
boardCurrent members:
Independent (1):
lll
3 out of directors3
Three meetings held in FY 2021.


The following table provides membership for 2017 for the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee:
Beth Pritchard (Chair)
Lori Keith
Maureen Watson
NameAuditCompensationNominating and Corporate Governance
Tarang P. Amin
Lauren Cooks LevitanMemberMember
William E. McGlashan, Jr.Chair
Richelle P. Parham
Kirk L. Perry
Beth M. Pritchard
Sabrina L. SimmonsChair
Maureen C. WatsonChair
Richard G. WolfordMemberMember
audit committee
The current members of the Audit Committee are Ms. Simmons, who serves as the Chair, and Ms. Levitan and Mr. Wolford. The Audit Committee met 5 times in 2017.
Our Board has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are independent within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the SEC and the NYSE listing standards and meet NYSE’s financial literacy requirements. Our Board has also determined that Ms. Simmons is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the SEC regulations.
The Audit Committee, in addition to such other responsibilities set forth in its charter or as directed by our Board from time to time, engages and evaluates our independent public accounting firm; assesses the independence of our independent public accounting firm; monitors the rotation of the partners assigned to the audit engagement team; oversees and reviews the Company’s financial and accounting controls and processes; oversees and evaluates the scope of the annual audit’ reviews audit results; reviews the impact of new or proposed changes in accounting principles or regulatory requirements; consults with management and our independent public accounting firm prior to the presentation of financial statements to stockholders; and, as appropriate, initiates inquiries into aspects of our internal accounting controls and financial affairs.
The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a written charter, a copy of which is available on our website at http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/corporate-governance/committees.
The report of the Audit Committee is on page 36.
compensation committee
The current members of the Compensation Committee are Mr. McGlashan, who serves as Chair, and Mr. Wolford. The Compensation Committee met 2 times in 2017.
Our Board has determined that all members of the Compensation Committee are independent within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the SEC, the regulations of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and the NYSE listing standards. No member of our Compensation Committee served at any time during 2017 as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as members of our Board or Compensation Committee.
The Compensation Committee, in addition to such other responsibilities set forth in its charter or as directed by our Board from time to time, sets the compensation program and compensation of our executive officers, directors, and key personnel; reviews and approves all employment, severance and change in control arrangements with our executive officers; and monitors, and acts as the administrator of, our incentive-compensation and equity-based compensation plans.
The Compensation Committee operates pursuant to a written charter, a copy of which is available on our website at http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/corporate-governance/committees.

20(1)2018 Proxy StatementEach member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee meets the independence requirements of NYSE listing standards.
Primary responsibilities:
Oversees our corporate governance policies and ESG program and policies.
elflogosmalla07.jpgMakes recommendations regarding candidates for our Board and Board committees.
Oversees the evaluation of our Board.
Makes recommendations regarding governance matters.

How our Directors are Selected

Sources for Candidatesboardè
è
è
In Depth Review by
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
è
è
è
Nomination/Appointment/Election
Directors
Management
Stockholders
Search firms
Candidate qualifications
Current Board composition
Independence and potential conflicts
Diversity
Recommend slate of directorsnominees
êêê
Full Board review and approval
êêê
Nomination/appointment/election


nominating and corporate governance committee
The current members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are Ms. Watson, who serves as the Chair, and Ms. Levitan. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met 2 times in 2017.
OurDirector Suggestions from our Board has determined that all members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent within the meaning of the NYSE listing standards.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing with our full Board, on an annual basis, the appropriate characteristics, skills, and experience required for our Board as a whole and the individual directors. In evaluating the suitability of individual candidates for our Board (both new candidates and current directors), the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Board consider many factors, including the following:
personal and professional integrity
experience in the industries in which we operate
ethics and values
conflicts of interest
experience in corporate management, such as serving as an officer or former officer
experience as a board member or executive officer of another publicly held company
practical and mature business judgment
diversity of expertise and experience in substantive matters pertaining to our business relative to other Board members
Our Board evaluates each individual in the context of our Board as a whole, with the objective of assembling a group of directors that can best maximize the success of our business and represent our stockholders’ interests through the exercise of sound judgment using its depth in these various areas.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
272021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



While our Board does not have a specific diversity policy regarding Board composition, our Board is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers diversity in all forms as it evaluates Board composition and potential new directors. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also considers potential candidates’ experience in attracting, developing, and retaining qualified personnel and fostering a corporate culture that reflects our values and encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In November 2020, Boardspan Inc., an independent director search firm engaged by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, completed its efforts in supporting the successful recruitment of Mr. Mitchell to our Board.
Director Suggestions from our Stockholders
In addition to such other responsibilities set forth incandidates identified through its charter or as directed by our Board from time to time, makes recommendations to our Board regardingown internal processes, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will evaluate candidates for directorshipsdirector that are suggested by any stockholder.
In order for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to consider a stockholder suggestion, the sizestockholder must submit proof of e.l.f. Beauty stock ownership and compositionsubmit an explanation of the reasons why the stockholder believes the candidate is qualified for service on our Board; oversees our corporate governance policies; overseesBoard. To fully evaluate the evaluation of managementcandidate, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may request the Board; and makes recommendations to our Board concerning governance matters.stockholder provide additional information regarding the suggested candidate.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee operates pursuantevaluates candidates suggested by stockholders using the same principles and methodologies as it uses to evaluate other candidates (including candidates identified by our Board or our executive team).
There is no set deadline or timing for a written charter,stockholder to suggest a copycandidate for our Board. Stockholder suggestions for nominees for director should be submitted in writing to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
The procedures described above are meant to establish an additional means by which stockholders can contribute to our process for identifying and evaluating candidates for our Board and are not meant to replace or limit stockholders’ general nomination rights, as discussed below, in any way.
Stockholder Director Nomination Right
Any stockholder may nominate a candidate or candidates for election to our Board at an annual meeting of stockholders if the stockholder complies with the advance notice, information, and consent provisions contained in our bylaws, which are briefly described below.
To nominate a candidate, a stockholder must submit a detailed resume of the candidate and an explanation of the reasons why the stockholder believes the candidate is qualified to serve on our Board. The stockholder must also provide other information about the candidate that would be required by the SEC rules to be included in a proxy statement.
In addition, the stockholder must include the consent of the candidate with respect to the candidate’s nomination and commitment to serve if elected, and describe any relationships, arrangements or undertakings between the stockholder and
2021 Proxy Statement28
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



the candidate regarding the nomination or otherwise. The stockholder must also submit a director questionnaire and an agreement completed by each candidate (forms of which must be requested from us), and the stockholder must provide any other information required by our bylaws. The stockholder must also submit proof of ownership of our common stock.
If a stockholder wishes to nominate one or more persons for election to our Board at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, we must receive notice of the nomination between April 28, 2022 and May 28, 2022 according to our bylaws. However, if the date of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders is availablemore than 30 days before or more than 60 days after August 26, 2022, notice must be received not later than the 90th day prior to the date of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders or, if later, the 10th day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders is first made.
Stockholder director nominations must be submitted in writing to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
We did not receive notice of any director nominations from our stockholders for the 2021 annual meeting.
How our Directors are Evaluated
Our Board is committed to continual corporate governance improvement. Our Board, and each committee, conducts an annual self-evaluation to review and assess its overall effectiveness, including with respect to strategic oversight, board structure and operation, interaction with and evaluation of management, governance policies, and committee structure and composition. As appropriate, these assessments may result in updates or changes to our practices as well as commitments to continue existing practices that our directors believe contribute positively to the effective functioning of our Board and committees.
Meeting Attendance
Our Board meets at least quarterly each year and special meetings may be held as permitted by our bylaws. Committee meetings are held at such times as the committee may determine, with the goal of meeting at least quarterly each year. Directors are expected to attend and participate in Board meetings and applicable committee meetings, and spend the time needed and meet as frequently as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities.
During FY 2021 our Board held 10 meetings. Each director, for the portion of FY 2021 that the director was a member of our Board or a particular committee, as applicable, attended at least 75% of the aggregate of the total number of meetings of our Board held during FY 2021 and the total number of meetings held during FY 2021 by all committees of our Board on which that director served.
Although we do not have a policy with regard to directors’ attendance at the annual meetings of stockholders, all directors are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of stockholders. Each director that was on our website at Board on the date of the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders attended the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
292021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/corporate-governance/committees.
director compensation
We have a
How our Directors are Paid
Non-Employee Director Compensation Program pursuant to which we
We compensate our non-employee directors for their service on our Board. All ofBoard in accordance with our non-employeeNon-Employee Director Compensation Program. We also reimburse all directors are eligible to receive compensation for their service on our Board; however, Mr. McGlashan has elected not to receive any compensation for his service. reasonable business expenses incurred in connection with their activities as directors.
Our Non-Employee Director Compensation Program providesin effect for FY 2021 provided for the following compensation to our non-employee directors:
retainer
cash (1)
stock award (2)
total
Annual Retainer$45,000$140,000$185,000
Lead Independent Director Retainer$20,000$20,000
Audit Committee Chairperson Retainer$15,000$15,000
Audit Committee Member Retainer$7,500$7,500
Compensation Committee Chairperson Retainer$10,000$10,000
Compensation Committee Member Retainer$5,000$5,000
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chairperson Retainer$6,000$6,000
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Member Retainer$3,000$3,000
(1)The cash portion is paid on a quarterly basis, based on a “Board term” (which runs from annual meeting of stockholders to annual meeting of stockholders). If a director does not serve as a non-employee director for the entire quarter, the cash portion of the retainer will be pro-rated based on the portion of the quarter that director served as a non-employee director. Prior to January 1 of any year, a non-employee director may elect to receive all of his or her cash retainers for the following year in the form of time-vesting restricted stock units (“RSUs”), which are granted on the date of the annual meeting of stockholders and vest on the same schedule as the RSU portion of the annual retainer as described in footnote 2.
(2)Payable in time-vesting RSUs. The actual number of RSUs granted to a non-employee director is calculated by dividing the dollar amount of the award by the closing trading price of our common stock on the date of grant. The dollar amount of the award is pro-rated for new non-employee directors. The RSU portion of the annual retainer is granted on the date of each annual meeting of stockholders, or for new non-employee directors, on the date of appointment, and vests in full on the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the grant date or (ii) immediately prior to the next annual meeting of stockholders after the grant date, subject to the director continuing to serve as a non-employee director through the vesting date. All RSUs granted to our non-employee directors pursuant to the Non-Employee Director Compensation Program vest fully immediately prior to the occurrence of a change in control (as defined in our 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan).
Retainer
Cash(1)

Stock Award(2)

Total
Annual Retainer$45,000
$140,000
$185,000
Audit Committee Chairperson Retainer$15,000
$
$15,000
Audit Committee Member Retainer$7,500
$
$7,500
Compensation Committee Chairperson Retainer$10,000
$
$10,000
Compensation Committee Member Retainer$5,000
$
$5,000
Nominating and Corporate Governance Chairperson Committee Retainer$6,000
$
$6,000
Nominating and Corporate Governance Member Committee Retainer$3,000
$
$3,000
   
      
(1)Prior to January 1 of any year, a non-employee director may elect to receive all of his or her annual cash retainer for the following year in the form of an equity award.
(2)Payable in time-vesting restricted stock units (“RSUs”). The actual number of RSUs granted to a director is calculated by dividing the dollar amount in the table by the closing trading price of our common stock on the date of grant, pro-rated for new directors.
The cash portion of the annual retainers is paid on a quarterly basis in arrears. If a director does not serve as a non-employee director for an entire calendar quarter, the cash portion of the annual retainers will be prorated based on the portion of such quarter such director actually served as a non-employee director. The equity portion of the annual retainer is granted on the date of each annual meeting of stockholders, or for new directors, on the date of appointment, and vests in full on the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the grant date or (ii) immediately prior to the next annual meeting of stockholders after the grant date, subject to the director continuing to serve as a non-employee director through the vesting date. If a non-employee director is elected or appointed to our Board on any date other than the date of the annual meeting of stockholders, the equity portion of the annual retainer will be granted on the date of election or appointment, prorated based on the number of days before the next annual meeting of stockholders after the date of election or appointment, and vests in full immediately prior to the next annual meeting of stockholders after the grant date, subject to the director continuing to serve as a non-employee director through the vesting date. All equity awards granted to our non-employee directors pursuant to the Non-Employee Director Compensation Program vest fully immediately prior to the occurrence of a change in control (as defined in the Company’s 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan or any other applicable equity incentive plan).

elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statement21

board of directors


Table
The following table sets forth information regardingshows the compensation earned by or paid to our non-employee directors during 2017 (including payments made in 2018 for the directors’their service in 2017). No non-employee director electedFY 2021. All dollar amounts are rounded to defer any compensation earned by or paid in 2017.the nearest whole dollar amount.
namefees earned or paid in cash
stock awards (1) (6)
total
Lori Keith (2)
$36,103 $161,841 $197,944 
Lauren Cooks Levitan$50,000 $139,988 $189,988 
Kenny Mitchell (3)
$17,414 $108,926 $126,340 
Richelle Parham$52,500 $139,988 $192,488 
Kirk Perry (4)
$69,466 $139,998 $209,464 
Beth Pritchard$71,000 $139,988 $210,988 
Sabrina Simmons (5)
$60,000 $139,988 $199,988 
Maureen Watson (4)
$60,000 $139,993 $199,993 
Richard Wolford (4)
$65,625 $139,988 $205,613 
Name
Fees Earned
or Paid in Cash

Stock Award(1)

Total 
Lauren Cooks Levitan*
$22,413
$195,495
$217,908 
William E. McGlashan, Jr.$
$
$
 
Kirk L. Perry$45,000
$139,980
$184,980 
Beth M. Pritchard
$6,481
$69,696
$76,177 
Sabrina L. Simmons*
$24,231
$199,993
$224,224 
Maureen C. Watson*
$20,596
$190,997
$211,593 
Richard G. Wolford*
$23,221
$197,483
$220,704 
    
       
*Each of Ms. Levitan, Ms. Simmons, Ms. Watson, and Mr. Wolford elected to receive an equity award in lieu of cash commencing on May 24, 2017.
Ms. Pritchard was appointed to our Board effective as of November 8, 2017.
(1)Represents the grant date fair value of RSUs granted to the director, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for stock-based compensation transactions, disregarding the effects of estimated forfeitures. For a discussion of the valuation of these awards, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements at Note 12 in the 2017Annual Report. These amounts do not reflect the amount the director has actually realized or will realize from the awards upon the vesting of the granted RSUs, or the sale of the shares underlying the granted RSUs. As of December 31, 2017, Ms. Levitan held 7,867 unvested RSUs and 34,500 exercisable stock options (of which 27,600 are unvested but permit early exercise), Mr. McGlashan held 0 unvested RSUs and 0 unexercised stock options, Ms. Parham held 0 unvested RSUs and 0 unexercised stock options, Mr. Perry held 5,633 unvested RSUs and 0 unexercised stock options, Ms. Pritchard held 0 unvested RSUs and 0 unexercised stock options, Ms. Simmons held 8,048 unvested RSUs and 34,500 unexercised stock options (of which 27,600 are unvested but permit early exercise), Ms. Watson held 7,686 unvested RSUs and 34,500 unexercised stock options, and Mr. Wolford held 7,947 unvested RSUs and 34,500 unexercised stock options.

2021 Proxy Statement30
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg


IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



(1)Represents the grant date fair value of annual RSUs granted to the director, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for stock-based compensation transactions, disregarding the effects of estimated forfeitures. For a discussion of the valuation of these awards, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements at Note 14 in the 2021 Annual Report. These amounts do not reflect the amount the director has actually realized or will realize from the awards upon the vesting of the granted RSUs, or the sale of the shares underlying the granted RSUs.
(2)Ms. Keith was appointed to our Board on July 2, 2020 and, as such, received a pro-rated equity award for the FY 2020 Board term (measured as the date of the 2019 annual meeting to date of the 2020 annual meeting) in addition to her equity award for the FY 2021 Board term (measured as the date of the 2020 annual meeting to the date of the 2021 annual meeting).
(3)Mr. Mitchell was appointed to our Board on November 12, 2020, and, as such, received a pro-rated equity award for the FY 2021 Board term.
(4)Elected to receive RSUs in lieu of cash for the FY 2021 Board term. The RSUs received in lieu of cash for the FY 2021 Board term were granted on August 27, 2020 (the date of the 2020 annual meeting). The grant date fair value of such RSUs, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for stock-based compensation transactions based on the assumptions described in footnote 1, is included in the “fees earned or paid in cash” column. $716 of the amount shown for Mr. Perry in the “fees earned or paid in cash” column represents the incremental compensation paid to Mr. Perry in cash as a result of his promotion to the chair of the Compensation Committee during the FY 2020 Board term. $13,750 of the amount shown for Mr. Perry in the “fees earned or paid in cash” column, $12,000 of the amount shown for Ms. Watson in the “fees earned or paid in cash” column, and $13,125 of the amount shown for Mr. Wolford in the “fees earned or paid in cash” column represents cash paid to such director during the additional “stub” quarter between the date of the one year anniversary of the 2019 annual meeting (May 21, 2020) and the 2020 annual meeting (August 27, 2020) created by the change in our fiscal year end in 2018.
(5)Ms. Simmons resigned from our Board effective May 31, 2021 and, as such, forfeited her entire equity award for the FY 2021 Board term on her resignation effective date.
(6)The following table shows the number of unexercised stock options and RSUs held by our non-employee directors as of March 31, 2021.
nameunexercised
stock options
RSUs (*)
Lori Keith— 7,474 
Lauren Cooks Levitan34,500 7,474 
Kenny Mitchell— 4,967 
Richelle Parham— 7,474 
Kirk Perry27,600 10,411 
Beth Pritchard— 7,474 
Maureen Watson34,500 10,037 
Richard Wolford34,500 10,277 
(*)100% of the RSUs will vest on the date of the 2021 annual meeting, subject to the director’s continued service through such date.
How You can Communicate with our Board
e.l.f. Beauty and our Board welcome open communication with stockholders and appreciate input that advances our goal of enhancing stockholder value. We engage regularly with our stockholders and encourage anyone, including our stockholders, to contact our Board or individual directors about corporate governance or matters related to our Board or e.l.f. Beauty. Individuals may send written communications to our Board, committees of our Board, or individual directors by mailing those communications to our Corporate Secretary at:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
Depending on the subject matter, our Corporate Secretary will:
forward the communication to the director or directors to whom it is addressed;
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
312021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes



attempt to handle the inquiry directly, for example when the request is for information about e.l.f. Beauty or is a stock-related matter; or
not forward the communication if it is primarily commercial in nature or if it relates to an improper or irrelevant topic.
At each Board meeting, a member of management presents a summary of all communications received since the last meeting that were not forwarded to our Board or the director or directors to whom they were addressed. A member of management also makes those communications available to our Board upon request.
2021 Proxy Statement32
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

OUR COMPANY
Our Executive Officers
The following is a list of our executive officers and their respective ages, positions, and brief biographies as of the date of this proxy statement.
image57.jpgTarang Amin Chief Executive Officer and President
Age: 56
Current Role
Mr. Amin has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January 2014 and as our President since March 2019.
More Information
For more information about Mr. Amin, see under the heading “Our Board of Directors—Continuing Directors”.
barucha01.jpgRich Baruch Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Age: 52
Current Role
Mr. Baruch has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer since February 2014.
Select Prior Experience
Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Schiff Nutrition (until its acquisition, NYSE: SHF) from July 2012 to January 2013 when it was acquired.
Vice President, Category Advisory Services at Coca-Cola Refreshments, a division of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO), a leading global beverage company, from December 2010 to June 2012.
Over 10 years sales leadership experience with The Clorox Company.
Education
B.A. in English from University of Pennsylvania.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
332021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

fieldsa01.jpgMandy Fields Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Age: 40
Current Role
Ms. Fields has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since April 2019.
Select Prior Experience
Chief Financial Officer of BevMo!, a retailer of alcoholic beverages, from June 2016 to March 2019.
Vice President of Finance and Analytics at Albertsons Companies, a grocery company, from July 2015 to June 2016.
Education
B.S. in Finance from Indiana University of Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business.
franks.jpgJosh Franks Senior Vice President, Operations
Age: 43
Current Role
Mr. Franks has served as our Senior Vice President, Operations since January 2020.
Select Prior Experience
Senior Vice President, Operations and Supply Chain, at Lyrical Foods (d/b/a Kite-Hill), a plant-based, dairy-free packaged food manufacturer, from July 2018 to December 2019.
Vice President, Operations and Supply Chain, at Raybern Foods, a packaged food manufacturer, from April 2014 to March 2018.
Education
B.S. in Business Administration, Operations Management, and Supply Chain Management from North Carolina State University.
2021 Proxy Statement34
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

marchisottoa01.jpgKory Marchisotto Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Age: 45
Current Role
Ms. Marchisotto has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer since February 2019.
Select Prior Experience
Senior Vice President, Marketing for bareMinerals, a brand of Shiseido Americas Corporation (TYO: 4911), a global beauty company, from 2016 to 2018.
Senior Vice President of Marketing, Beauty Prestige Group (from 2015 to 2016) and Vice President of Marketing, Beauty Prestige Group (from 2011 to 2015) at Shiseido Americas Corporation.
Education
Masters of Professional Studies, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
B.B.A. in Marketing from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business.
milstena01.jpgScott Milsten Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief People Officer, and Corp. Sec.
Age: 51
Current Role
Mr. Milsten has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary since January 2014 and as our Chief People Officer since August 2016.
Select Prior Experience
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Schiff Nutrition (until its acquisition, NYSE: SHF) from July 2011 to January 2013 when it was acquired.
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Celera Corporation, a health-care diagnostics company (until its acquisition, NASDAQ: CRA), from August 2009 to June 2011 when it was acquired.
Education
B.A. in English from Duke University.
J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School.

elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
352021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Our Team, Culture, and Values
e.l.f. Beauty is led by its purpose—we stand with every eye, lip, face and paw. We celebrate the unique beauty, voice and value of every eye, lip, and face. We’re committed to creating a culture internally, and in the world around us, where all individuals are encouraged to express their truest selves, are empowered to succeed and where we do the right thing for people, the planet and our furry friends.
Encourage Self ExpressionEmpower OthersEmbody Our Ethics
22We celebrate diversity and make the best of beauty accessible.2018We provide equal opportunities for growth and success.We do the right thing for all people, the planet and our furry friends.
As a company, our shared value system is what connects us and guides our decisions:
Delight our consumer. Our consumers inspire and inform us. They are the reason we are here and at the heart of everything we do.
Work together to win. We treat each other with respect and leverage each other’s strengths. We are open, honest and direct in the spirit of helping the team succeed.
aboutteam.jpg
Do the right thing. In our actions and words, we lead with honesty and integrity. We don’t take shortcuts.
Execute with speed and quality. Consumers know us by what they see, touch and experience. Execution matters and we are passionate about doing things well and with speed.
Encourage Self Expression: Promoting a Culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
commitment.jpg
Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is infinite. We believe in a world where everyone can own their beauty, without compromise.
Our mission is to make the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face and we believe it is important that our team reflects the diverse consumers we serve.
2021 Proxy Statement36
elflogosmalla07.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

We promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels of our workforce and are committed to ensuring that appropriate levels of diversity—including, but not limited to, gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, and age—are represented across our entire team. Our senior leadership team takes ownership of, and responsibility for, our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and programs.
Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion starts at the top with a highly skilled and diverse Board. As of March 31, 2021, we were one of only five public companies listed in the United States with a board of directors that has over 55% women and over 20% Black or African American representation (out of nearly 4,000 public companies). We’re also proud that our employee base, which, as of March 31, 2021, was over 75% women, over 40% diverse, and over 60% Millennial and Gen Z, is representative of the diverse consumers we serve. We are committed to increasing the representation of women and visible minorities in our workforce.
The following table provides certain statistics of our Board and our team as of March 31, 2021. For information about our Board diversity, age, tenure, and skills, see under the heading “Our Board of Directors—About our Board”.
board of directors
senior leadership (1)
all employees (2)
Gender
Female56 %43 %77 %
Male44 %57 %23 %
Age
Millennial and Gen Z— — 63 %
All other100 %100 %37 %
Race/Ethnicity
Black or African American22 %14 %%
Hispanic or Latinx— — 14 %
Asian11 %29 %15 %
Native American— — %
Two or more races— — %
White67 %57 %58 %
(1)Includes all executive officers and our Vice President, General Manager of our China Operations.
(2)Includes our employees in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, where over 70% of our workforce is located.
We believe that to drive change, there must be continuous education, learning, and sharing. We are committed to providing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives that go beyond what is legally required of our company. We require all employees to participate in unconscious bias training, so that we might learn how to recognize potential bias in our thoughts and actions. We host open forums with our senior leadership to share and encourage uncomfortable conversations. Additionally, we regularly host education events for our employees to lean into cultural moments such as Black History Month; International Women’s Month; Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) Heritage Month; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (“LGBTQ”) Pride Month; and LatinX Heritage Month.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
372021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Empower Others: Supporting the Full Potential of our Employees
Employee Pay and Benefits
Our talented employees are at the core of our business strategy. We place a high priority on attracting, recruiting, developing, and retaining diverse global talent. Our benefits and programs are designed to support the total well-being and promote the full potential of our employees.
With regards to compensation, we take a “one-team” approach—every employee receives a base salary, every employee is eligible under a single bonus plan (which is tied solely to our financial performance and does not include a personal performance component), and every employee receives an equity award in e.l.f. Beauty stock. We believe this approach—which applies across all employee levels and geographies—is unique in the beauty industry and contributes to our success in hiring and retaining top talent and driving business results.
In the United States, where over 70% of our workforce is located, benefits for our full-time employees include:
financial benefits, including competitive compensation, a portion of which is tied to our performance and aligned with the interests of our stockholders, as well as retirement savings plans and commuter benefits;
healthcare benefits including flexible spending accounts, disability and life insurance;
family support and flexibility benefits including up to 20 weeks of parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child as well as the placement of a foster child, as well as fertility and adoption support;
wellness and time off programs including an employee assistance program, access to wellness coaches and paid time off;
community impact programs including volunteer time off and donation matching programs;
education and career development programs including high performance teamwork coaching, as well as ongoing learning and training opportunities; and
other benefits, such as “Pawternity Leave” for the adoption of a shelter animal.
Outside of the United States, we provide similarly competitive benefit packages to those provided to our United States employees but tailored to market-specific practices.
Employee Satisfaction
We measure our employee satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement through employee engagement surveys.
In April 2021, we conducted a new benchmarked engagement survey of our employees. All of our global employees were offered an opportunity to participate and 77% of our employees submitted a response. The responses returned an overall favorable employee engagement score of 88%—17 percentage points above the industry benchmark.
The survey was conducted through a platform service delivered by Culture Amp and the responses were analyzed against Culture Amp’s Consumer Goods & Services 2020 Benchmark, which includes survey results from a minimum of 20 companies and 20,000 employees at organizations that are direct-to-consumer and produce and sell various products and services.
2021 Proxy Statement38
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

The engagement survey results were as follows:
e.l.f. Beautyconsumer goods and services 2020 benchmarkdifference (percentage points)
Employee Engagement88 %71 %+17%
Questions that determine employee engagement
I would recommend my company as a great place to work94 %82 %+12%
My company motivates me to go beyond what I would in a similar role elsewhere91 %69 %+22%
I am proud to work for my company95 %88 %+7%
I rarely think about looking for a job at another company78 %54 %+24%
I see myself working at my company in two years’ time84 %63 %+21%
Embody our Ethics: Doing the Right Thing for All People, the Planet, and our Furry Friends
All People
We proudly support human rights and individual expression and freedom. As such, we ensure our employees have their rights respected, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, abilities, or sexual orientation. We also expect our suppliers and partners to observe these principles when providing products and services to us.
The Planet
We are committed to being responsible stewards of our environment.
In FY 2021, we celebrated a significant milestone on our sustainability journey—eliminating an estimated 650,000 pounds of packaging waste with the e.l.f. Cosmetics brand as part of our “Project Unicorn” initiative. Project Unicorn was designed to elevate e.l.f. Cosmetics’ product assortment, presentation, and navigation on-shelf, and resulted in a significant streamlining in our packaging footprint. Since Project Unicorn’s launch in February 2019, we have eliminated an estimated 650,000 pounds of packaging waste by removing secondary cartons, vacuum formed trays, and paper insert cards, and slimming down secondary packaging. In total, packaging for over 200 e.l.f Cosmetics SKUs has been reduced through Project Unicorn across multiple categories.
We have work to do to reach the sustainability standards we want to meet as a company, and stand committed to advancing our sustainability initiatives and continuing to find ways to minimize our environmental impact.
Our Furry Friends
We are proud to be a 100% cruelty-free company. We do not conduct or tolerate any tests on animals, nor do we use any ingredients that are tested on animals in any of our products. Each of our brands is certified by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (“PETA”) as “Global Animal Test-Free”, a label given to companies and brands who have verified that their own facilities and their suppliers do not conduct, commission, pay for, or allow any tests on animals for their ingredients, formulations, or finished products.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
392021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

COVID-19 Response
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our first priority has been the safety and well-being of our employees and community. We sent safety kits with gloves, hand sanitizers, and disinfectant wipes to all of our employees. We also gave each employee an additional $1,000 to help defray some of the rising costs of supplies, delivery services, and children and family care needs.
Building on the success of our #eyeslipsface TikTok hashtag challenge, we remixed our original “Eyes. Lips. Face” song into a new “Eyes. Lips. Face. SAFE.” public service announcement to raise awareness of basic preventive measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
We also donated $25,000 to each of the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the New York Common Pantry to help feed those in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions
Policy and Procedures
The Audit Committee has adopted a written policy regarding transactions between e.l.f. Beauty and our executive officers, directors, nominees for election as a director, beneficial owners of more than 5% of our common stock, and any affiliates or members of the immediate family of any of the foregoing. We refer to these individuals and entities as “related parties” and these relationships generally as “related party transactions”.
Any request for us to enter into a related party transaction in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related party would have a direct or indirect interest must first be presented to the Audit Committee for review, consideration, and approval. The Audit Committee reviews all the relevant facts and circumstances of each related party transaction, including if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s length dealings with an unrelated third party and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, and considers any conflicts of interest and corporate governanceopportunity provisions of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
codeRelated Party Transactions during the Year
The following is a description of business conductrelated party transactions entered into during FY 2021 in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and ethicsa related party would have a direct or indirect interest:
Wewe paid compensation to our directors and executive officers in FY 2021. See under the heading “Our Board of Directors—How our Directors are Paid” for information regarding compensation paid to our directors and under the heading “Executive Compensation” for information regarding compensation paid to our executive officers.
Rule 10b5-1 Plans
Certain of our executive officers have adopted written plans, known as Rule 10b5-1 plans, in which they have contracted with a broker to buy or sell shares of our common stock on a periodic basis. Under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a broker executes trades pursuant to parameters established by the individual when entering into the Rule 10b5-1 plan, without further direction from them. The individual may amend or terminate the Rule 10b5-1 plan in specified circumstances.
2021 Proxy Statement40
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Corporate Governance Materials
Our Corporate Governance Guidelines are intended to provide a set of flexible guidelines for the effective functioning of our Board, including director qualifications and responsibilities, management succession and Board committees. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines are reviewed regularly and revised as necessary or appropriate in response to changing regulatory requirements, evolving best practices, and other considerations. A copy of our Corporate Governance Guidelines is available on our investor relations website at investor.elfbeauty.com/corporate-governance/governance-guidelines.
In addition to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, we have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for our directors, officers, and employees, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is a “code of ethics,” as defined in Item 406(b) of Regulation S-K. TheOur Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is designed to help directors and employees resolve ethical and compliance issues encountered in the business environment. We will make any legally required disclosures regarding amendments to, or waivers of, provisions of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on our investor relations website.
corporate governance guidelines
We have adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that cover areas such as director qualifications and responsibilities, management succession and Board committees. A copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelinesour Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our investor relations website at http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/investor.elfbeauty.com/corporate-governance/governance-guidelinescode-of-business-conduct-ethics..
communications with our board of directors
We invite interested persons, including our stockholders, to contact our Board or individual directors about corporate governance or matters related to our Board. All such correspondence should be sent in writing to the following address:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
Depending on the subject matter, our Corporate Secretary will: (i) forward the communication to the director or directors to whom it is addressed; (ii) attempt to handle the inquiry directly, for example when the request is for information about the Company or is a stock-related matter; or (iii) not forward the communication if it is primarily commercial in nature or if it relates to an improper or irrelevant topic. At each Board meeting, a member of management presents a summary of all communications received since the last meeting that were not forwarded to the director or directors to whom they were addressed, and makes those communications available to our Board upon request.
section 16(a) beneficial ownership reporting compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than 10 percent of our common stock to file initial reports of ownership and changes in ownership of our common stock with the SEC. These persons and entities are also required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. To our knowledge, based solely on our review of the copies of such forms furnished to the Company and other written representations to us, during 2017, all reporting persons complied with all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements, except that Mr. Baruch, Mr. Fieldman, Mr Milsten, and Mr. Perry each filed late one Form 4, reporting one transaction each.


elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018412021 Proxy Statement23


executive officers
The following is a list of our executive officers and their respective ages, positions, and brief biographies as of the date of this proxy statement.
Tarang P. Amin
chief executive officer
tarangamina03.jpg
Mr. Amin has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January 2014. Mr. Amin’s biography is set forth under the heading “Board of Directors—Proposal 1: Election of Class II Directors —Nominees.”
Age: 53
John P. Bailey
president and chief financial officer
johnbaileya01.jpg
Mr. Bailey has served as our President and Chief Financial Officer since August 2015. Previously, from July 2010 to August 2015, Mr. Bailey served as Partner with TPG, a global investment firm, where he was responsible for leading the consumer sector for TPG Growth, LLC, the middle market and growth equity platform of TPG and an affiliate of the Company. While at TPG , Mr. Bailey served as a member of the board of directors of the Company, as well as a number of portfolio companies including Angie’s Artisan Treats, Beautycounter, Fender and Ride and provided significant contributions to the board of directors of Schiff Nutrition. Prior to joining TPG, Mr. Bailey was with Greenwich, Connecticut-based North Castle Partners, a consumer private equity firm focused in the healthy, active and sustainable living sectors, focusing on consumer and retail investments in the personal care, food and beverage, fitness and recreation, vitamin minerals, and supplements and OTC health sectors. During that time, Mr. Bailey served on the boards of directors of Cascade Sports, Octane Fitness and Red Door Spas, and worked closely with a number of other portfolio companies. Prior to North Castle, Mr. Bailey was in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston.
Mr. Bailey earned his B.B.A. at the University of Michigan Business School.
Age: 37


24Intro2018 Proxy StatementBoard
elflogosmalla07.jpg
Company
Exec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes


EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Proposal 2:executive officers


Richard F. Baruch, Jr.
senior vice president and chief commercial officerAdvisory Vote to Approve Compensation for our Named Executive Officers
richbarucha01.jpgþ
FOR
Mr. Baruch has served asOur Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation for our Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer since February 2014. Mr. Baruch most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Schiff Nutrition from July 2012 to January 2013. From December 2010 to June 2012, he was Vice President, Category Advisory Services at Coca-Cola Refreshments, a divisionnamed executive officers.
Our Board believes our executive compensation program aligns the interests of The Coca-Cola Company, a leading global beverage company, where he led an initiative to build a new organization and bring a new set of capabilities to Coca-Cola’s North American business. From January 2009 to December 2012, Mr. Baruch was President and Chief Operating Officer of Cotn’Wash, Inc., a laundry products company. Prior to that, Mr. Baruch spent 14 years at The Clorox Company in a number of leadership roles,our executive officers with the most recent as Vice Presidentlong-term interests of our stockholders and, General Manager of the Home Care business. He began his career at Procter & Gamble in various sales management roles.
Mr. Baruch holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania.
Age: 50
Jonathan T. Fieldman
senior vice president, operations
johnfieldmana01.jpg
Mr. Fieldman has served asconsistent with our Senior Vice President, Operations since July 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Fieldman served as Senior Vice President, Operations at Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop, a snack food company, from January 2015 to July 2016. From January 2014 to January 2015, Mr. Fieldman served as Chief Supply Officer for Shaklee Corporation, a natural nutrition company. Previously, Mr. Fieldman worked for Schiff Nutrition, where he served as Senior Vice President, Operations from May 2011 to February 2013. Prior to Schiff Nutrition, Mr. Fieldman spent 12 years at The Clorox Company in various supply chain roles, including Planning Director, Sourcing Directorpay-for-performance culture, rewards our executive officers when we achieve our short- and Plant Manager, with the most recent as Vice President, Specialty Supply Chain. Prior to that, Mr. Fieldman worked for General Mills, Inc., a multinational manufacturerlong-term strategic and marketer of branded consumer foods, for eight years in a variety of manufacturing roles. Mr. Fieldman also serves on the board of directors of the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
Mr. Fieldman holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Stanford University.
Age: 48
Scott K. Milsten
senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and chief people officer
scottmilstena01.jpg
Mr. Milsten has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since January 2014 and, in addition, as our Chief People Officer since August 2016. Previously, Mr. Milsten served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Schiff Nutrition from July 2011 to January 2013. Prior to that, Mr. Milsten was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Celera Corporation, a healthcare diagnostics company, from August 2009 until Celera’s sale to Quest Diagnostics Incorporated in June 2011. He also served as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Celera from November 2008 to August 2009. Mr. Milsten began his career practicing corporate law with the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP.
Mr. Milsten holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.A. in English from Duke University.
Age: 48

financial goals.

What am I Voting On?
At the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders expressed a preference to hold future advisory (non-binding) votes on the compensation of our named executive officers on an annual basis. Consistent with that vote, stockholders are being asked to indicate their support, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, for the compensation of our named executive officers for FY 2021 as described in this proxy statement by casting a vote “FOR” the following resolution:
“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.’s named executive officers for FY 2021, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the compensation discussion and analysis, compensation tables, and narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED.”
This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers and the philosophy, policies and practices described in this proxy statement.
Stockholders should review the information under the heading “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and the tables and narrative discussion under the heading “Executive Compensation—Executive Compensation Tables”. Our Board and the Compensation Committee believe that the policies and procedures discussed in the following sections are effective in achieving our goals and have contributed to our recent and long-term success.
Because the vote is advisory, it is not binding on our Board or e.l.f. Beauty. Nevertheless, the views expressed by our stockholders, whether through this vote or otherwise, are important to management and our Board and, accordingly, our Board and the Compensation Committee intend to consider the results of this vote in making determinations in the future regarding executive compensation arrangements.
What is the Required Vote?
The compensation of our named executive officers for FY 2021 will be approved, on an advisory basis, by a majority of votes cast (meaning the number of shares voted “For” must exceed the number of shares voted “Against” in order for this proposal to be approved). Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for this proposal and will have no effect on the vote for this proposal.
elflogosmalla12.jpg
20182021 Proxy Statement2542
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes


Compensation Discussion and Analysis
executiveThe compensation
general
This section sets forth discussion and analysis (the “CD&A”) provides information with regardrespect to compensation for services rendered by our named executive officers in 2017. for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 (“FY 2021”).
The compensation provided to our named executive officers for 2017in FY 2021 is set forthdiscussed in detail in the SummaryCD&A and in the tables under the heading “Executive Compensation—Executive Compensation TableTables”.
The CD&A is organized into the following sections:
Named Executive Officers, starting on page 43;
Executive Summary, starting on page 43;
Compensation Setting Process, starting on page 48;
Compensation Program Components, starting on page 50; and
Named Executive Officers
Our named executive officers for FY 2021 were as follows:
nameposition
Tarang AminChairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director
Rich BaruchSenior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Mandy FieldsSenior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Kory MarchisottoSenior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Scott MilstenSenior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief People Officer, and Corporate Secretary
For biographical information regarding our named executive officers, see under the heading “Our Company—Our Executive Officers”.
Executive Summary
Our Company and our Brands
e.l.f. Beauty is a multi-brand beauty company that offers inclusive, accessible, cruelty-free cosmetics and skincare products. Our mission is to make the Outstanding Equity Awardsbest of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face.
We believe our ability to deliver 100% cruelty-free, premium-quality products at Fiscal Year End table that follow this section,accessible prices with broad appeal differentiates us in the beauty industry. We believe the combination of our fundamental value equation, digitally-led strategy, as well as our world-class team’s ability to execute with speed has positioned us well to navigate a rapidly changing landscape in beauty.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
432021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Our brands are:
image18.jpg
e.l.f. Cosmetics makes the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face by offering high-quality, prestige-inspired cosmetics and skincare products at an extraordinary value, all formulated 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
w3llpeoplelogo1.jpg
W3LL PEOPLE is a clean beauty pioneer, raising the standard for high-performance, plant-powered, cruelty-free cosmetics since 2008. W3LL PEOPLE’s product-line includes 35+ EWG VERIFIED™ products, a leading standard of “clean and healthy” in the beauty space.
keyssoulcarelogo.jpg
Keys Soulcare is a lifestyle beauty brand created with artist, producer, actress, and New York Times best-selling author Alicia Keys. With an inclusive point of view, an authentic voice and a line of skin-loving, dermatologist-developed, cruelty-free offerings, Keys Soulcare aims to bring new meaning to beauty by honoring ritual in our daily life and practicing intention in every action.
Strong Financial Results Despite COVID-19 Pandemic Headwinds
Our results for FY 2021 demonstrate that our business model and competitive advantages are robust, as we strengthened our position in a challenging environment. We delivered 12% year-over-year net sales growth in FY 2021, greatly outpacing the accompanying footnotesU.S. color cosmetics category, which declined approximately 14% according to Nielsen. e.l.f. Cosmetics was the only top five U.S. color cosmetics brand to post growth and narratives relatingthe only brand to those tables.gain share, with 5.7% of the category, up 100 basis points year-over-year.
As an “emerging growth company”, as defined
$318 million
65%
$6.2 million
$61 million
FY 2021 net salesFY 2021 gross marginFY 2021 net income
FY 2021 Adjusted EBITDA (1)
12%
80 basis points
$0.12
while continuing to invest in marketing and digital
YoY net sales growthYoY gross margin growthearnings per share
5.7%
100 basis points
e.l.f. Cosmetics was the only top five color cosmetics brand to grow sales and market share.
#2
market share (2)
YoY market share growth
 favorite teen brand (3)
(1)
See Annex A for a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA.
(2)According to Nielsen xAOC 52 weeks ending March 27, 2021.
(3)According to the Piper Sandler 41st Semi-Annual Taking Stock With Teens® Survey, Spring 2021. Up from #4 a year ago.
Continued Progress Against Strategic Imperatives
In FY 2021, we continued our focus on executing our five strategic imperatives to create long-term value for our stockholders. See under the heading “Introduction—Highlights from FY 2021—Continued Progress against Strategic Imperatives” for additional information.
2021 Proxy Statement44
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Executing on Strategic Extensions
We took important steps in FY 2021 in our transformation to a multi-brand company with the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act“recharge” of 2012, we are not requiredW3LL PEOPLE, our plant-powered clean beauty brand, and the launch of Keys Soulcare, our groundbreaking new lifestyle beauty brand with Alicia Keys. See under the heading “Introduction—Highlights from FY 2021—Executing on Strategic Extensions” for additional information.
Furthering our Environmental, Social and Governance Commitment and Initiatives
We took a number of steps to further our ESG journey in FY 2021. We enhanced our ESG policies and disclosure, expanded the responsibility of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to include oversight of our ESG processes, policies, and performance, increased the diversity of our Board with the addition of Mr. Mitchell, and achieved a Compensation Discussionsustainability milestone by eliminating an estimated 650,000 pounds of packaging waste since the inception of “Project Unicorn”. See under the heading “Introduction—Highlights from FY 2021—Furthering our Environmental, Social and Analysis sectionGovernance Commitment and while we have included someInitiatives” for additional backgroundinformation. Also see under the heading “Our Board of Directors—About our Board” and under the heading “Our Company—Our Team,Culture, and Values” for additional information regarding our compensation setting processBoard, our company, and our team as it relates to ESG matters.
FY 2021 Executive Compensation Highlights
No increase in
base salaries or annual cash incentive targets.
Cash incentive compensation tied solely to profitability.Majority of
compensation is variable, at-risk, and in equity.
Granted performance-based equity awards to all executive officers.Adopted executive stock ownership policy and clawback policy.
Our executive compensation programs, we have electedprogram is designed to complydirectly tie the compensation paid to our executive officers to our performance and align the interests of our executive officers with the scaled disclosure requirements applicableinterests of our stockholders. Accordingly, in FY 2021, we continued to emerging growth companies.limit the cash component of, and emphasize the equity component of, our named executive officers’ total compensation. In addition, as described in more detail below, in response to the results of our 2020 say-on-pay vote and extensive stockholder outreach following the vote, we made meaningful changes to our executive compensation program in order to achieve greater pay-for-performance alignment and implement risk mitigation measures.
Highlights of our compensation-related decisions in FY 2021 include the following:
No increases to cash compensation. We maintained base salaries and annual cash incentive opportunities for each of our named executive officers—in fact, we have never increased the base salaries or annual cash incentive opportunities for our named executive officers, which for Mr. Amin, Mr. Baruch, and Mr. Milsten remain the same as in their respective new hire offers in 2014 and for Ms. Fields and Ms. Marchisotto remain the same as in their respective new hire offers in 2019.
Annual cash incentives tied to financial performance. We continued to tie our annual cash incentive compensation solely to our profitability. In addition, despite the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic during FY 2021, we made no adjustments to the performance targets under our annual cash incentive compensation program during FY 2021.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
452021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Emphasis on equity compensation. We continued to provide the majority of compensation paid to our named executive officers in the form of equity to instill an emergingownership culture, align the interests of our named executive officers with the interests of our stockholders, and support long-term retention.
Performance-based equity granted to all of our named executive officers.Wegranted performance-based restricted stock awards to all of our named executive officers to even more closely align their compensation with our strong pay-for-performance culture and focus on the delivery of substantial and sustainable value to stockholders. These performance-based restricted stock awards were eligible to vest based on e.l.f. Cosmetics’ relative share growth company, wein the color cosmetics category (as reported by Nielsen).
Stock ownership and clawback policies. We adopted an executive stock ownership policy and a compensation recovery (“clawback”) policy, which are not requiredboth designed to holdmitigate compensation risk.
The compensation for our named executive officers for FY 2021 is discussed in more detail in the sections of the CD&A that follow.
Stockholder Feedback / Say-on-Pay Advisory Vote
At the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, approximately 64% of the votes cast by our stockholders approved, on an advisory vote to approvebasis, the compensation of our named executive officers (commonly referredfor the transition period ended March 31, 2019 (“2019T”) and the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 (“FY 2020”). While the “say-on-pay” vote passed, we were disappointed in the overall level of support from our stockholders.
In response to asthe level of support, following the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, the Compensation Committee conducted outreach to obtain our stockholders’ insights on our executive compensation program. As part of this outreach, the Compensation Committee reached out to our 20 largest non-management stockholders and, at its request, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”), which collectively represented approximately 65% of our outstanding common stock.
A member of the Compensation Committee, our General Counsel and Chief People Officer, our Vice President of Investor Relations, and, for some of the meetings, our Chief Executive Officer or our Chief Financial Officer, attended the meetings with the stockholders who accepted our invitations. Feedback from our stockholders was shared with our Board and the Compensation Committee and considered in our Board’s and the Compensation Committee’s discussions and decision-making.
Below is a “say-on-pay vote”).
namedsummary of the principal feedback regarding our executive officers
Our namedcompensation program we received from our stockholders during these meetings, principal comments included in analyses by ISS and Glass Lewis, and the changes made by the Compensation Committee for our FY 2021 executive officers for 2017 were as follows:compensation program in response to this feedback and analysis. We believe these changes are beneficial to the creation of sustained long-term stockholder value.
2021 Proxy Statement46
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

What We Heard
è
è
è
What We Did
NamePosition
Tarang P. AminChairman,Executives, other than our Chief Executive Officer, and Directorwere not issued equity awards with performance-based vesting conditions.We expanded the use of equity awards with performance-based vesting conditions to all of our executive officers in FY 2021.
John P. BaileyPresident and Chief Financial Officer
Scott K. MilstenSenior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary &
The equity awards with performance-based vesting conditions that we issued to our Chief PeopleExecutive Officer in FY 2020 were tied to stock price, which may be driven by external stock market movements and may not be relative to category or peer performance.The equity awards with performance-based vesting conditions granted to all of our executive officers in FY 2021 included a relative performance metric that was tied to share growth in the color cosmetics category (as reported by Nielsen).
We did not have certain risk mitigation policies in place, such as a compensation clawback policy or an executive stock ownership policy.We implemented a compensation clawback policy and an executive stock ownership policy in FY 2021.
Compensation Philosophy, Objectives, and Design
Attract and Retain TalentAlign with StockholdersPay-for-Performance
Attract, motivate, and retain highly talented and experienced executive officers who drive our success.Align our executive officers’ incentives with the long-term interests of our stockholders.Reward our executive officers for their performance and motivate them to achieve our short- and long-term and strategic and financial goals.
We design our executive compensation setting processprogram based on a pay-for-performance philosophy. We believe our executive officers should be rewarded when we achieve our short-term and long-term strategic and financial goals, since these accomplishments reward our stockholders by generating better stock price returns.
Our Board orWe achieve our compensation objectives through an executive compensation program that:
provides a competitive total pay opportunity that enables us to compete effectively for executive talent with large legacy consumer products, retail, and beauty companies, as well as with high growth technology and digital companies in the Compensation Committee reviews eachSan Francisco Bay Area;
emphasizes pay-for-performance by delivering a majority of our executive officer’sofficers’ compensation from timeonly upon the achievement of our short-term and long-term strategic and financial goals, which are designed to time to ensure that it adequately reflectsdeliver responsible and sustainable stockholder value growth; and
provides strong alignment with our stockholders, with a significant majority of the target compensation opportunity for our executive officer’s qualifications, experience, role and responsibilities.officers delivered in the form of equity awards.
Our Chief Executive Officer annually reviews the performance of each executive officer (other than the Chief Executive Officer, whose performance is reviewed by the Compensation Committee) and makes recommendations regarding the base salary and other compensation payable to these executive officers. The Compensation Committee considers those recommendations in determining base salaries, annual cash bonus program targetsis also committed to effective compensation governance. Below is a summary of our key compensation governance practices, which are designed to drive performance, mitigate undue risk, and awardsalign the interests of our executive officers and equity awards, if any, forother employees with the executive officers.interests of our stockholders:
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
472021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

What We DoWhat We Don’t Do
üWe believe in pay-for-performance. The majority of our executive officers’ pay is variable and at-risk.ûWe don’t guarantee annual salary increases or minimum cash bonuses.
üWe heavily weight total compensation toward equity compensation to align our executive officers’ and our stockholders’ interests.ûWe don’t modify our performance targets during the performance period.
üOur annual cash incentives are based solely on financial performance.ûWe don’t have pension plans or executive-only benefit or retirement plans.
üWe hold annual “say-on-pay” advisory votes.ûWe don’t provide excise tax gross ups.
üWe maintain mandatory stock ownership requirements for our executive officers.ûWe don’t provide excessive perquisites to our executive officers.
üWe maintain a compensation recovery (clawback) policy in the event of a financial restatement or fraud.ûWe don’t permit hedging or pledging of our stock.
üWe engage an independent compensation consultant to advise the Compensation Committee.ûWe don’t grant discount options.
Compensation Committee generally exercises its discretion in modifying any recommended adjustments or awards to executives. Setting Process
Roles and Responsibilities
The Compensation Committee has primary responsibility for reviewing and approving our overall compensation program, including reviewing and approving the authorityform and amount of compensation to retain consultantsbe paid or awarded to our executive officers, approving employment agreements with our executive officers, and advisors as it may deemperforming a risk assessment of our compensation program in order to strike the appropriate in its sole discretion,balance of risk and has the sole authority to approve related fees and other retention terms.
reward without encouraging excessive or inappropriate risks that would have an adverse impact on stockholders. The Compensation Committee, engages Radford, anmanagement, and our independent compensation consulting firm, from timeconsultants work closely in managing our executive compensation program. A summary of each of their roles and responsibilities (and other relevant information) is summarized below:
roleresponsibilities and other relevant information
Compensation CommitteeReviews and approves individual executive compensation decisions, including compensation for each of our executive officers (including our Chief Executive Officer), and new hire packages and employment agreements for new executive officers.
Evaluates and manages our executive compensation philosophy and programs, overseeing decisions regarding specific equity-based compensation plans, programs, and grants.
Reviews, at least annually, the selection of companies in our peer group to determine the competitiveness of executive officer and non-employee director compensation programs.
2021 Proxy Statement48
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

roleresponsibilities and other relevant information
Conducts annual reviews and approves (or, if applicable, makes recommendations to our board of directors regarding the adoption and approval of) our cash-based and equity-based incentive compensation plans and arrangements for our executive officers and non-employee directors.
ManagementChief Executive Officer
Reviews and makes recommendations regarding the salary, short-term incentive compensation targets, and other compensation for our executive officers (other than himself).
Chief People Officer
Assists the Compensation Committee in fulfilling its responsibilities by providing advice on compensation best practices, information regarding attrition and retention at e.l.f. Beauty, as well as information regarding employee sentiment on such matters and employee engagement.
Compensation consultantsThe Compensation Committee has engaged Radford, an independent compensation consultant and a part of the Rewards Solutions practice at Aon plc, to advise the Compensation Committee with respect to our overall executive compensation programs, including, among other matters, market comparisons, long-term incentive programs, targeted mix of compensation components, and characteristics of equity awards. Radford has been engaged by the Compensation Committee every year since our initial public offering in 2016.
Radford reports directly to the Compensation Committee and does not provide any non-compensation related services to e.l.f. Beauty.
Based on an assessment of the six independence factors established by the SEC, the Compensation Committee determined that the engagement of Radford does not raise any conflicts of interest or similar concerns.
In addition, the Compensation Committee evaluated the independence of its other outside advisers, including outside legal counsel, considering the same independence factors and concluded their work for the Compensation Committee does not raise any conflicts of interest.
Peer Group
To assess the competitiveness of our executive compensation program, the Compensation Committee considers the compensation practices of peer companies reasonably similar to timee.l.f. Beauty on the basis of, among other things, industry, consumer focus, revenue, market cap, and geography. The Compensation Committee periodically reviews and approves changes to advisethe peer group based on the recommendation of its independent compensation consultant. As part of the Compensation Committee’s periodic review of our compensation peer group, the Compensation Committee, with respect to our overallassistance from Radford, approved the following peer group for setting executive compensation programs, including market comparisonsfor FY 2021:
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
492021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

FY 2021 peer group
BenefitfocusLifetime BrandsShake ShackTilly’s
Chuy’sMovado GroupShutterstockZAGG
Clarus
PetMed Express (1)
Stamps.com
DuluthPlanet FitnessThe Habit Restaurants
EtsyRuth's Hospitality Group
The Simply Good Foods Company (1)
(1)Added in FY 2021 to the peer group.
*Wageworks and Nutrisystem were removed from the peer group as both companies were acquired. Natural Health Trends and Nautilus were removed from the peer group as they fell significantly outside one or more of the approved selection criteria.
Compensation Program Components
Base SalaryAnnual Cash IncentiveLong-Term Incentive
CashCashEquity
FixedVariable/At-riskVariable/At-risk
Provides a stable level of pay to attract and retain talent.Rewards achievement of our annual financial goals.Rewards creation of long-term stockholder value.
Targeted Compensation Mix
The targeted mix of our three primary compensation elements (base salary, annual cash incentive, and long-term incentive programs. Radford reports directly to the Compensation Committeeincentive) (1) for FY 2021 for our Chief Executive Officer and does not provide any non-compensation related services to the Company. Based on an assessment of the six independence factors established by the SEC, the Compensation Committee determined that the engagement of Radford does not raise any conflicts of interest or similar concerns. In addition, the Compensation Committee evaluated the independence of itsour other outside advisors to the Compensation Committee, including outside legal counsel, considering the same independence factors and concluded their work for the Compensation Committee does not raise any conflicts of interest.named executive officers are as follows:
compensation components
base salariespaymiximage.jpg
(1)Comprised of base salary (at the annual rate in effect) for FY 2021, target annual cash incentive for FY 2021, and the targeted value of the equity awards granted in FY 2021.
2021 Proxy Statement50
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Base Salaries
We provide base salarysalaries as a fixed source of compensation for our named executive officers, allowing them a degree of certainty with respect to their day-to-day compensation. The Compensation Committee recognizes the importance of base salaries as an element of compensation that helps to attract and retain highly qualified executive talent. Initial base

262018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg


executive compensation


salaries for our named executive officers were established in employment agreements entered into with each of them in connection with their commencement of employment or our initial public offering. The relative levels of base salary for our namedeach executive officers areofficer is designed to reflect each such namedthat executive officer’s scope of responsibility and accountability to us.us, as well as our desire to maintain relative internal parity among our executive officers. The Compensation Committee reviews the base salaries of our named executive officers periodically, along with the base salaries of similarly situated executives at a group of peer companies selected by our independent compensation consultant and approved by the Compensation Committee, and may adjust the base salaries of our named executive officers from time to time.on an annual basis, but has never made an adjustment.
FY 2021 Base Salaries
The base salaries for 2017Mr. Amin, Mr. Baruch, and Mr. Milsten have not been increased in over seven years and remain the same as the base salaries set forth in their respective new hire offers in 2014. The base salaries for Ms. Fields and Ms. Marchisotto remain the same as the base salaries set forth in their respective new hire offers in 2019.
The decision to keep base salaries at the same level as provided at the time of hire was made based on our philosophy of delivering the majority of compensation through long-term equity-based compensation designed to deliver value to our executive officers only when our performance creates value for our stockholders.
The annual base salaries for FY 2021 for our named executive officers are set forth below:were as follows:
FY 2021 Annual Base Salaries
namebase salary
Tarang Amin$475,000 
Rich Baruch$325,000 
Mandy Fields$350,000 
Kory Marchisotto$325,000 
Scott Milsten$325,000 
Name 
Salary
Tarang P. Amin$475,000
John P. Bailey$425,000
Scott K. Milsten$325,000
Each named executive officer’s base salary has remained the same since that named executive officer joined the Company.
cash bonusesAnnual Cash Incentive Compensation
We provide annual performance-based cash bonusesincentive compensation to motivate our named executive officers to achieve our businessfinancial and strategic goals. Annual cash incentive compensation is based on predetermined financial measures that are chosen by the Compensation Committee at the beginning of the fiscal year and that are aligned with our annual growth objectives as well as our long-term business plan. The financial measure performance goals in additionfor our annual cash incentive compensation are designed to individual goals. Our namedbe challenging.
We believe that annual cash incentive compensation:
aligns the interests of our executive officers, havee.l.f. Beauty, and our stockholders;
enables us to focus on achieving and exceeding financial goals that drive stockholder value creation;
recognizes and rewards individuals for contributing to our success;
attracts and retains the top talent in the industry; and
holds our executive officers accountable.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
512021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

The annual cash incentive payout for each executive officer is determined based on a formula consisting of the executive officer’s base salary, target bonus, whichannual cash incentive opportunity (which is set atas a percentage of base salary by the Compensation Committee early in the applicable fiscal year), and a funding percentage of the annual cash incentive compensation pool based on our performance with respect to predetermined financial measures chosen by the Compensation Committee. Individual performance has not been considered when determining annual cash incentive payouts for executive officers as we subscribe to a “one team” philosophy where all employees participate equally (subject to variations in target annual cash incentive opportunity) in our successes and shortcomings.
The Compensation Committee reviews the target annual cash incentive opportunities of our executive officers on an annual basis, but has never made an adjustment.
The formula for determining the annual cash incentive payout for our executive officers is typicallyas follows:
Base
salary
xTarget
percentage
xFunding
percentage
=Annual cash incentive payout
The funding percentage of the annual cash incentive compensation pool is determined based on our performance of the predetermined financial measures chosen by the Compensation Committee.
There is a threshold funding percentage of 80% (if the threshold performance goal is achieved) and a maximum funding percentage of 200% (if the maximum performance goal is achieved or exceeded), with funding percentages corresponding on a linear basis to performance between threshold and target levels and performance between target and maximum levels. If the threshold performance is not achieved, the funding percentage is set at 0% and no annual cash incentive compensation is paid.
çperformance of predetermined financial measuresè
ß
below threshold
threshold
goal achieved
ßà
in between goals
target
goal achieved
ßà
in between goals
maximum
goal achieved
à
above maximum
âcorresponds to a funding percentage of:â
0%
no funding
80%
81% to 99%
on a linear basis
100%
101% to 199%
on a linear basis
200%
200%
maximum cap
çfunding percentage of the annual cash incentive compensation poolè
The target annual cash incentive opportunities for Mr. Amin, Mr. Baruch, and Mr. Milsten have not been increased in over seven years and remain the same as the annual cash incentive opportunities in their respective new hire offers in 2014. The target annual cash incentive opportunities for Ms. Fields and Ms. Marchisotto remain the same as the annual cash incentive opportunities in their respective new hire offers in 2019. Similar to the decision to keep base salaries consistent, no changes were made to the annual cash incentive opportunities for FY 2021 based on our philosophy of delivering the majority of compensation opportunity through long-term equity compensation.
2021 Proxy Statement52
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

The target annual cash incentive opportunities for FY 2021 for our named executive officers were as follows:
FY 2021 Target Annual Cash Incentive Opportunities
name
target
(% of salary)
target value
Tarang Amin100 %$475,000 
Rich Baruch40 %$130,000 
Mandy Fields50 %$175,000 
Kory Marchisotto40 %$130,000 
Scott Milsten40 %$130,000 
FY 2021 Annual Cash Incentive Compensation
The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique and challenging landscape for the Compensation Committee. This was especially so given the intersection of FY 2021 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic—specifically, and consistent with past practice, the Compensation Committee meetings to establish and approve our executive compensation program for FY 2021 began in March and April 2020; the height of uncertainty regarding the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges presented, the Compensation Committee followed a thoughtful and deliberate approach to making FY 2021 annual cash incentive compensation decisions. Additionally, once the annual cash incentive compensation program was established for FY 2021, it was not changed or altered in any way, nor was any discretion applied by the Compensation Committee.
In each year since going public, our annual cash incentive compensation program has been measured by our Adjusted EBITDA performance against pre-established targets. When we have performed well against the targets, our executive officers have been rewarded with annual cash incentive compensation up to 200% of target, and when we have under-performed against the targets (as in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018), no annual cash incentive compensation has been paid. For FY 2021, the Compensation Committee again chose Adjusted EBITDA as our annual cash incentive compensation program performance metric because it is a key measure we use to understand and evaluate our operational performance and because the Compensation Committee believes Adjusted EBITDA is an important driver of the price of our common stock, which aligns compensation for our executive officers with maximizing stockholder value.
The Compensation Committee has historically set the Adjusted EBITDA goals for annual cash incentive compensation in connection with the Board-approved full year budget, which is adopted at the beginning of each fiscal year. At the time the Compensation Committee would normally have set Adjusted EBITDA goals for FY 2021 on its standard timeline, almost every state in the United States and many countries in Europe had issued a shelter-in-place/stay-at home order, many retail stores had closed to the public or were operating with significantly reduced hours and staff, and consumer traffic in shopping and retail centers had significantly declined. Given the uncertainty regarding, and volatility caused by, the COVID-19 pandemic and our resulting inability to accurately forecast operations and performance for the full fiscal year, our Board decided to split its traditional budget process and approve a budget for the first-half of FY 2021 (“1H”) at the beginning of the fiscal year and a budget for the second-half of FY 2021 (“2H”) later in the fiscal year, with the hope that more certainty of business trends would be afforded with the passage of time.
Despite the uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and our Board’s decision to have 1H and 2H budgets, rather than a full year budget, the Compensation Committee determined that it was still in the best interests of our stockholders to set the FY 2021 annual cash incentive compensation goals early in the fiscal year, and have those goals
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
532021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

retain sufficient flexibility to account for the uncertainties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the Compensation Committee did not want to set fixed goals early in FY 2021 that may have ultimately been too easy or too challenging depending on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, nor did the Compensation Committee want to wait until later in FY 2021 (when it likely would have better insight into our performance and overall market trends) to set the goals, since, depending on timing, that may have resulted in goals that were essentially “achieved” when set.
In accordance with our Board’s decision to set 1H and 2H budgets for FY 2021, the Compensation Committee decided to set the FY 2021 annual cash incentive compensation target goal based on the sum of our forecasted 1H Adjusted EBITDA and 2H Adjusted EBITDA, each as set forth in the named executive officer’s employment agreement.respective budgets (with the 2H budget set separately from the 1H budget but still early in FY 2021) as follows:
Board-approved budget 1H Adjusted EBITDA+Board-approved budget 2H Adjusted EBITDA=Target Adjusted
EBITDA goal
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic on e.l.f. Beauty and the overall cosmetics market where, among other things, consumer traffic at retail stores in which we sell our products decreased materially and consumer beauty rituals were severely impacted by stay-at-home restrictions, the FY 2021 annual cash incentive compensation formula resulted in Adjusted EBITDA threshold, target, and maximum goals for FY 2021 that were lower than our actual Adjusted EBITDA result in FY 2020. The Compensation Committee, determineshowever, believed that the final amount1H and 2H budgets (and, as a result, the calculated Adjusted EBITDA goals) were challenging and rigorous and were aligned with our objectives for FY 2021 (as well as our long-term business plan) in light of economic uncertainties existing at the bonus based ontime the Company’s performance. In February 2018,budgets were established, including the prospect of continued global macroeconomic, retail, and consumer headwinds.
The Adjusted EBITDA goals and the corresponding funding percentages for the FY 2021 annual cash incentive compensation pool were as follows:
Adjusted EBITDA Goals for FY 2021 Annual Cash Incentive Compensation
adj. EBITDA (1)
funding percentage (2)
threshold$36.2 million80 %
target$40.0 million100 %
maximum$44.4 million200 %
(1)
After funding of the annual cash incentive compensation pool. See Annex A for a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA.
(2)The funding percentages correspond, on a linear basis, to performance between threshold and target levels and performance between target and maximum levels.
Consistent with past practice, the FY 2021 annual cash incentive compensation pool was self-funded, meaning that our Compensation Committee determined that, based on the Company’s Adjusted EBITDA performance in 2017, each named executive officerFY 2021 needed to be sufficient to generate profit to pay the annual cash incentive payouts for FY 2021 and to generate profit for e.l.f. Beauty and its stockholders.
We achieved $61.1 million in Adjusted EBITDA in FY 2021, after funding of the annual cash incentive compensation pool. This Adjusted EBITDA performance was entitled to receive 85%greater than the maximum performance goal for FY 2021 and, as such, resulted in an overall funding percentage of his target bonus.200%.
2021 Proxy Statement54
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

The bonus targets, as well as the actual bonuses,annual cash incentive payouts for 2017FY 2021 for our named executive officers were as follows:
FY 2021 Annual Cash Incentive Payouts
name
target value
actual payout
(% of target)
actual payout
Tarang Amin$475,000 200 %$950,000 
Rich Baruch$130,000 200 %$260,000 
Mandy Fields$175,000 200 %$350,000 
Kory Marchisotto$130,000 200 %$260,000 
Scott Milsten$130,000 200 %$260,000 
The annual cash incentive payouts for FY 2021 are set forth below:reported under the heading “non-equity incentive plan comp.” in the Summary Compensation Table.
Long-Term Incentive Compensation
Name 
Target Bonus
(% of Salary)

 Target Bonus
Actual Bonus
(% of Target)

 Actual Bonus
Tarang P. Amin100% $475,000
85% $403,750
John P. Bailey75% $318,750
85% $270,937
Scott K. Milsten40% $130,000
85% $110,500
Each named executive officer’s bonus target has remained the same since that named executive officer joined the Company.
equity compensation
Consistent with our compensation objectives, equity is the primary componentA core principal of our executive compensation program because it allows usis to attractdeliver a significant percentage of total compensation awarded to our executive officers in the form of long-term incentive compensation. The value realized from this compensation is dependent on our financial success and retain key talent inthe sustained performance of our industry and we believecommon stock over the long-term. This means that it aligns our executives’ contributions with the long-term interests of the Company andexecutive officers are rewarded when they produce value for our stockholders. We have designed our equity-basedlong-term incentive compensation program to serve as an effective recruitment and retention tool while also motivatingmotivate our executive officers to work toward corporate objectives that we believe provide a meaningful return to our stockholders.stockholders while also serving as an effective recruitment and retention tool.
In determining the estimated size of equity awards granted to any given named executive officer, the Compensation Committee considers a number of reference points, includingincluding:
our performance, the executive’s then-current total directexecutive officer’s contributions to that performance, as well as expectations for that executive officer’s future contributions to our performance;
the competitive market compensation (i.e.,levels for the sumexecutive officer’s position;
the relative mix of salary, target bonuses,cash and equity, and in particular the annualized value of equity awards), thefact that cash compensation paid to such executive’s peers withinour executive officers is generally low compared to the Company,competitive market; and
internal parity among our executive officers.
In order to enhance retention, our equity awards typically vest in quarterly annual installments over a four-year period, subject to continued service to e.l.f. Beauty through each vesting date.
We grant annual equity awards (restricted stock awards, performance-based awards, and option awards) in a consistent manner to our executive officers. Since 2018, we have granted annual equity awards to our executive officers on the compensation paidfirst day of the month that immediately follows the release of our year-end financial results. The Compensation Committee has determined that this methodology is prudent in that it allows for the market to executives in comparable positions at other companies within a groupprocess all reported public information prior to establishing the value of peer companies selected byannual equity awards for our independent compensation consultant and approved byexecutive officers. Going forward, we expect to continue this timing of annual equity awards to executive officers, with annual equity award grants for the Compensation Committee.

fiscal year ending March 31, 2023 to occur on June 1, 2022.
elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018552021 Proxy Statement27

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Annual Equity Award Grant Dates
year-end earnings release date (1)
grant date
February 27, 2018March 1, 2018
February 26, 2019March 1, 2019
May 21, 2020June 1, 2020
May 26, 2021June 1, 2021
executive compensation(1)The shift in our year-end earnings release date is a result of the change in our fiscal year-end in 2018 from December 31 to March 31.
FY 2021 Equity Awards


In prior years, we have granted a portion of Mr. Amin’s annual equity grant in the form of performance-based restricted stock awards (“PSAs”). Based on feedback from our stockholders, the Compensation Committee expanded the use of PSAs to all of our executive officers’ annual equity grants for FY 2021 to even more closely align their compensation with our strong pay-for-performance culture and focus on the delivery of substantial value to our stockholders.
The Compensation Committee split each of our executive officer’s equity grants madeaward for FY 2021 (based on total number of shares of restricted stock granted) between time-vesting restricted stock awards and PSAs as follows:
with respect to Mr. Amin, 50% in time-vesting restricted stock awards and 50% in PSAs; and
with respect to each other executive officer, 75% in time-vesting restricted stock awards and 25% in PSAs.
Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Compensation Committee had anticipated aligning the PSAs to be granted in FY 2021 (the “FY 2021 PSAs”) with the three-year economic model that we publicly communicated to our named executive officers during 2017 are asstockholders. This model provided for compounded annual net sales growth in the mid- to high-single digits with Adjusted EBITDA growth outpacing net sales growth over that period. However, given the uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenge in setting multi-year performance metrics when the performance metrics for the FY 2021 PSAs were set forth below.
Name 
Grant DateOptions (#)
 Option Exercise Price
Stock Awards (#)
Tarang P. Amin
2/14/2017(1)
213,000
 $26.84

 
2/14/2017(2)

 
266,600
John P. Bailey
2/14/2017(1)
96,900
 $26.84

 
2/14/2017(2)

 
121,200
Scott K. Milsten
2/14/2017(1)
48,300
 $26.84

   
2/14/2017(2)

 
60,600
        
        
(1)The stock options vest and become exercisable in three equal tranches on the 30th consecutive trading day that the per share closing price of the Company’s common stock equals or exceeds certain successively higher share price targets, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting date; provided that in the event of a change in control (as defined in the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan), if the per share consideration provided to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to such change in control equals or exceeds the applicable share price target for a tranche that has not previously or otherwise vested, then the stock options for that tranche vest in full immediately prior to such change in control, subject to continued service through the closing of the change in control.
(2)The RSUs and shares of restricted stock, as applicable, vest in four substantially equal installments on the first four anniversaries of the date of the grant, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting date.
other compensation components
Severance. Each named executive officer’s employment agreement (as described below underin May 2020, the heading “Employment Agreements”) providesCompensation Committee instead decided that if his employment is terminated during the termperformance metric for the FY 2021 PSAs would be whether e.l.f. Cosmetics’ last-52-week percentage share of the employment agreement by us for reasons other than death, disability or “cause” (as defined in each employment agreement), or at the electioncolor cosmetics market as of March 21, 2021 exceeded e.l.f. Cosmetics’ last-52-week percentage share of the named executive officer for “good reason” (as defined in each employment agreement), prior to the endcolor cosmetics market as of the term of employment, then, in addition to any accrued but unpaid base salary and vacation time and such employee benefits, if any, to which the named executive officer or his dependents may be entitled under our employee benefit plans or programs, and reimbursement for reasonable business expenses, each as would have been payable through the date of termination and any unpaid annual bonus earned for a previously completed fiscal year, he will be entitled to receive (i) an amount equal to his base salary, payable monthly for a period of 12 months following the date of termination (except that Mr. Amin will be entitled to two times his base salary); (ii) continued COBRA coverage for such named executive officer and his eligible dependents for a period of up to 18 months; and (iii) a pro-rated bonus based on actual performance for the fiscal year in which termination occurs, provided that the named executive officer has been employed with us for at least six months of such fiscal year.
All such severance payments and benefits are contingent upon each named executive officer’s compliance with certain confidentiality and other provisions as set forth in his respective employment agreement, and the execution of a general release of claims against the Company.
Change in Control. For equity awards granted after 2016 to our named executive officers other than Mr. Amin, in the event of a named executive officer’s termination of employment by reason of death or disability, by the Company without “cause” or by the named executive officer for “good reason”,March 21, 2020, in each case within 12 months following a change in control, each equity award heldas reported by the named executive officer will vest in full. Under a policy adopted by theNielsen xAOC.
The Compensation Committee decided to use market share gain as the performance metric for the FY 2021 PSAs due to the following factors:
market share gain is a relative performance metric—share gain can only be achieved if e.l.f. Cosmetics outperformed the overall growth rate of the market;
a market share gain metric is sufficiently flexible, and measures superior performance, in 2016, equity awards granted after 2016 to Mr. Amin, unless otherwise determinedboth growing markets and, as considered by the Compensation Committee at the time, declining markets due to the equity awardforecasted impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on color cosmetics usage;
analysts covering our common stock use Nielsen xAOC data when making recommendations and setting price targets regarding our common stock;
Nielsen xAOC data is granted,objective and provided by an unaffiliated third party; and
2021 Proxy Statement56
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

e.l.f. Cosmetics grew market share in FY 2020 (as reported by Nielsen xAOC) and achieving consecutive years of market share growth is difficult and rigorous (for example, only one brand of the top ten cosmetics brands as measured by Nielsen xAOC achieved back to back share gains for the 52 week period ended March 2019 and the 52 week period ended March 2020).
In order to help bridge the gap between a one-year single performance metric and a multi-year variable performance metric, the Compensation Committee implemented an additional time-based vesting period after the performance period, such that the FY 2021 PSAs would vest, to the extent earned during FY 2021, only on June 1, 2022, subject to the executive officer’s continued service through that date. During this additional time-based vesting period, the value of the FY 2021 PSAs will continue to fluctuate with the price of our common stock, providing further incentive to sustain stockholder value created upon the achievement of the performance metric. The FY 2021 PSAs will also vest in full immediately prior to a change in control, subject to his continuing to provide services to the Companynamed executive officer’s continued service through the dateclosing of the change in control.
The Compensation Committee determined in April 2021 that the performance metric for the FY 2021 PSAs was achieved. As such, the FY 2021 PSAs will vest on June 1, 2022, subject to continued service by each named executive officer to e.l.f. Beauty through the vesting date.
Below is a summary of the equity awards granted to our named executive officers in FY 2021:
FY 2021 Equity Awards
nametype of award
shares (1)
grant date fair value (2)
vesting terms (3)
Tarang AminAnnual PSA119,400$1,999,950 Market share gain performance goal with service-based vesting until June 1, 2022
Annual RSA119,400$1,999,950 Four-year service-based vesting
Rich BaruchAnnual PSA20,520$343,710 Market share gain performance goal with service-based vesting until June 1, 2022
Annual RSA61,560$1,031,130 Four-year service-based vesting
Mandy FieldsAnnual PSA17,910$299,993 Market share gain performance goal with service-based vesting until June 1, 2022
Annual RSA53,730$899,978 Four-year service-based vesting
Kory MarchisottoAnnual PSA17,910$299,993 Market share gain performance goal with service-based vesting until June 1, 2022
Annual RSA53,730$899,978 Four-year service-based vesting
Scott MilstenAnnual PSA20,520$343,710 Market share gain performance goal with service-based vesting until June 1, 2022
Annual RSA61,560$1,031,130 Four-year service-based vesting
(1)In order to compensate employees for the shift in the fiscal year-end in December 2018 and the resulting 15 month period between the equity awards granted on March 1, 2019 and the FY 2021 equity awards granted on June 1, 2020, the Compensation Committee decided to award to each employee (including our named executive officers) an equity award that was 5/4 of the target equity award, with the additional 1/4 pro-rated for the amount of time that an employee was employed by e.l.f. Beauty during the transition period from January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019. As a result, the FY 2021 equity awards granted to Mr. Baruch and Mr. Milsten, who were employed during the transition period, were larger than the FY 2021 equity awards granted to Ms. Fields and Ms. Marchisotto, who were not employed during the transition period.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
572021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

(2)Represents the grant date fair value of the applicable equity awards granted to the named executive officer, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for stock-based compensation transactions, disregarding the effects of estimated forfeitures. For a discussion of the valuation of these equity awards, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements at Note 14 in the 2021 Annual Report. These amounts do not reflect the amount the named executive officer has actually realized or will realize from the equity awards upon the vesting thereof or the sale of the shares underlying such equity awards.
(3)The Compensation Committee determined in April 2021 that the market share gain performance goal for the PSAs was achieved.
For additional details regarding the equity awards made to our named executive officers during FY 2021, see under the heading “Executive Compensation—Executive Compensation Tables—Grants of Plan-Based Awards”.
FY 2022 Equity Awards
For FY 2022, we continued to grant annual equity awards to all of our executive officers as a mix of time-vesting and performance-based equity awards. The FY 2022 performance-based equity awards may be earned based on our achievement of both Adjusted EBITDA growth and net sales growth over a three-year performance period ending on March 31, 2024. The FY 2022 performance-based equity awards will vest in a single installment, to the extent earned, upon the Compensation Committee’s certification of our achievement following the three-year performance period, subject to certain accelerated vesting in the event of a change in control or a qualifying termination in connection with a change in control.
Other Compensation Information
Employment Agreements
Each of our executive officers has an employment agreement which sets forth the terms and conditions of employment of that executive officer, including, among other things, base salary, target annual cash incentive compensation opportunity, standard employee benefit plan participation, as well as non-solicitation and confidentiality covenants.
Each employment agreement provides that the executive officer is an “at-will” employee and may be terminated at any time for any reason, subject, in certain cases, to the payment of severance benefits. For a summary of the material terms and conditions of the severance and change in control arrangements in effect as of March 31, 2021 for our named executive officers, see under the heading “Executive Compensation Tables—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control”.
Executive Stock Ownership Policy
In response to stockholder feedback on our executive compensation program received in FY 2021, which is detailed under the heading “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Executive Summary—Stockholder Feedback / Say-on-Pay Advisory Vote”, our Board adopted an executive stock ownership policy in FY 2021 for our executive officers to encourage them to have a long-term equity stake in e.l.f. Beauty, align their interests with stockholders, and mitigate potential compensation-related risk. The policy provides that each executive officer must hold a multiple of that executive officer’s annual base salary in our common stock as follows:
positionownership requirement
(multiple of base salary)
Chief Executive Officer6x
Other executive officers3x
2021 Proxy Statement58
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Each of our current executive officers has until March 31, 2026 to achieve the minimum ownership requirement. Any new or promoted executive officer has until March 31 of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of that executive officer’s start date or promotion date falls to achieve the minimum ownership requirement.
In the event that an executive officer has not satisfied the minimum ownership requirement by the compliance deadline, all shares acquired pursuant to equity awards granted to that executive officer (net of taxes and exercise costs) must be held by that executive officer until (and so long as) the minimum ownership requirement is satisfied.
In addition to shares held outright, shares underlying vested stock options (net of shares that would need to be withheld to satisfy the exercise price thereof and withholding taxes) are counted towards the minimum ownership requirement.
Compensation Recovery Policy
In response to stockholder feedback on our executive compensation program received in FY 2021, which is detailed under the heading “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Executive Summary—Stockholder Feedback / Say-on-Pay Advisory Vote”, our Board adopted a compensation recovery (“clawback”) policy in FY 2021 to maintain a culture of focused, diligent and responsible management that discourages conduct detrimental to our growth.
Our “clawback” policy allows our Board discretion to seek reimbursement with respect to incentive compensation paid or awarded to covered employees, including executive officers and other key employees subjected to the policy by our Board, upon certain events, including a material misstatement of financial calculations or a covered employee’s fraudulent, willful or negligent misconduct that results in material noncompliance with financial reporting rules requiring an accounting restatement.
Anti-Hedging/Anti-Pledging Policy
Our Insider Trading Compliance Policy prohibits our employees, executive officers, and directors from engaging in the following transactions:
purchasing our securities on margin or holding our securities in a margin account;
pledging our securities as collateral to secure loans;
engaging in transactions in puts, calls or other derivative securities involving our securities; or
entering into hedging or monetization transactions or similar arrangements (including short sales) with respect to our securities.
Retirement Plans. Plans
We also maintain a 401(k)-retirement retirement savings plan through e.l.f. Cosmetics, Inc. (our operating subsidiary) for the benefit of our employees, including our named executive officers, who satisfy certain eligibility requirements. Under the 401(k) plan, eligible employees may elect to defer a portion of their compensation, within the limits prescribed by the Internal Revenue Code, on a pre-tax or after-tax (Roth)(i.e., Roth) basis through contributions to the 401(k) plan. We also generally make matching contributions based on the percentage of each employee’s elective deferrals, subject to a pre-determined maximum. We believe that providing a vehicle for tax-deferred retirement savings through our 401(k) plan adds to the overall desirability of our executive compensation package and further incentivizes our employees in accordance with our compensation policies.

package. See the
28
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018592021 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg


Introexecutive compensationBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes


Please see the “All Other Compensation”“all other compensation” column in the Summary Compensation Table for information relating to 401(k) plan matching contributions made to our named executive officers in 2017.FY 2021.
Employee Benefits and Perquisites. Perquisites
All of our full-time employees including(including our named executive officers,officers) are eligible to participate in our health and welfare plans, including medical, dental and vision benefits, medical flexible spending accounts, short-term and long-term disability insurance and life insurance.
In addition, pursuant to his employment agreement, we offer Mr. Amin reimbursement of up to $20,000 per year for expenses incurred by him in connection with financial planning and tax preparation assistance. Except as noted above with respect to Mr. Amin, we do not provide our named executive officers with perquisites or other personal benefits other than those which apply uniformly to all of our employees.
Please see the “All Other Compensation” columnPost-Employment Compensation
In hiring our current executive officers, we sought to develop compensation packages that could attract qualified candidates to fill our most critical positions, which required providing some protection in the event of an involuntary termination. In general, our executive officers’ employment agreements define employment as at-will and provide severance benefits upon various terminations. Any payments or benefits upon a termination are subject to a release of claims and compliance with restrictive covenants, and we do not provide Section 280G gross-up payments.
For a summary of the material terms and conditions of the severance and change in control arrangements in effect as of March 31, 2021 for our named executive officers, see under the heading “Executive Compensation Tables—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control”.
Accounting and Tax Deductibility Treatment
The accounting impact of our compensation programs and the tax deductibility of our compensation programs (including pursuant to section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 162(m)”)) are each one of many factors that are considered in determining the size and structure of our programs as we strive to make our compensation programs reasonable and in the best interests of our stockholders. Special rules limit the deductibility of compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer and other “covered employees” as determined under Section 162(m) and applicable guidance. Under Section 162(m), any compensation over $1 million paid to any of the covered employees in any single year is not tax deductible by us. The Compensation Committee is mindful of the benefit to us of the full deductibility of compensation, but the Compensation Committee believes that it should not be constrained by the requirements of Section 162(m) where those requirements would impair flexibility in compensating our executive officers in a manner that can best promote our corporate objectives of attracting and retaining top tier executive talent.
Compensation Committee Report
The Compensation Committee is comprised of independent directors as required by the listing standards of the NYSE and the SEC rules. At the time of approval of this report, the members of the Compensation Committee are Mr. Kirk Perry and Mr. Kenny Mitchell. The Compensation Committee operates pursuant to a written charter adopted by the Board.
2021 Proxy Statement60
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the compensation discussion and analysis contained in this proxy statement. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee has recommended to the Board that the compensation discussion and analysis be included in this proxy statement and incorporated into e.l.f. Beauty’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021.
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
Kirk Perry, Chair
Kenny Mitchell
The report of the Compensation Committee will not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to otherwise be considered “filed” with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that e.l.f. Beauty specifically incorporates it by reference into that filing.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
612021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Executive Compensation Tables
Summary Compensation Table for
The following table presents information relatingregarding the compensation awarded to, perquisites reimbursements madeearned by, or paid to, our named executive officers during (i) FY 2021, (ii) FY 2020 and 2019T (a 15 month period resulting from the change in 2017.our fiscal year-end in 2018—SEC rules require the compensation for this period to be listed separately as two distinct periods in the Summary Compensation Table), and (iii) 2018 (January 1, 2018–December 31, 2018). All dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount.
name and principal position
yearsalarybonus
stock awards (1)
option awards (1)
non-equity incentive plan comp.all other comp.total
Tarang Amin
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President
2021$475,000 — $3,999,900 (2)— $950,000 $24,019 (3)$5,448,919 
2020$475,000 — — — $1,067,123 $20,000 $1,562,123 
2019T$109,615 $117,124 $3,650,514 (4)— — — $3,877,253 
2018$475,000 — $5,247,021 $1,750,000 — $20,000 $7,492,021 
Rich Baruch
SVP and Chief Commercial Officer
2021$325,000 — 1,374,840 (2)— $260,000 $6,450 (5)$1,966,290 
2020$325,000 — — — $292,055 $5,600 $622,655 
2019T$75,000 $32,055 $742,451 (4)— — $1,500 $851,006 
2018$325,000 — $674,538 $220,686 — $2,000 $1,222,224 
Mandy Fields
SVP and Chief Financial Officer
2021$350,000 — $1,199,971 (2)— $350,000 $6,192 (5)$1,906,163 
2020$323,077 — $1,599,965 $402,643 $350,000 $5,923 $2,681,608 
Kory Marchisotto
SVP and Chief Marketing Officer
2021$325,000 — $1,199,971 (2)— $260,000 $6,450 (5)$1,791,421 
2020$325,000 — — — $281,014 $6,500 $612,514 
2019T$23,750 $21,014 $1,012,830 (4)$358,916 $— $50,250 $1,466,760 
Scott Milsten
SVP, General Counsel, Chief People Officer, and Corporate Secretary
2021$325,000 — 1,374,840 (2)— $260,000 $5,188 (5)$1,965,028 
2020$325,000 — — — $292,055 $1,750 $618,805 
2019T$75,000 $32,055 $1,099,962 (4)— — $375 $1,207,392 
2018$325,000 — $1,499,096 $500,000 — $5,500 $2,329,596 
(1)Represents the grant date fair value of the applicable equity awards granted to the named executive officer in the year indicated, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for stock-based compensation transactions, disregarding the effects of estimated forfeitures. For a discussion of the valuation of these equity awards, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements at Note 14 in the 2021 Annual Report. These amounts do not reflect the amount the named executive officer has actually realized or will realize from the equity awards upon the vesting thereof or the sale of the shares underlying such equity awards.
(2)
50% of the value reported for Mr. Amin and 25% of the value reported for the other named executive officers is attributable to PSAs for which the performance goal was deemed probable to be achieved such that the amount reported assumes the highest level of performance. See under the heading “Executive Compensation—Executive Compensation Tables—Grants of Plan-Based Awards” for additional details regarding the vesting of these equity awards.
(3)$20,000 represents reimbursement of financial planning and tax preparation assistance made pursuant to Mr. Amin’s employment agreement and $4,019 represents amount of matching contributions made by e.l.f. Beauty under its 401(k) plan.
(4)In 2018, we changed our fiscal year end from December 31 to March 31. Due to SEC rules regarding disclosure of executive compensation, we are required to list Mr. Amin’s, Mr. Baruch’s, Ms. Marchisotto’s, and Mr. Milsten’s equity awards granted on March 1, 2019 as compensation for 2019T.
(5)Represents amount of matching contributions made by e.l.f. Beauty under its 401(k) plan.
2021 Proxy Statement62
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
We have adopted, but not yet implemented, an employee stock purchase plan, which is designed to allow our eligible employees to purchase shares
Grants of our common stock with accumulated payroll deductions.Plan-Based Awards
employment agreements
We and e.l.f. Cosmetics, Inc. (our operating subsidiary) have entered into employment agreements with each ofThe following table presents information regarding all plan-based awards granted to our named executive officers. These agreements set forthofficers during FY 2021. The equity awards shown in the terms and conditions of employment of eachfollowing table are also reported under the heading “Executive Compensation—Executive Compensation Tables—Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End”. Dollar amounts, except exercise prices, are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
estimated future payout under non-equity incentive plan awards (1)
estimated future payout under equity incentive plan awards (2)
all other stock awards: number of shares of stock or unitsall other option awards: number of securities underlying optionsexercise or base price of option awards
grant date fair value of stock and option awards (3)
namegrant datethresholdtargetmaximumthreshold (#)target (#)maximum (#)
Tarang Amin$380,000 $475,000 $950,000 — — — — — — — 
6/1/2020 (4)
— — — — 119,400 — — — — $1,999,950 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — — 119,400 — — $1,999,950 
Rich Baruch$104,000 $130,000 $260,000 — — — — — — — 
6/1/2020 (4)
— — — — 20,520 — — — — $343,710 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — 61,560 — — $1,031,130 
Mandy Fields$140,000 $175,000 $350,000 — — — — — — — 
6/1/2020 (4)
— — — — 17,910 — — — — $299,993 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — — 53,730 — — $899,978 
Kory Marchisotto$104,000 $130,000 $260,000 — — — — — — — 
6/1/2020 (4)
— — — — 17,910 — — — — $299,993 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — — 53,730 — — $899,978 
Scott Milsten$104,000 $130,000 $260,000 — — — — — — — 
6/1/2020 (4)
— — — — 20,520 — — — — $343,710 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — — 61,560 — — $1,031,130 
(1)
Amounts shown in these columns represent the range of possible cash payouts for each named executive officer with respect to annual cash incentive compensation for FY 2021, as determined by the Compensation Committee for FY 2021. For more information, see under the heading “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Compensation Program Components—Annual Incentive Compensation”.
(2)Represents PSAs, which vest subject to the satisfaction of a market share performance goal as described in footnote 4. No threshold or maximum levels apply.
(3)Represents the grant date fair value of the applicable equity awards granted to the named executive officer in the year indicated, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for stock-based compensation transactions, disregarding the effects of estimated forfeitures. For a discussion of the valuation of these equity awards, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements at Note 14 in the 2021 Annual Report. For PSAs, performance was deemed probable to be achieved. These amounts do not reflect the amount the named executive officer has actually realized or will realize from the equity awards upon the vesting thereof or the sale of the shares underlying such equity awards.
(4)The PSAs vest on June 1, 2022, subject to the named executive officer’s continued service through such vesting date, if e.l.f. Cosmetics’ share of the color cosmetics market as of March 21, 2021 (as reported by Nielsen xAOC) exceeds e.l.f. Cosmetics’ share of the color cosmetics market as of March 21, 2020 (as reported by Nielsen xAOC). The Compensation Committee determined in April 2021 that the market share gain performance goal was achieved. In the event of a change in control (as defined in the 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan), the PSAs vest in full immediately prior to such change in control, subject to the named executive officer’s continued service through the closing of the change in control.
(5)The restricted stock awards vest in four substantially equal installments on the first four anniversaries of the date of the grant, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting date.

elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
632021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table presents information regarding outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officer, including base salary, initialofficers as of March 31, 2021. Dollar amounts, except exercise prices, are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
option awardsstock awards
namegrant datenumber of securities underlying unexercised options exercisablenumber of securities underlying unexercised options unexercisable
equity incentive plan awards:
number of securities underlying unexercised unearned options
option
exercise price
option
expiration
date
number of shares or units of stock that have not vested
market value of shares or units that have not vested (1)
Tarang Amin1/31/2014476,888 — — $1.84 1/31/2024— — 
9/21/2016428,037 — — $17.00 9/21/2026— — 
2/14/2017 (2)
— — 213,000 $26.84 2/14/2027— — 
3/1/2018 (3)
189,150 63,050 — $18.43 3/1/202871,175 $1,909,625 
3/1/2019 (3)
— — — — — 121,064 $3,248,147 
3/1/2019 (4)
— — — — — 80,710 $2,165,449 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — 119,400 $3,203,502 
6/1/2020 (3)
— — — — — 119,400 $3,203,502 
Rich Baruch5/16/2014171,920 — — $1.84 5/16/2024— — 
9/21/201677,826 — $17.00 9/21/2016— — 
2/14/2017 (2)
— — 38,700 $26.84 2/14/2027— — 
3/1/2018 (3)
24,300 8,100 — $18.43 3/1/20289,150 $245,495 
3/1/2019 (3)
— — — — — 46,694 $1,252,800 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — 20,520 $550,552 
6/1/2020 (3)
— — — — — 61,560 $1,651,655 
Mandy Fields
4/22/2019 (3)
— 62,820 — $12.22 4/22/202998,197 $2,634,626 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — 17,910 $480,525 
6/1/2020 (3)
— — — — — 53,730 $1,441,576 
Kory Marchisotto
3/1/2019 (3)
28,775 57,550 — $7.95 3/1202963,700 $1,709,071 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — 17,910 $480,525 
6/1/2020 (3)
— — — — — 53,730 $1,441,576 
Scott Milsten8/12/2015175,139 — — $1.84 8/12/2025— — 
9/21/201697,281 — — $17.00 9/21/2026— — 
2/14/2017 (2)
— — 48,300 $26.84 2/14/2027— — 
3/1/2018 (3)
54,000 18,000 — $18.43 3/1/202820,335 $545,588 
3/1/2019 (3)
— — — — — 69,180 $1,856,099 
6/1/2020 (5)
— — — — — 20,520 $550,552 
6/1/2020 (3)
— — — — — 61,560 $1,651,655 
(1)Represents the market value of restricted stock and shares underlying RSUs and PSAs as of March 31, 2021, based on the closing price of our common stock on that date of $26.83 per share (as reported on the NYSE).
(2)The stock options vest and become exercisable in three equal tranches on the 30th consecutive trading day that the per share closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $29, $33, and $36, subject to the named executive officer’s continued service through the applicable vesting date. In the event of a change in control, if the per share consideration provided to our stockholders pursuant to such change in control equals or exceeds the applicable share price target for a tranche that has not previously or otherwise vested, then the stock options for that tranche vest in full immediately prior to such change in control, subject to the named executive officer’s continued service through the closing of the change in control.
(3)Except as otherwise indicated, the stock options, RSUs, and shares of restricted stock, as applicable, vest in four substantially equal installments on the first four anniversaries of the date of the grant, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting date. Ms. Fields’ restricted stock award granted on April 22, 2019 vests on the first four anniversaries of June 3, 2019.
(4)The PSAs vest on the date that is 18 months after the date that the average closing per share trading price of our common stock equals or exceeds $18 for a period of 20 trading days, subject to Mr. Amin’s continued service through the applicable vesting date; the $18 stock price hurdle was achieved on February 25, 2020 and the PSA will vest on August 25, 2021, subject to continued service by Mr. Amin through such date. In the event of a change in control, if the per share consideration provided to the stockholders of e.l.f. Beauty pursuant to such change in control equals or exceeds $18, then the PSAs vest in full immediately prior to such change in control, subject to Mr. Amin’s continued service through the closing of the change in control.
(5)The PSAs vest on June 1, 2022, subject to the named executive officer’s continued service through such vesting date, if e.l.f. Cosmetics’ share of the color cosmetics market as of March 21, 2021 (as reported by Nielsen xAOC) exceeds e.l.f. Cosmetics’ share of the color cosmetics market as of March 21, 2020 (as reported by Nielsen xAOC). The Compensation Committee determined in April 2021 that the market share gain performance goal was achieved. In the event of a change in control, the PSAs vest in full immediately prior to such change in control, subject to the named executive officer’s continued service through the closing of the change in control.
2021 Proxy Statement64
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Stock Option Exercises and Stock Vested
The following table presents information regarding stock option grantsoptions that were exercised and standard employeeRSUs, restricted stock, and PSAs that vested with respect to our named executive officers during FY 2021. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
option awardsstock awards
namenumber of shares acquired on exercise
value realized on exercise (1)
number of shares acquired on vesting
value realized on vesting (2)
Tarang Amin— — 396,418 $9,394,354 
Rich Baruch136,000 $2,545,716 51,259 $1,290,420 
Mandy Fields20,940 $287,001 32,733 $565,626 
Kory Marchisotto28,775 $385,725 31,850 $866,320 
Scott Milsten90,000 $2,137,956 78,402 $2,002,658 
(1)The value realized equals the difference between the fair market value of the common stock underlying the stock options at the time of exercise and the exercise price of the underlying options multiplied by the number of stock options exercised.
(2)The value realized equals the fair market value of the common stock underlying the PSAs, RSUs or restricted stock award on the vesting date multiplied by the number of PSAs, RSUs or shares of restricted stock, as applicable, that vested.
Pension Benefits
We do not have any defined benefit plan participation.pension plans for our executive officers.
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
We do not offer any non-qualified deferred compensation plans for our executive officers.
Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control
Non-Change in Control
Each named executive officer’s employment agreement provides that if his or her employment is terminated (i) by e.l.f. Beauty for reasons other than death, disability or “cause” (as defined in each employment agreement), or (ii) by the named executive officer for “good reason” (as defined in each employment agreement) (a “qualifying non-change in control termination”), then, in addition to any accrued but unpaid base salary and paid time off and such employee benefits, if any, to which the named executive officer or his or her eligible dependents may be entitled under our employee benefit plans or programs, and reimbursement for reasonable business expenses, each as would have been payable through the date of termination and any unpaid annual cash incentive earned for a previously completed fiscal year, he or she will be entitled to receive:
an amount equal to his or her base salary (except that Mr. Amin will be entitled to two times his base salary), payable in installments;
continued COBRA coverage for the named executive officer and his or her eligible dependents for a period of up to 12 months (except that Mr. Amin, Mr. Baruch, and Mr. Milsten, who all commenced employment prior to our current post-employment benefits practices, are entitled to 18 months); and
pro-rated annual cash incentive payout based on actual performance for the fiscal year in which termination occurs, provided that the named executive officer has been employed for at least six months of such fiscal year.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
652021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

If a named executive officer’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, each named executive officer’s employment agreement provides that he or she will be eligible to receive a pro-rated annual cash incentive payout based on actual performance for the fiscal year in which termination occurs.
All such severance payments and benefits are contingent upon each named executive officer’s compliance with certain confidentiality and other provisions as set forth in his or her respective employment agreement, and the execution of a general release of claims in favor of e.l.f. Beauty.
Change in Control
Pursuant to the 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan, in the event that the successor corporation (or its parents and subsidiaries) in a change in control (as defined in the 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan) refuses to assume or substitute for any equity awards granted under the 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan (except for performance awards which vest in accordance with their terms), those equity awards will vest in full immediately prior to the change in control.
Under a resolution adopted by the Compensation Committee in 2016, the equity awards granted to Mr. Amin under our 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan, unless otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee at the time the applicable equity award is granted, will vest in full immediately prior to a change in control, subject to continued service by Mr. Amin through the closing of the change in control.
With respect to the stock option awards granted to Mr. Amin, Mr. Baruch, and Mr. Milsten on February 14, 2017, in the event of a change in control, if the per share consideration provided to our stockholders pursuant to that change in control equals or exceeds the applicable share price target ($29, $33, or $36) for a tranche that has not previously or otherwise vested, then that tranche vests in full immediately prior to that change in control, subject to continued service by Mr. Amin, Mr. Baruch, or Mr. Milsten, as applicable, through the closing of that change in control.
With respect to the PSAs granted to Mr. Amin on March 1, 2019, in the event of a change in control, if the per share consideration provided to our stockholders pursuant to such change in control equals or exceeds the applicable share price target ($12, $15, or $18) for a tranche that has not previously or otherwise vested or if the applicable share price target for a tranche has already been achieved, then that tranche vests in full immediately prior to such change in control, subject to continued service by Mr. Amin through the closing of the change in control. The PSAs associated with the $12 and $15 stock price hurdles have already vested. The $18 stock price hurdle was achieved on February 25, 2020. As such, the PSAs associated with the $18 stock price hurdle (if not then vested) will vest in full immediately prior to a change in control, subject to continued service by Mr. Amin through the closing of that change in control.
With respect to the FY 2021 PSAs, in the event of a change in control, such awards will vest in full as of immediately prior to such change in control, subject to continued service by the named executive officer through the closing of the change in control; provided, however, that the FY 2021 PSAs are forfeited immediately on the date the Compensation Committee determines that the performance goal was not achieved. The Compensation Committee determined in April 2021 that the performance goal for the FY 2021 PSAs was achieved and, as such, the FY 2021 PSAs (if not then vested) will vest in full as of immediately prior to such change in control, subject to continued service by the named executive officer through the closing of the change in control.
2021 Proxy Statement66
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Termination in Connection with a Change in Control
In the event of a named executive officer’s termination of employment by us without “cause” or by the named executive officer for “good reason”, in each case, within 12 months following a change in control (a “qualifying change in control termination”), each time-vesting equity award granted on or after our initial public offering in 2016 held by the named executive officer will continue to servevest in his stated capacity until the fifth anniversary of his date of hire. This initial term is automatically extended for successive one-year periods, unless either we orfull and the named executive officer providewill also be entitled to the benefits described under the heading “Executive Compensation Tables—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control—Non-Change in Control”.
Estimated Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control
The following table sets forth estimates of the benefits that our named executive officers would have received in the event of various termination and change in control events (assuming the termination and the change in control, as applicable, occurred on March 31, 2021). Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
namecontinued base salarypro-rated annual cash incentive
continued benefits (1)
equity acceleration (2)
total
Tarang Amin
Qualifying non-change in control termination$950,000 $950,000 $51,161 — $1,951,161 
Termination due to death or disability— $950,000 — — $950,000 
Change in control with equity assumption or substitution— — — $14,259,846 $14,259,846 
Change in control without equity assumption or substitution— — — $14,259,846 $14,259,846 
Qualifying change in control termination$950,000 $950,000 $51,161 $14,259,846 $16,211,007 
Rich Baruch
Qualifying non-change in control termination$325,000 $260,000 $16,462 — $601,462 
Termination due to death or disability— $260,000 — — $260,000 
Change in control with equity assumption or substitution— — — — — 
Change in control without equity assumption or substitution— — — $3,768,541 $3,768,541 
Qualifying change in control termination$325,000 $260,000 $16,462 $3,768,541 $4,370,003 
Mandy Fields
Qualifying non-change in control termination$350,000 $350,000 $373 — $700,373 
Termination due to death or disability— $350,000 — — $350,000 
Change in control with equity assumption or substitution— — — — — 
Change in control without equity assumption or substitution— — — $5,474,527 $5,474,527 
Qualifying change in control termination$350,000 $350,000 $373 $5,474,527 $6,174,900 
Kory Marchisotto
Qualifying non-change in control termination$325,000 $260,000 $23,261 — $608,261 
Termination due to death or disability— $260,000 — — $260,000 
Change in control with equity assumption or substitution— — — — — 
Change in control without equity assumption or substitution— — — $4,717,716 $4,717,716 
Qualifying change in control termination$325,000 $260,000 $23,261 $4,717,716 $5,325,977 
Scott Milsten
Qualifying non-change in control termination$325,000 $260,000 $51,161 — $636,161 
Termination due to death or disability— $260,000 — — $260,000 
Change in control with equity assumption or substitution— — — — — 
Change in control without equity assumption or substitution— — — $4,755,094 $4,755,094 
Qualifying change in control termination$325,000 $260,000 $51,161 $4,755,094 $5,391,255 
(1)Assumes that the named executive officer elected to receive COBRA premiums for himself or herself and his or her eligible dependents for the applicable post-termination period based on his or her benefit plan participation as of March 31, 2021. As of March 31, 2021, Ms. Fields was only enrolled in our vision health insurance plans and not enrolled in our medical health insurance plan.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
672021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

(2)Represents (i) for accelerated RSUs, PSAs, and time-vesting restricted stock awards, the market value of time-vesting restricted stock and PSAs and shares underlying RSUs as of March 31, 2021, based on the closing price of our common stock on that date of $26.83 per share (as reported on the NYSE) and (ii) for accelerated stock options, the positive spread, if any, between the closing price of our common stock on March 31, 2021 of $26.83 per share (as reported on the NYSE) and the applicable stock option exercise price. These amounts do not reflect the amount the named executive officer has actually realized or will realize from the equity awards upon the vesting thereof or the sale of the shares underlying such equity awards.
Chief Executive Officer Pay Ratio
Pursuant to Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K and Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Act, presented below is the ratio of the annual total compensation of our Chief Executive Officer to the annual total compensation of our median employee (excluding our Chief Executive Officer). The ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with SEC requirements. The SEC’s rules for identifying the median employee and calculating the pay ratio based on that employee’s annual total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their employee populations and compensation practices. As a result, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported below because companies have different employee populations and compensation practices and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own ratios.
For FY 2021:
the median of the annual total compensation of all employees (other than our Chief Executive Officer) was $100,340;
the annual total compensation of our Chief Executive Officer was $5,448,919; and
based on this information, for FY 2021, the ratio of the annual total compensation of our Chief Executive Officer to the median of the annual total compensation of employees was approximately 54 to 1. This pay ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K.
To identify the median of the annual total compensation of all our employees (and determine the “median employee”) (but not to calculate annual total compensation for purposed of the pay ratio), we used the following methodology and the material assumptions, adjustments, and estimates:
we selected March 31, 2021 (which is a date within the last three months of our last completed fiscal year) (the “median employee determination date”), as the date upon which we would identify the median employee.
as of the median employee determination date, our employee population consisted of 261 individuals (other than our Chief Executive Officer), including our employees located in the United States and international locations (including over 70 employees in China). All of these employees were included when identifying our “median employee”.
we used the following compensation measure based on payroll and equity plan records for all active employees as of the median employee determination date:
for permanent, full-time employees (other than hourly employees), we used (i) the employee’s annual base salary for FY 2021 on an annualized basis and as in effect on the median employee determination date, (ii) the employee’s target annual cash incentive amount for FY 2021 (assuming payout at least 60 days prior written notice100% of intenttarget), and (iii) the grant date fair market value of the employee’s equity awards awarded in FY 2021 (or
2021 Proxy Statement68
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

committed in FY 2021 to terminateaward if the employment agreement.employee’s new hire date was after the last equity grant date in FY 2021) and
for hourly and/or temporary employees, we used (i) actual pay for FY 2021, (ii) any bonus paid in FY 2021, and (iii) any equity awards granted in FY 2021.
for employees who received compensation risk assessmentdenominated in a foreign currency, we converted those amounts to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate as of the median employee determination date.
ConsistentOur “median employee” (as determined using the methodology and the material assumptions, adjustments, and estimates described above) is an employee located in China.
For purposes of calculating the pay ratio:
with respect to the annual total compensation of the “median employee,” we identified and calculated the elements of such employee’s compensation for FY 2021 in accordance with the SEC’s disclosure requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K (i.e., on the same basis that we have assessedcalculated the annual total compensation for our compensation programs for all employees. We have concluded that our compensation policiesChief Executive Officer as shown in the Summary Compensation Table); and practices do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us. Management has evaluated our executive and employee compensation and benefits programs to determine if these programs’ provisions and operations create undesired or unintentional risk of a material nature. The risk assessment process includes a review of program policies and practices; analysis to identify risks and risk controls related to our compensation programs; and determinations as
with respect to the sufficiency of risk identification,annual total compensation for our Chief Executive Officer, we used the balance of potential risk to potential reward,amount reported in the effectiveness of our risk controls and“Total” column for “2021” row in the impacts of our compensation programs and their risks to our strategy. Although we periodically review all compensation programs, we focus on the programs with variability of payout, as well as those with the ability of a participant to directly affect payout; we also focus on the controls on participant action and payout. In relation to this, we believe that our incentive compensation arrangements provide incentives that do not encourage risk taking beyond our ability to effectively identify and manage significant risks and are compatible with effective internal controls and our risk management practices.Summary Compensation Table.
The
Compensation Committee monitors our compensation programs on an annual basisInterlocks and expects to make modifications as necessary to address any changes in our business or risk profile.
compensation committee interlocks and insider participationInsider Participation
The individuals who served as members of the Compensation Committee during 2017FY 2021 were Mr. McGlashanPerry and Mr. Wolford, bothMs. Cooks Levitan.
Each member of whomthe Compensation Committee was determined by theour Board to be independent under the applicable rules and regulations of the NYSE relating to compensation committee independence. No memberDuring FY 2021, none of our executive officers served on the compensation committee (or its equivalent) or on the board of directors of another entity where one of our Compensation Committee served at any time during 2017 as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or moremembers was an executive officers serving as members of our Board or Compensation Committee.

officer.
elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018692021 Proxy Statement29

executive compensation


executive compensation tables
summary compensation table
Name and Principal Position
YearSalary
Stock
Awards
(1)

Option
Awards
(1)

Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation(2)

All Other Compensation
 Total
Tarang P. Amin2017$475,000
$7,155,544
$2,269,160
$403,750
$20,000
(3)$10,323,454
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer2016$475,000
$2,491,537
$2,748,985
$950,000
$20,000
(3)$6,685,522
John P. Bailey2017$425,000
$3,253,008
$1,032,308
$270,937
$654
(4)$4,981,907
President and Chief Financial Officer2016$425,000
$1,132,506
$1,309,407
$637,500
$
 $3,504,413
Scott K. Milsten2017$325,000
$1,626,504
$514,556
$110,500
$4,000
(4)$2,580,560
SVP, General Counsel, & Chief People Officer2016$325,000
$566,270
$625,486
$260,000
$4,000
(4)$1,780,756
   
           
(1)Represents the grant date fair value of stock options, RSUs, and shares of restricted stock granted to the named executive officer in the year indicated, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for stock-based compensation transactions, disregarding the effects of estimated forfeitures. The grant date fair value of stock options with a market condition is based on the probable outcome of such condition; no maximum value applies. For stock option awards for 2016, the amounts also include the incremental fair value of an adjustment to the exercise prices of outstanding options held by our named executive officers, which was approved in June 2016 in connection with a special dividend, totaling $26,927 for Mr. Amin, $72,102 for Mr. Bailey, and $6,837 for Mr. Milsten. For a discussion of the valuation of these awards, see Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements at Note 12 in the 2017 Annual Report. These amounts do not reflect the amount the named executive officer has actually realized or will realize from the awards upon the vesting of the granted stock options, RSUs, and shares of restricted stock or the sale of the shares underlying the granted stock options, RSUs, and shares of restricted stock.
(2)Amounts for 2017 represent the actual bonus earned for 2017 and paid in early 2018 based on our achievement of Adjusted EBITDA as described above under the heading ”Cash Bonuses”. Amounts for 2016 represent the actual bonus earned for 2016 and paid in early 2017.
(3)Pursuant to Mr. Amin’s employment agreement, the Company reimburses Mr. Amin for expenses incurred by him relating to financial planning and tax preparation assistance, subject to a maximum of $20,000 per year.
(4)Represents amount of 401k plan match contributions made by the Company.

30Intro2018 Proxy StatementBoard
elflogosmalla07.jpg
Company
Exec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes


executive compensation


outstanding equity awards at fiscal year-end
The following table presents information regarding outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2017. Dollar amounts, except exercise prices, are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
  Option Awards  Stock Awards
NameGrant DateNumber of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Exercisable (#)
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Unexercisable (#)
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Unearned Options (#)
Option Exercise Price
Option
Expiration
Date

 Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#)
Market Value of Shares or Units That Have Not Vested (1)

Tarang P. Amin1/31/2014476,888


$1.84
1/31/2024
 

 
9/21/2016(2)
107,009
321,028

$17.00
9/21/2026
 

 
9/21/2016(3)





 109,921
$2,452,338
 
2/14/2017(2)

 213,000
$26.84
2/14/2027
 

 
2/14/2017(3)





 216,600
$4,832,346
 
2/14/2017(3)





 50,000
$1,115,500
John P. Bailey8/12/2015714,275


$1.84
8/12/2025
 

 
9/21/2016(2)
48,641
145,922

$17.00
9/21/2026
 

 
9/21/2016(3)





 49,963
$1,114,675
 
2/14/2017(2)


96,900
$26.84
2/14/2027
 

 
2/14/2017(3)





 121,200
$2,703,972
Scott K. Milsten1/31/201455,200


$1.84
1/31/2024
 

 8/12/2015209,939


$1.84
8/12/2025
 

 
9/21/2016(3)
24,320
72,961

$17.00
9/21/2026
 

   
9/21/2016(3)





 24,982
$557,348
   
2/14/2017(2)


48,300
$26.84
2/14/2027
 

   
2/14/2017(3)





 60,600
$1,351,986
   
            
(1)Represents the market value of the shares underlying the granted RSUs as of December 31, 2017, based on the closing price of our common stock, as reported on the NYSE, of $22.31 per share on December 29, 2017 (the last trading day of 2017).
(2)The stock options vest and become exercisable in three equal tranches on the 30th consecutive trading day that the per share closing price of the Company’s common stock equals or exceeds certain successively higher share price targets, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting date; provided that in the event of a change in control (as defined in the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan), if the per share consideration provided to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to such change in control equals or exceeds the applicable share price target for a tranche that has not previously or otherwise vested, then the stock options for that tranche vest in full immediately prior to such change in control, subject to continued service through the closing of the change in control.
(3)The stock options, RSUs, and shares of restricted stock, as applicable, vest in four substantially equal installments on the first four anniversaries of the date of the grant, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting date.

elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statement31


equity compensation plan informationEQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table provides certain information, as of DecemberMarch 31, 2017,2021, with respect to all of the Company’sour equity compensation plans in effect as of DecemberMarch 31, 20172021 (which consist of the 2014 Equity incentiveIncentive Plan, the 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan (as amended), and the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan). No warrants are outstanding under any of the foregoing plans. All of our equity compensation plans that were in effect as of DecemberMarch 31, 20172021 were adopted with the approval of our stockholders.
plan categorynumber of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (a)
weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights (b) (1)
number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (c) (2)
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Stockholders5,039,188 (3)$12.3810,990,312 (4) (5)
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Stockholders— — — 
TOTAL5,039,188 (3)$12.3810,990,312 (4) (5)
(1)The calculation of the weighted-average exercise price of the outstanding stock options and rights excludes the shares of common stock included in column (a) that are issuable upon the vesting of then-outstanding RSUs, PSAs, and restricted stock awards because those types of equity awards have no exercise price.
(2)Excludes securities reflected in column (a).
(3)Consists of (i) 2,749,573 shares of common stock underlying outstanding options, (ii) 1,099,295 shares of common stock underlying outstanding RSUs, and (iii) 1,190,320 shares of restricted stock awards and PSAs.
(4)The 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan (as amended) contains an “evergreen” provision, pursuant to which the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to awards under such plan shall be increased on the first day of each calendar year ending in 2026, equal to the lesser of (i) 2% of the shares of stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) such smaller number of shares of common stock as determined by our Board; provided, however, that no more than 22,627,878 shares of common stock may be issued upon the exercise of incentive stock options. The 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan contains an “evergreen” provision, pursuant to which the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under such plan shall be increased on the first day of each calendar year in 2026, equal to the lesser of (i) 1% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) such smaller number of shares of common stock as determined by our Board; provided, however, no more than 6,788,363 shares of common stock may be issued under the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, subject to certain adjustments.
(5)Includes 3,322,422 shares that were available for future issuance as of March 31, 2021 under the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which allows eligible employees to purchase shares of common stock with accumulated payroll deductions. The 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, however, has not been implemented.

Plan CategoryNumber of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (a)
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (b)(1)

Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (c)(2)

Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Stockholders(3)
5,950,456(4)

$8.69
5,628,273(5)

Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Stockholders


TOTAL
5,950,456(4)

$8.69
5,628,273(5)

      
      
(1)The calculation of the weighted-average exercise price of the outstanding stock options and rights excludes the shares of common stock included in column (a) that are issuable upon the vesting of then-outstanding RSUs because RSUs have no exercise price.
(2)Excludes securities reflected in column (a).
(3)The 2016 Equity Incentive Award Plan contains an “evergreen” provision, pursuant to which the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to awards under such plan shall be increased on the first day of each year beginning in 2017 and ending in 2026, equal to the lesser of (i) 4% of the shares of stock outstanding (on an as converted basis) on the last day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) such smaller number of shares of stock as determined by our Board; provided, however, that no more than 22,627,878 shares of stock may be issued upon the exercise of incentive stock options. The 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan contains an “evergreen” provision, pursuant to which the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under such plan shall be increased on the first day of each year beginning in 2017 and ending in 2026, equal to the lesser of (i) 1% of the shares of stock outstanding (on an as converted basis) on the last day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) such smaller number of shares of stock as determined by our Board; provided, however, no more than 6,788,363 shares of stock may be issued under the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, subject to certain adjustments.
(4)Consists of 5,003,832 shares of common stock underlying outstanding options and 946,642 shares of common stock underlying outstanding restricted stock units.
(5)Includes 1,357,876 shares that were available for future issuance as of December 31, 2017 under the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which allows eligible employees to purchase shares of common stock with accumulated payroll deductions. The 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, however, has not been implemented.




3220182021 Proxy Statement70
elflogosmalla07.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg


IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

OUR STOCKHOLDERS

ownershipBeneficial Ownership of common stock of the companyCommon Stock
The following table sets forthshows certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of the Company’sour common stock as of February 28, 2018June 30, 2021 (except as otherwise noted below) by: (i) each nominee for director; (ii) each of our continuing directors; (iii) each of our named executive officers; (iv) all of our named executive officers and directors as a group; and (v) all those known by us to be beneficial owners of more than five percent of our common stock.
Except as specified in the following sentence, beneficialBeneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC and generally means that (i) shares subject to stock options currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018the measurement date (regardless of exercise price) and (ii) shares subject to RSUs vesting within 60 days of February 28, 2018the measurement date are, in each case, deemed to be outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of the stockholder holding those stock options andor RSUs but not for any other stockholder.
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o e.l.f. Beauty, Inc., 570 10th Street, Oakland, CA 94607.
Name of Beneficial Owner
Aggregate Number of
Shares Beneficially Owned

Percent of Outstanding Shares(1)

Greater than 5% Stockholders:  
Parties to the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement (2)
25,228,792
54.0%
TPG Growth II Advisors, Inc. (3)(4)
13,510,828
28.9%
Tarang P. Amin (5)
5,387,810
11.5%
J.A. Cosmetics Corp.(6)
4,615,221
9.9%
FMR LLC (7)
3,027,200
6.5%
Champlain Investment Partners, LLC (8)
2,749,980
5.9%
Named Executive Officers and Directors:  
Tarang P. Amin (5)
5,387,810
11.5%
John P. Bailey (9)
1,088,165
2.3%
Scott K. Milsten (10)
626,768
1.3%
Lauren Cooks Levitan (11)
34,500
*
William E. McGlashan, Jr.(12)


Richelle P. Parham

Kirk L. Perry (13)
6,900
*
Beth M. Pritchard

Sabrina L. Simmons (14)
34,500
*
Maureen C. Watson (15)
34,500
*
Richard G. Wolford (16)
34,500
*
All Named Executive Officers and Directors as a Group7,247,643
15.5%
   
     
*Represents ownership of less than 1% of the total outstanding shares of common stock.
(1)Based on 46,762,354 shares of common stock outstanding as of February 28, 2018.
(2)Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, (a) J.A. Cosmetics Corp. and certain other parties have agreed to vote their shares in favor of individuals designated to serve on our board of directors by TPG elf Holdings, L.P. (the direct holder of TPG Growth’s shares of Company common stock) and (b) J.A. Cosmetics Corp., Mr. Amin and his family trusts and certain other parties have granted an irrevocable proxy in respect of all (or certain, in the case of Mr. Amin and his family trusts) of their shares of our common stock to TPG elf Holdings, L.P., for so long as TPG elf Holdings, L.P. has the right to designate at least one member of our Board to vote all of the shares of the common stock held by such entity or individual in connection with matters relating to the composition of our board of directors and the right of TPG elf Holdings, L.P. to appoint members of our board of directors; provided, that such proxy will terminate with respect to Mr. Amin and his affiliated holders if and when he is no longer an executive officer, director or holder of more than 10% of any class of our equity securities.
(3)Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 13, 2018 by TPG Growth, David Bonderman, and James G. Coulter. TPG Growth is the beneficial owner of 13,510,828 shares of common stock, has sole voting power over 0 shares of common stock, has shared voting power over 13,510,828 shares of common stock, has sole dispositive power over 0 shares of common stock and has shared dispositive power over 13,510,828 shares of common stock. Mr. Bonderman and Mr. Coulter, as the sole shareholders of TPG Growth, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares of common stock beneficially owned by TPG Growth (but Mr. Bonderman and Mr. Coulter disclaim any such beneficial ownership except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein). The shares of common stock beneficially owned by TPG Growth, Mr. Bonderman, and Mr. Coulter are held directly by TPG elf Holdings, L.P. (of which TPG Growth is the general partner). TPG Growth’s, Mr. Bonderman’s, and Mr. Coulter’s address is c/o TPG Global, LLC, 301 Commerce Street, Suite 3300, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.

name of beneficial holder
total beneficial
ownership (#)
total beneficial
ownership (%) (1)
Greater than 5% stockholder:
BlackRock, Inc. (2)
6,491,240 12.5 %
Tarang Amin (3)
4,328,298 8.1 %
The Vanguard Group, Inc. (4)
4,169,894 8.0 %
Champlain Investment Partners, LLC (5)
3,700,843 7.1 %
Victory Capital Management Inc. (6)
3,043,344 5.8 %
Named executive officers and directors:
Tarang Amin (3)
4,328,298 8.1 %
Rich Baruch (7)
449,360 *
Mandy Fields (8)
123,671 *
Kory Marchisotto (9)
157,340 *
Scott Milsten (10)
510,386 *
Lori Keith (11)
8,682 *
Lauren Cooks Levitan (12)
69,744 *
Kenny Mitchell (13)
4,967 *
Richelle Parham (14)
30,278 *
Kirk Perry (15)
71,624 *
Beth Pritchard (16)
32,668 *
Maureen Watson (17)
48,764 *
Richard Wolford (18)
81,550 *
Executive officers and directors as a group (14) (19)
6,005,359 11.1 %
*Represents ownership of less than 1% of the total outstanding shares of common stock.
(1)Based on 52,132,517 shares of common stock outstanding as of the date indicated above.
(2)Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 10, 2021 by BlackRock, Inc. (“BlackRock”). BlackRock is the beneficial owner of 6,491,240 shares of common stock, has sole voting power over 6,374,135 shares of common stock, has shared voting power of 0 shares of common stock, has sole dispositive power over 6,491,240 shares of common stock, and has shared dispositive power over 0 shares of common stock. BlackRock’s address is 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055.
elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statement33

beneficial ownership

(4)
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
In addition to the712021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

(3)Consists of (i) 481,899 shares of common stock beneficially owned by TPG Growth as indicated in footnote (3), as a result of the voting obligations and irrevocable proxy set forth in the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, TPG elf Holdings, L.P. (and TPG Growth, Mr. Bonderman, and Mr. Coulter) may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares of common(including restricted stock held by certain other parties to the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement. Those additional shares of common stock are not reflected in TPG Growth’s beneficial ownership in the table above. In the Schedule 13G/A noted in footnote (3), TPG Growth, Mr. Bonderman, and Mr. Coulter disclaim beneficial ownership of the shares held by the stockholders that are parties to the Stockholders Agreement
(5)Represents (i) 1,188,676 shares of common stockawards) held by Mr. Amin, (ii) 3,615,2371,094,075 stock options held by Mr. Amin that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above, (iii) 0 RSUs held by Mr. Amin that will vest within 60 days of the date indicated above, (iv) 2,625,157 shares of common stock held by various family trusts for which Mr. Amin and his wife Hirni Amin serve as co-trustees and over which they each have sole investment and voting power, (iii)and (v) 127,167 shares of common stock held in charitable foundations and donor advised funds over which Mr. Amin has sole investment and voting power.
(4)Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 10, 2021 by The Vanguard Group, Inc. (“Vanguard”). Vanguard is the beneficial owner of 4,169,894 shares of common stock, has sole voting power over 0 shares of common stock, underlying RSUs that will vest within 60 dayshas shared voting power of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Amin, and (iv) 583,897100,754 shares of common stock, underlyinghas sole dispositive power over 4,039,005 shares of common stock, options exercisable within 60 daysand has shared dispositive power over 130,889 shares of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Amin.common stock. Vanguard’s address is 100 Vanguard Blvd., Malvern, PA 19355.
(6)(5)Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 12, 20182021 by J.A. Cosmetics Corp. J.A. Cosmetics Corp.Champlain Investment Partners, LLC (“Champlain”). Champlain is the beneficial owner of 4,615,221shares3,700,843 shares of common stock, has sole voting power over 4,615,2212,844,293 shares of common stock, has shared voting power overof 0 shares of common stock, has sole dispositive power over 4,615,2213,700,843 shares of common stock, and has shared dispositive power over 0 shares of common stock. Joseph A. Shamah, Alan Shamah and Frank Pisani share voting, investment and dispositive power over the shares held by J.A. Cosmetics Corp., and as a result, each may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the shares held of record by J.A. Cosmetics Corp. (but each such individual disclaims any such beneficial ownership. J.A. Cosmetics Corp.’sChamplain’s address is 1393 East 7th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11230.180 Battery St., Burlington, VT 05401.
(7)(6)Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 13, 20189, 2021 by FMR LLC and Abigail P. Johnson. FMR LLCVictory Capital Management Inc. (“Victory”). Victory is the beneficial owner of 3,027,2003,043,344 shares of common stock, has sole voting power over 36,5002,924,984 shares of common stock, has shared voting power overof 0 shares of common stock, has sole dispositive power over 3,027,2003,043,344 shares of common stock, and has shared dispositive power over 0 shares of common stock. Ms. Johnson, their ownershipVictory’s address is 4900 Tiedeman Rd. 4th Floor, Brooklyn, OH 44144.
(7)Consists of voting common shares of FMR LLC and the execution of the shareholders’ voting agreement, may be deemed to beneficially own the(i) 175,314 shares of common stock beneficially owned(including restricted stock awards) held by FMR LLC. FMR LLC’sMr. Baruch, (ii) 274,046 stock options held by Mr. Baruch that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above and Ms. Johnson’s address is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.(iii) 0 RSUs held by Mr. Baruch that will vest within 60 days of the date indicated above.
(8)Based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 21, 2018 by Champlain Investment Partners, LLC (“Champlain”). Champlain is the beneficial ownerConsists of 2,749,980(i) 123,671 shares of common stock has sole voting power over 1,894,725 shares(including restricted stock awards) held by Ms. Fields, (ii) 0 stock options held by Ms. Fields that are exercisable within 60 days of common stock,the date indicated above and has sole dispositive power over 2749980 shares(iii) 0 RSUs held by Ms. Fields that will vest within 60 days of common stock. Champlain’s address is 180 Battery St., Burlington, Vermont 05401.the date indicated above.
(9)Consists of (i) 137,855128,565 shares of common stock (including restricted stock awards) held by Ms. Marchisotto, (ii) 28,775 stock options held by Ms. Marchisotto that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above and (iii) 0 RSUs held by Ms. Marchisotto that will vest within 60 days of the date indicated above.
(10)Consists of (i) 161,603 shares of common stock (including restricted stock awards) held by Mr. Bailey,Milsten, (ii) 187,395296,420 stock options held by Mr. Milsten that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above, (iii) 0 RSUs held by Mr. Milsten that will vest within 60 days of the date indicated above, and (iv) 52,363 shares of common stock held by the Bailey FamilyMilsten/Conner Trust dated April 3, 2015, (iii) 0October 17, 2008 for which Mr. Milsten and his wife serve as co-trustees and over which they each have sole investment and voting power.
(11)Consists of (i) 1,208 shares of common stock underlyingheld by Ms. Keith, (ii) 0 stock options held by Ms. Keith that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above, and (iii) 7,474 RSUs held by Ms. Keith that will vest within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Bailey, and (iv) 762,915 shares of common stock underlying stock options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Bailey.the date indicated above.
(10)(12)Consists of (i) 162,91027,770 shares of common stock held by Mr. Milsten,Ms. Cooks Levitan, (ii) 174,399 shares of common34,500 stock options held by Milsten/Conner Trust dated October 17, 2008,Ms. Cooks Levitan that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above (6,900 of the stock options are unvested but permit early exercise), and (iii) 0 shares of common stock underlying7,474 RSUs held by Ms. Cooks Levitan that will vest within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Milsten, and (iv) 289,459 shares of common stock underlying stock options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Milsten.
(11)Consists of (i) 0 shares of common stock held by Ms. Levitan, (ii) 0 shares of common stock underlying RSUs that will vest within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Ms. Levitan, and (iii) 34,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Ms. Levitan (27,600 of which stock options are unvested but permit early exercise).
(12)Mr. McGlashan is a partner at TPG Growth. Mr. McGlashan has no voting or investment power over, and disclaims beneficial ownership of, the shares held by TPG Growth. The address of Mr. McGlashan is c/o TPG Global, LLC, 301 Commerce Street, Suite 3300, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.date indicated above.
(13)Consists of (i) 0 shares of common stock held by Mr. Perry,Mitchell, (ii) 0 sharesstock options held by Mr. Mitchell that are exercisable within 60 days of common stock underlyingthe date indicated above, and (iii) 4,967 RSUs held by Mr. Mitchell that will vest within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Perry, and (iii) 6,900 shares of common stock underlying stock options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Perry.the date indicated above.
(14)Consists of (i) 022,804 shares of common stock held by Ms. Simmons,Parham, (ii) 0 sharesstock options held by Ms. Parham that are exercisable within 60 days of common stock underlyingthe date indicated above, and (iii) 7,474 RSUs held by Ms. Parham that will vest within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Ms. Simmons, and (iii) 34,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Ms. Simmons (27,600 of which stock options are unvested but permit early exercise).the date indicated above.
(15)Consists of (i) 33,613 shares of common stock held by Mr. Perry, (ii) 20,700 stock options held by Mr. Perry that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above, and (iii) 10,411 RSUs held by Mr. Perry that will vest within 60 days of the date indicated above.
(16)Consists of (i) 25,194 shares of common stock held by Ms. Pritchard, (ii) 0 stock options held by Ms. Pritchard that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above, and (iii) 7,474 RSUs held by Ms. Pritchard that will vest within 60 days of the date indicated above.
(17)Consists of (i) 4,227 shares of common stock held by Ms. Watson, (ii) 0 shares34,500 stock options held by Ms. Watson that are exercisable within 60 days of common stock underlyingthe date indicated above, and (iii) 10,037 RSUs held by Ms. Watson that will vest within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Ms. Watson, and (iii) 34,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Ms. Watson.the date indicated above.
(16)(18)Consists of (i) 036,773 shares of common stock held by Mr. Wolford, (ii) 034,500 stock options held by Mr. Wolford that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above, and (iii) 10,277 RSUs held by Mr. Wolford that will vest within 60 days of the date indicated above.
(19)Consists of (i) 4,100,655 shares of common stock underlying(including restricted stock awards held by our executive officers), (ii) 1,839,116 stock options that are exercisable within 60 days of the date indicated above, and (iii) 65,588 RSUs that will vest within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Wolford, and (iii) 34,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options exercisable within 60 days of February 28, 2018 held by Mr. Wolford.the date indicated above.


Stockholder Engagement

We are committed to acting in the best interests of our stockholders and view ongoing dialogue with stockholders as a critical component of our corporate governance program. Members of management and our Board actively engage with our stockholders through in-person and telephonic meetings throughout the year in order to fully understand their viewpoints concerning our company, to garner feedback on areas for improvement, and to help our stockholders better understand our performance and long-term strategic plan.
342018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg




audit matters
proposal 2:
ratification2021 Proxy Statement
72
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Management provides our Board with regular updates regarding its stockholder outreach efforts as well as feedback received from stockholders, which helps to influence our policies and practices. We believe our regular engagement with stockholders fosters an open exchange of ideas and perspectives for both e.l.f. Beauty and its stockholders.
During FY 2021, we actively engaged with stockholders representing approximately 60% of our outstanding common stock in order to understand their viewpoints concerning a number of topics, including topics relating to our strategic direction (such as our key strategic imperatives), opportunities for growth, capital allocation strategies, executive compensation programs and policies, and corporate governance profile and policies. See under the heading “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Executive Summary—Stockholder Feedback / Say-on-Pay Advisory Vote” for information regarding the Compensation Committee’s outreach to obtain our stockholders’ insights on our executive compensation program.
Stockholders may communicate with our Board as set forth under the heading “Our Board of Directors—How You can Communicate with our Board” or may otherwise communicate with us by contacting our investor relations department at:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Investor Relations
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
ir@elfbeauty.com
Stockholder Proposals
In the event that a stockholder desires to have a proposal considered for presentation at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders and included in our proxy statement and form of proxy used in connection with the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, the proposal must be forwarded in writing to our Corporate Secretary and it must comply with the requirements of SEC Rule 14a-8.
Under SEC Rule 14a-8, stockholder proposals must be received not less than 120 calendar days prior to the one-year anniversary of the date the proxy statement was released to stockholders in connection with the previous year's annual meeting, which for the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders will be March 18, 2022. However, if we hold the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders more than 30 days before, or more than 60 days after, August 26, 2022 (the one-year anniversary of the 2021 annual meeting), we will disclose the deadline by which stockholder proposals to be included in our proxy materials must be received under Item 5 of Part II of our earliest possible Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or, if impracticable, by any other means reasonably determined to inform our stockholders.
If a stockholder, rather than including a proposal in our proxy statement as discussed above, commences his or her own proxy solicitation for the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders or proposes business for consideration at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, we must receive notice of the proposal between April 28, 2022 and May 28, 2022. However, if we hold the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders more than 30 days before, or more than 60 days after, August 26, 2022 (the one-year anniversary of the 2021 annual meeting), we must receive notice of the proposal no later than the 90th day prior to the date of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders or, if later, the 10th day following the day we first publicly disclose the date of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders. Any such proposal must comply with the requirements of our bylaws, which contain additional requirements about advance notice of stockholder proposals.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
732021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Proposals and notices should be submitted in writing to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
2021 Proxy Statement74
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

AUDIT MATTERS
Proposal 3:Ratification of the appointmentAppointment of independent registered public accounting firmIndependent Registered Public Accounting Firm

þ
The Audit Committee has selected Deloitte as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2018 and has further directed that management submit the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm for ratification by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting.FOR
In making its selection, the Audit Committee annually reviews Deloitte’s independence, periodically considers whether to rotate the independent registered public accounting firm, and considers the advisability and potential impact of selecting a different independent registered accounting firm. Additionally, the Audit Committee monitors the rotation of the partners assigned to our audit engagement team in accordance with applicable laws and rules. Representatives of Deloitte are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.
Neither our bylaws nor other governing documents or law require stockholder ratification of the selection of Deloitte as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. However, the Audit Committee is submitting the selection of Deloitte to the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If the stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether or not to retain that firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its sole discretion may direct the appointment of different independent auditors at any time during the year if they determine that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
TheOur Board unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018.FY 2022.
Our Board, based on the Audit Committee’s assessment of Deloitte’s qualifications and performance, believes the appointment of Deloitte for FY 2022 is in the best interests of our stockholders.
audit fees and servicesWhat am I voting on?
The following table represents aggregate fees (in thousands) billedStockholders are being asked to ratify the Company for 2017 and 2016,appointment of Deloitte by Deloitte, the Company’sAudit Committee as e.l.f. Beauty’s independent registered public accounting firm for those years.FY 2022.
In making its selection, the Audit Committee annually reviews Deloitte’s independence, periodically considers whether to rotate the independent registered public accounting firm and considers the advisability and potential impact of selecting a different independent registered accounting firm. Additionally, the Audit Committee monitors the rotation of the partners assigned to our audit engagement team in accordance with applicable laws and rules.
Representatives of Deloitte are expected to attend the 2021 annual meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they desire and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.
Neither our bylaws nor other governing documents or law require stockholder ratification of the selection of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm. However, our Board is submitting the selection of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm to the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice.
If the stockholders fail to ratify the appointment, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether or not to retain that firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee in its sole discretion may direct the appointment of different independent auditors at any time during the year if they determine that such a change would be in the best interests of e.l.f. Beauty and its stockholders.
What is the Required Vote?
The appointment will be ratified if a majority of votes cast (meaning the number of shares voted “For” must exceed the number of shares voted “Against” in order for this proposal to be approved). Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for this proposal and will have no effect on the vote for this proposal.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
752021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

Audit Fees and Services
The following table shows the aggregate fees billed to us by Deloitte, our independent registered public accounting firm for FY 2021, FY 2020, and 2019T. All fees described were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
type of feesFY 2021FY 20202019T
Audit Fees (1)
$1,559,500 $985,000 $365,300 
Audit-Related Fees— — — 
Tax Fees (2)
$20,413 $17,825 $8,320 
All Other Fees— — — 
Total$1,579,913 $1,002,825 $373,620 
(1)Includes fees related to financial statement audit, quarterly reviews, registration statements, and China statutory audit.
(2)Includes fees related to general tax consulting, transfer pricing, and uniform capitalization services.
Type of Fees2017
 2016
Audit Fees (1)
$1,163,560
 $2,675,580
Audit-Related Fees (2)
$52,835
 $
Tax Fees (3)
$59,646
 $14,872
All Other Fees (4)
$240,000
 $
TOTAL FEES$1,516,041
 $2,690,542
   
      
(1)Includes fees related to financial statement audit, quarterly reviews, registration statements, and China statutory audit.
(2)Includes fees related to assurance services supporting the Company’s adoption of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
(3)Includes fees related to general tax consulting, transfer pricing, and uniform capitalization services.
(4)Includes fees related to strategy consulting services.

elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statement35

audit matters


pre-approval policyPre-Approval Policy
The Audit Committee has adopted a policy and procedures for the pre-approval of audit and non-audit services rendered by the Company’sour independent registered public accounting firm. Pre-approval may also be given as part of the Audit Committee’s approval of the scope of the engagement of the independent auditor or on an individual, explicit, case-by-case basis before the independent auditor is engaged to provide each service. The pre-approval of services may be delegated to one or more of the Audit Committee’s members, but the decision must be reported to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. Actual amounts billed, to the extent in excess of any estimated amounts, are periodically reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee has determined that the rendering of the services other than audit services by Deloitte is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.
audit committee report
Audit Committee Report
The Audit Committee (“Audit Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (the “Company”) is comprised of independent directors as required by the listing standards of the New York Stock ExchangeNYSE and Securities and Exchange Commissionthe SEC rules. TheAt the time of approval of this report, the members of the Audit Committee are Ms. Sabrina L. Simmons, Ms. Lauren Cooks LevitanRichelle Parham and Mr. Richard G. Wolford. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a written charter adopted by the Board.
The role of the Audit Committee is to oversee the Company’se.l.f. Beauty’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board. Management of the Companye.l.f. Beauty has the primary responsibility for the Company’se.l.f. Beauty’s financial statements as well as the Company’se.l.f. Beauty’s financial reporting process and principles, internal controls, and disclosure controls. The independent auditors are responsible for performing an audit of the Company’se.l.f. Beauty’s financial statements and the effectiveness of the Company’se.l.f. Beauty’s internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.Board (the “PCAOB”).
In this context, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements of the Companye.l.f. Beauty as of and for the fiscal year ended DecemberMarch 31, 2017,2021 with management and the independent auditors. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Auditing Standard No. 1301, Communications with Audit Committees. the PCAOB.
2021 Proxy Statement76
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

In addition, the Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors required by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board rulesthe applicable requirements of the PCAOB and the SEC relating to auditor independence communications, as currently in effect, and it has discussed with the auditors their independence from the Company.e.l.f. Beauty. The Audit Committee has also considered whether the independent auditor’s provision of non-audit services to the Companye.l.f. Beauty is compatible with maintaining the auditor’s independence.
Based on the reports and discussions above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’se.l.f. Beauty’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended DecemberMarch 31, 2017.2021.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Sabrina L. Simmons, Chair
Lauren Cooks LevitanRichelle Parham
Richard G. Wolford

The report of the Audit Committee will not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to otherwise be considered “filed” with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the Companye.l.f. Beauty specifically incorporates it by reference into suchthat filing.

362018 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg



certain relationships and related party transactions
policy and procedures
The Audit Committee has adopted a written policy regarding transactions between the Company and our executive officers, directors, nominees for election as a director, beneficial owners of more than 5% of our common stock, and any affiliates or members of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons. We refer to these relationships generally as related-party transactions.
Any request for us to enter into a related-party transaction in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related-party would have a direct or indirect interest must first be presented to the Audit Committee for review, consideration, and approval. The Audit Committee reviews all the relevant facts and circumstances of each related-party transaction, including if the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm’s length dealings with an unrelated third party and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, and considers any conflicts of interest and corporate opportunity provisions of the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
related persons transactions during the year
The following is a description of related-party transactions entered into since January 1, 2017 in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related-party would have a direct or indirect interest:
we paid compensation to our directors and executive officers in 2017. Please see “Board of Directors – Director Compensation” and “Executive Compensation”;
we entered into our standard indemnification agreement with Ms. Parham and Ms. Pritchard when each joined our Board. Our standard indemnification agreement requires us to, among other things, indemnify our directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, including indemnification of expenses such as attorneys’ fees incurred by such individuals in any action or proceeding, including any action or proceeding by or in right of us, arising out of the person’s services as a director or executive officer. We have obtained an insurance policy that insures our directors and officers against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under applicable securities laws;
on February 13, 2017, we entered into an indemnification agreement with Joseph A. Shamah, a former member of our Board, and J.A. Cosmetics Corp., pursuant to which each of Joseph Shamah and J.A. Cosmetics Corp. jointly and severally agreed to indemnify the Company for and against any and all losses and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with a pending, third-party commercial litigation;
on March 3, 2017, we entered into the Second Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement (the “Second Amended Stockholders Agreement”) with TPG elf Holdings, L.P., J.A. Cosmetics Corp., Alan Shamah, Joseph Shamah, the A&H Shamah Family Foundation, Inc., and Mr. Amin and related family trusts, which further amends and restates the Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated as of September 21, 2016, as previously amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto, dated as of December 23, 2016 (together as previously amended, the “Prior Stockholders Agreement”). The parties to the Second Amended Stockholders Agreement include additional equity holders, including our executive officers and certain of their related family trusts. The Second Amended Stockholders Agreement amended the Prior Stockholders Agreement to remove the right of J.A. Cosmetics Corp. to designate a member of our Board, reduce the authorized number of members on our Board from eight to seven, and make certain other conforming changes. No other material changes were made to the Prior Stockholders Agreement; and
on March 30, 2017, we entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (collectively, the “Underwriters”), TPG elf Holdings, L.P., J.A. Cosmetics Corp., Mr. Amin, a trust affiliated with Mr. Bailey, Mr. Milsten, and certain other selling stockholders (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”), pursuant to which the Selling Stockholders agreed to sell up to 9,591,000 shares of common stock (inclusive of the Underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares) (the “Secondary Shares”). The Secondary Shares

elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018772021 Proxy Statement

37
IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Important Information Regarding the Virtual Meeting
The 2021 annual meeting will only be conducted virtually online. There is no physical location for the 2021 annual meeting.
To access the 2021 annual meeting, please visit meetings.computershare.com/MW2Q9Z9 on August 26, 2021.
Stockholders of record as of July 6, 2021 and beneficial owners of our common stock as of July 6, 2021 may attend, participate in, and vote by online ballot at, the 2021 annual meeting. Instructions for registering for, and participating in, the 2021 annual meeting are detailed below. Guests and other stockholders may attend the 2021 annual meeting by visiting the virtual meeting website and joining as a guest—guests, however, may not have the opportunity to ask questions at the 2021 annual meeting.
Stockholders of Record
You are a stockholder of record if your shares were registered directly in your name with the transfer agent for our common stock, Computershare, Inc. (“Computershare”), as of July 6, 2021. Stockholders of record as of July 6, 2021 do not need to register to participate in or vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting. Your individual control number, which you will need to participate in or vote by online ballot at the virtual meeting, is included on your proxy card or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.
Beneficial Owners
If your shares were held not in your name, but rather in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, dealer, or other similar organization, trustee, or nominee (generally referred to in this proxy statement as a “broker”), as of July 6, 2021, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name”.
Beneficial owners as of July 6, 2021 must register in advance (and obtain an individual control number) if they wish to participate in or vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting.
To register for the 2021 annual meeting and receive your individual control number, you must first obtain a “legal proxy” from your broker—follow the instructions included in the voting instruction form or contact your broker to request a legal proxy. The voting instruction form you received in connection with the 2021 annual meeting is not a legal proxy. Please note requesting a legal proxy from your broker will revoke any vote by proxy you might have previously executed, and your shares will only be represented with respect to the proposals if you vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting.
You must submit your legal proxy showing your ownership of our common stock as of July 6, 2021, and your name and email address to Computershare. Requests for registration must be labeled as “Legal Proxy” and be received no later than August 24, 2021. You will receive a confirmation of your registration by email after Computershare receives your registration information.
Requests for registration for the 2021 annual meeting should be directed to Computershare as follows:
certain relationships2021 Proxy Statement78
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

were sold at a price to the public of $27.00 and were purchased by the Underwriters at a price of $25.8525 per share from the Selling Stockholders. Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, TPG elf Holdings, L.P. sold 5,793,720 Secondary Shares, J.A. Cosmetics Corp. sold 1,806,877 Secondary Shares, Mr. Amin sold 592,752 Secondary Shares, a trust affiliated with Mr. Bailey sold 362,000 Secondary Shares, and Mr. Milsten sold 136,260 Secondary Shares.
rule 10b5-1 plans
CertainBy email. Forward the email from your broker (or attach an image of our executive officers have adopted written plans, known as Rule 10b5-1 plans, in which they will contract with a broker to buy or sell sharesyour legal proxy showing your ownership of our common stock onas of July 6, 2021) to legalproxy@computershare.com. Please include your name and email address as well.
By mail. Send a periodic basis. Under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a broker executes trades pursuant to parameters established by the individual when entering into the plan, without further direction from them. The individual may amend or terminate the plan in specified circumstances.copy of your legal proxy showing your ownership of our common stock as of July 6, 2021 and your name and email address to:

Computershare
382018e.l.f. Beauty Legal Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg


P.O. Box 43001

Providence, RI 02940-3001

Other Business for Consideration
additional information
other business for consideration
TheOur Board does not presently intend to bring any business other than the proposals listed in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and this proxy statement before the Annual Meeting,2021 annual meeting, and so far as is known to it, nodoes not know of any other business is to be brought before the 2021 annual meeting except as listed in the Notice of Annual Meeting except as specified in the Notice. As toof Stockholders and this proxy statement. If any additional business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting, however, it is the intention of2021 annual meeting, each person named as a proxy holder in the proxy card towill vote on those mattersany such business in accordance with his or her best judgment.
no incorporationNo Incorporation by referenceReference
In our filings with the SEC, information is sometimes “incorporated by reference.” This means that we refer you to information previously filed with the SEC that should be considered as part of the particular filing. In addition,As provided under SEC rules, the Audit Committee Report and the Compensation Committee Report contained in this proxy statement includes severalspecifically are not incorporated by reference into any other filings with the SEC, are not deemed to be “soliciting material”, and are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate any such material by reference into that other filing.
In addition, we have included certain website addresses. Theseaddresses in this proxy statement. Those website addresses are intended to provide inactive, textual references only. Theonly and the information on thesethose websites is not part of this proxy statement.
Annual Report
We encourage our stockholders to read our annual report
for FY 2021 (the “2021 Annual Report”) for information regarding our performance in FY 2021. Our 20172021 Annual Report has been made available to our stockholders at www.edocumentview.com/ELFand posted on our investor relations website at www.envisionreports.com/ELFinvestor.elfbeauty.com/stock-and-financial/latest-annual-report-and-proxy-statement. The Company
We will provide, without charge, a copy of our 20172021 Annual Report (including the financial statements and the financial statement schedules but excluding the exhibits thereto)exhibits) upon the written request of any stockholder of record or beneficial owner of our common stock.stockholder. Requests for our 20172021 Annual Report can be made by writing to our investor relations department at:
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
792021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Investor Relations
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Investor Relations
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
ir@elfbeauty.com
http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/ir-resources/contact-usExpenses of Solicitation
internetThe proxy is solicited on behalf of our Board, and we are paying for the cost of the proxy solicitation process. Proxies may be solicited by mail, the Internet, telephone, personal contact, email, other electronic channels of communication, or otherwise, and may also be solicited by directors, officers and employees. No additional compensation will be paid to our directors, officers or other employees for soliciting proxies.
We also will request brokers and fiduciaries to forward proxy materials to the beneficial owners of shares of our stock as of the record date and will reimburse them for the cost of forwarding the proxy materials in accordance with customary practice.
Stockholders Sharing the Same Address
Due to the small number of stockholders of record and cost to implement, we no longer provide “householding” of our proxy materials. Every stockholder of record, regardless of whether that stockholder of record has the same address and last name of another stockholder of record, will receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or, if requested, one copy of our proxy materials.
If you are a beneficial owner of shares, and you share an address with other beneficial owners, your broker is permitted to deliver a single copy of our proxy materials to your address, unless you otherwise request separate copies from your broker.
Forward-Looking Statements
This proxy statement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections, beliefs and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results and the timing of selected events may differ materially from those expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among other things, the risks and uncertainties that are described in our 2021 Annual Report, as updated from time to time in our SEC filings. Potential investors are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.
Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This proxy statement includes references to non-GAAP measures, including Adjusted EBITDA. We present these non-GAAP measures because our management uses them as supplemental measures in assessing our operating performance,
2021 Proxy Statement80
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

and believes they are helpful to investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in evaluating our performance. The non-GAAP measures included in this proxy statement are not measurements of financial performance under GAAP and they should not be considered as alternatives to measures of performance derived in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP measures should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. These non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider such measures either in isolation or as substitutes for analyzing our results as reported under GAAP. Our definitions and calculations of these non-GAAP measures are not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies due to different methods of calculation. Adjusted EBITDA excludes costs or gains related to restructuring of operations, stock-based compensation and other non-cash and non-recurring costs.
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
812021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why did I receive a notice regarding the availability of annual meetingproxy materials on the Internet instead of a full set of proxy materials?
Pursuant toUnder SEC rules, adopted by the SEC, we have elected to provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet. Accordingly,
On or about July 16, 2021, we are sending thewill mail a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to our stockholders of record. Allrecord as of July 6, 2021 directing stockholders will have the ability to a website where they can access the proxy materials and view instructions on how to vote their shares via the website referredInternet.
If you received the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials only and would like to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials, please follow the instructions in the Notice or request to receive a printed set of the proxy materials. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet orAvailability of Proxy Materials to request that a printedpaper copy may be found in the Notice.mailed to you. We encourage stockholders to take advantage of the availability of our proxy materials on the Internet to help reduce the environmental impact of the Annual Meeting.2021 annual meeting.
stockholders sharing the same address
We have adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called “householding.” Under this procedure, stockholders of record who have the same address and last name will receive only one copy of our Notice or other proxy materials, unless one or more of these stockholders notifies us that they wish to continue receiving individual copies. This procedure will reduce our printing costs and postage fees. If youWhat are eligible for householding, but you and other stockholders of record with whom you share an address currently receive multiple copies of the Notice or other proxy materials, or if you hold shares in more than one account, and in either case you wish to receive only a single copy of the Notice or other proxy materials for your household, please contact us with your request. Likewise, if you participate in householding and wish to receive a separate copy of the Notice or other proxy materials, or if you do not wish to participate in householding and prefer to receive separate copies in the future, please also contact us with your request.

elflogosmalla12.jpg
2018 Proxy Statement39

additional information

If you are a beneficial stockholder, and you share an address with other beneficial stockholders, your broker is permitted to deliver a single copy of the proxy materials andfor?
These proxy materials are being made available to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board for the 2021 annual meeting to be held virtually on August 26, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time.
What does it mean if I receive more than one Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or more than one set of proxy materials?
If you receive more than one Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or one set of proxy materials, your shares may be registered in more than one name or in different accounts. Please follow the voting instructions in each Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or each set of proxy materials to ensure that all of your address, unless you otherwise request separate copies.shares are voted.
YouHow can contact us at:I access the proxy materials over the Internet?
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Investor Relations
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607The proxy materials are available at www.edocumentview.com/ELF.

What information is contained in the proxy materials?
http://investor.elfcosmetics.com/ir-resources/contact-usThe information included in this proxy statement relates to the election of directors and other proposals to be voted upon at the 2021 annual meeting, the voting process, the compensation of directors and our named executive officers, and certain other required information. The proxy materials also include our 2021 Annual Report.

Is there a physical location for the 2021 annual meeting?

No. The 2021 annual meeting will only be held virtually online. To access the 2021 annual meeting, please visit meetings.computershare.com/MW2Q9Z9 on August 26, 2021.
4020182021 Proxy Statement82
elflogosmalla07.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes


Using
for additional information on how to register and attend the 2021 annual meeting.
Who may attend the 2021 annual meeting?
All stockholders of record as of July 6, 2021, beneficial owners of shares as of July 6, 2021, holders of valid proxies for those stockholders, and other persons invited by us may attend the 2021 annual meeting.
You are a black ink pen, markstockholder of record if your votesshares were registered directly in your name with the transfer agent for our common stock, Computershare, as of July 6, 2021.
If your shares were held not in your name, but rather in an X account at a broker, as shownof July 6, 2021, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in this example. Please do not write outside“street name” and the designated areas. X 02S3KD 1 U P X + Annual Meeting Proxy Card . + Change of Address - Please print new address below. Comments - Please printbroker holding your comments below. 01 - Lauren Cooks Levitan 02 - Richelle P. Parham 03 - Richard G. Wolford C Authorized Signatures - This section must be completed for your voteaccount is considered to be counted. - Datethe stockholder of record for purposes of voting at the 2021 annual meeting.
Please see under the heading “Additional Information—Important Information Regarding the Virtual Meeting” for information on how to register and Sign Below attend the 2021 annual meeting.
What proposals are being voted on at the 2021 annual meeting?
There are three proposals to be voted on at the 2021 annual meeting:
What if another matter (other than the year ending December 31, 2018. 01 02 Mark here to WITHHOLD vote from all nominees Mark hereproposals listed in this proxy statement) is properly brought before the 2021 annual meeting?
Our Board knows of no other matters that will be presented for consideration at the 2021 annual meeting. If any other matters are properly brought before the 2021 annual meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof, it is the intention of each person named as a proxy holder in the proxy card to vote FOR all nominees For All EXCEPT - To withholdon those matters in accordance with his or her best judgment.
What happens if a votenominee is unable to stand for oneelection?
If a nominee is unable to stand for election, our Board may reduce the number of directors on our Board or more nominees, markit may name a substitute nominee. If a substitute is named, shares represented by properly executed proxies may be voted for the box tosubstitute nominee.
How does the left and the corresponding numbered box(es) to the right. IMPORTANT ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION Proposals - The Board of Directorsrecommend I vote?
Our Board unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the following proposals: your shares as follows:
NOTE: The proxies are authorized to vote in their discretion upon such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. 03 Electronic Voting Instructions Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Instead of mailing your proxy, you may choose one of the voting methods outlined below to vote your proxy. VALIDATION DETAILS ARE LOCATED BELOW IN THE TITLE BAR. Proxies submitted by the Internet must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on May 21, 2018. Vote by Internet Go to www.envisionreports.com/ELF Or scan the QR code with your smartphone Follow the steps outlined on the secure website IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED VIA THE INTERNET, FOLD ALONG THE PERFORATION, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. . Annual Meeting of Stockholders May 22, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors The stockholder(s) hereby appoint(s) Tarang P. Amin, John P. Bailey and Scott K. Milsten, or any of them, as proxies, each with the power to appoint his substitute, and hereby authorizes them to represent and to vote, as designated on the reverse side of this ballot,“FOR” all of the shares of Common Stock of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. that the stockholder(s) is/are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at 9:00 a.m., PDT, on May 22, 2018, at the offices of e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. at 570 10th Street, Oakland, California 94607,Class II director nominees named in this proxy statement and any adjournment or postponement thereof, on all matters set forthlisted on the reverse side and inproxy card or voting instruction form (Proposal 1);
“FOR” the discretionapproval, on an advisory basis, of the proxies upon such other matterscompensation for our named executive officers (Proposal 2);
“FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte as may properly come before the Annual Meeting. This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If no such direction is made, this proxy will be voted in accordance with the Board of Directors’ recommendations. Proxy - e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materialsour independent registered public accounting firm for the Annual Meeting: The Notice of Meeting, Proxy Statement, Proxy Card and Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at www.envisionreports.com/ELF. IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED VIA THE INTERNET, FOLD ALONG THE PERFORATION, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.FY 2022 (Proposal 3).

elfproxycard20181.jpg

elflogosmalla12.jpgelfbeautylogosquare.jpg
2018832021 Proxy Statement41

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

elfproxycard20182.jpg

Does my vote matter?
YES, YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT.
We are required to obtain stockholder approval for the election of Class II directors and other important matters. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote and every share voted has the same weight. In order for e.l.f. Beauty to obtain the necessary stockholder approval of proposals, a “quorum” of stockholders (a majority of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at the meeting) must be represented at the 2021 annual meeting in person or by proxy.
If a quorum is not obtained, e.l.f. Beauty must postpone the 2021 annual meeting and solicit additional proxies. This is an expensive and time-consuming process.
Voting by proxy is important for us to obtain a quorum, hold the meeting, and complete the stockholder vote.
How do I vote?
You may vote your shares by proxy through the Internet, by proxy by telephone, or by proxy by mail as indicated on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, proxy card, or voting instruction form. You may also vote using the online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting. All shares entitled to vote and represented by properly executed proxies received before the polls are closed at the 2021 annual meeting, and not revoked or superseded, will be voted at the 2021 annual meeting in accordance with the instructions indicated on those proxies.
Whether or not you plan to attend the 2021 annual meeting, we urge you to vote by proxy through the Internet, by proxy by telephone, or using a proxy card or voting instruction form to ensure your vote is counted. You may still attend the 2021 annual meeting and vote by ballot even if you have already voted by proxy.
Voting procedures based on how your shares are held are described below.
Stockholders of record
To vote by proxy through the Internet, go to www.envisionreports.com/ELF. You will be asked to provide your individual control number.
To vote by proxy by telephone, call 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada.
To vote by mail, please request a full set of proxy materials (if you do not already have a full set) and then simply complete, sign, and date the enclosed proxy card and return it promptly in the postage-paid envelope. If we receive your properly executed proxy card before the 2021 annual meeting, we will vote your shares as directed by your proxy card.
To vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting, attend the 2021 annual meeting and vote your shares using the online ballot on the virtual meeting website.
Beneficial owners of shares
You should have received a voting instruction form containing voting instructions from your broker rather than from us. Follow the detailed instructions in the voting instruction form to ensure that your vote is counted.
You may also vote by proxy though the Internet or by proxy by telephone as instructed by your broker.
If you wish to vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting, you must obtain a “legal proxy” from your broker to vote. Follow the instructions included with the voting instruction form or contact your broker to request a “legal
2021 Proxy Statement84
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

proxy”. The voting instruction form you received in connection with the 2021 annual meeting is not a legal proxy. Please note requesting a legal proxy from your broker will revoke any vote by proxy you might have previously executed, and your shares will only be represented with respect to the proposals if you vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting.
Please see under the heading “Additional Information—Important Information Regarding the Virtual Meeting” for information on how to register and attend the 2021 annual meeting.
When is the record date for the 2021 annual meeting?
July 6, 2021.
How many votes do I have?
On each matter to be voted upon, each holder of shares of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held as of July 6, 2021.
Who is entitled to vote?
Stockholders as of July 6, 2021 are entitled to vote on all items properly presented at our 2021 annual meeting. On July 6, 2021, 52,132,517 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. Every stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on July 6, 2021.
Who can vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting?
Stockholders of record as of July 6, 2021 may vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting.
If you held your shares through a broker, you may not vote your shares by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting unless you provide a legal proxy from your broker.
Follow the instructions included with the voting instruction form or contact your broker to request a legal proxy. The voting instruction form you received in connection with the 2021 annual meeting is not a legal proxy. Please note requesting a legal proxy from your broker will revoke any vote by proxy you might have previously executed, and your shares will only be represented with respect to the proposals if you vote by online ballot at the 2021 annual meeting.
Whether or not you plan to attend the 2021 annual meeting, we urge you to vote by proxy through the Internet, vote by proxy by telephone, or sign, date, and return a proxy card or voting instruction form to ensure your vote is counted.
How many votes are needed to approve the proposals?
Election of Class II directors. Director nominees will be elected by the vote of a plurality of the votes cast at the 2021 annual meeting. A plurality voting standard means that the four nominees receiving the most “For” votes will be elected. “Withhold” votes and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for this purpose and will have no effect on the election of the nominees.
Advisory vote on compensation for our named executive officers. This proposal will be decided by a majority of the votes cast. This means that the number of shares voted “For” must exceed the number of shares voted “Against” in order for this proposal to be approved. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for this purpose and will have no effect on the vote for this proposal.
Ratification of appointment of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm. This proposal will be decided by a majority of the votes cast. This means that the number of shares voted “For” must exceed the number of shares voted “Against” in order for this proposal to be approved. Abstentions and broker
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
852021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

non-votes are not considered votes cast for this purpose and will have no effect on the vote for this proposal.
Who counts the votes?
Computershare, our transfer agent, has been engaged as our independent agent to tabulate stockholder votes and appointed as the inspector of election.
What are “broker non-votes”?
If you are a beneficial owner of shares and your shares are held by your broker and you do not provide your broker with voting instructions, your shares may constitute “broker non-votes.”
Broker non-votes occur on a matter when a broker is not permitted to vote on that matter without instructions from the beneficial owner and instructions are not given. Broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining whether or not a quorum exists for the transaction of business.
A broker is entitled to vote shares held by a beneficial owner on “routine” matters without instructions from the beneficial owner of those shares. However, absent instructions from the beneficial owner, a broker is not entitled to vote shares held for a beneficial owner on "non-routine" matters.
The proposals to be voted on at the 2021 annual meeting are classified as follows:
proposalclassification
1.Election of Class II directorsnon-routine
2.Advisory vote on compensation for our named executive officersnon-routine
3.Ratification of appointment of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firmroutine
If you hold your shares beneficially through a broker, it is critical that you cast your vote if you want it to count for the “non-routine” proposals. If you hold your shares
beneficially through a broker and you do not instruct your broker how to vote for the “non-routine” proposals, no votes will be cast on your behalf for those proposals. Follow the detailed instructions in the enclosed voting instruction form to ensure that your vote is counted.
What if I return a proxy card but do not make specific choices?
If you return a signed and dated proxy card or otherwise vote without marking voting selections, your shares will be voted:
“FOR” all the nominees listed on the proxy card as Class II directors;
“FOR” the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation for our named executive officers; and
“FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm for FY 2022.
Can I change my vote or revoke my proxy after submitting my proxy?
Yes. You can revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised at the 2021 annual meeting.
If you are a stockholder of record, you may revoke your proxy before it is exercised at the 2021 annual meeting in any one of the following ways:
you may grant a subsequent proxy through the Internet;
you may grant a subsequent proxy by telephone;
you may mail another properly completed proxy card with a later date;
you may attend the 2021 annual meeting and vote by online ballot. Simply attending the
2021 Proxy Statement86
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

2021 annual meeting will not, by itself, revoke your proxy; or
you may send a timely written notice that you are revoking your proxy to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
Only the latest dated validly executed proxy that you submit (either by mail, phone, or the Internet) will be counted.
If you are a beneficial owner of shares and your shares are held by your broker, you should follow the instructions provided by your broker if you wish to change your vote or revoke your proxy.
What is a quorum and what constitutes a quorum?
A “quorum” is the number of shares that must be present, in person or by proxy, in order for business to be conducted at the 2021 annual meeting. The required quorum for the 2021 annual meeting is the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding as of the record date and entitled to vote at the 2021 annual meeting.
As there were 52,132,517 shares of our common stock issued, outstanding and entitled to vote as of July 6, 2021, the record date, a quorum will be present for the 2021 annual meeting if an aggregate of at least 26,066,259 shares are present in person or by proxy at the 2021 annual meeting. If there is no quorum, either the chairperson of the 2021 annual meeting or a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the 2021 annual meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, may adjourn the 2021 annual meeting to another time or place.
If you are a stockholder of record, your shares will be counted towards the quorum only if you submit a valid proxy or vote at the 2021 annual meeting. If you hold your shares beneficially through a broker, your shares will be counted towards the quorum if your broker submits a proxy for your shares at the 2021 annual meeting, even if that proxy results in a broker non-vote due to the absence of voting instructions from you.
“Withhold” votes, abstentions, and broker non-votes, if any, will be counted for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of a quorum.
How can I find out the results of the voting at the 2021 annual meeting?
We will publish preliminary voting results in a Current Report on Form 8-K within four business days following the 2021 annual meeting and publish final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K as soon as practicable following final certification by the inspector of election.
Will Deloitte be present at the 2021 annual meeting?
Representatives of Deloitte, our independent registered public accounting firm for FY 2021, are expected to be present at the 2021 annual meeting and will have the opportunity to make statements, if they so desire, and to respond to appropriate questions.
When are stockholder proposals or director nominations due for the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders?
If a stockholder wishes to have a proposal considered for presentation at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders and included in our proxy statement and form of proxy used in connection with the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, the proposal must be forwarded in writing to our Corporate Secretary, must comply with the requirements of SEC Rule 14a-8, and must be
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
872021 Proxy Statement

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes

received by March 18, 2022. However, if we hold the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders more than 30 days before, or more than 60 days after, August 26, 2022, we will publicly disclose the deadline by which stockholder proposals to be included in our proxy materials must be received.
If a stockholder, rather than including a proposal in our proxy statement as discussed above, commences his or her own proxy solicitation for the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders (including nominating individuals for election to our Board) or proposes business for consideration at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, we must receive notice of the proposal between April 28, 2022 and May 28, 2022. However, if we hold the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders more than 30 days before, or more than 60 days after, August 26, 2022, we must receive notice of the proposal no later than the 90th day prior to the date of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders or, if later, the 10th day following the day we first publicly disclose the date of the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders. Any such proposal must comply with the requirements of our bylaws, which contain additional requirements about advance notice of stockholder proposals.
Proposals and notices should be submitted in writing to:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Corporate Secretary
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
What if my question isn’t listed here?
If your question wasn’t listed here, please contact our investor relations department at:
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
ATTN: Investor Relations
570 10th Street
Oakland, California 94607
ir@elfbeauty.com
2021 Proxy Statement88
elfbeautylogosquare.jpg

IntroBoardCompanyExec. Comp.Equity PlansStockholdersAuditAdd’l. InfoQ&AAnnexes
ANNEX A
GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation Tables
Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA (unaudited) (in thousands)
FY 2021
Net income$6,232 
Interest expense, net$4,090 
Income (benefit) tax provision$(2,542)
Depreciation and amortization$21,078 
EBITDA$28,858 
Restructuring expense (1)
$2,641 
Stock-based compensation$19,682 
Other non-cash and non-recurring costs (2)
$9,897 
Adjusted EBITDA$61,078 
422018
(1)Restructuring expense during the year ended March 31, 2021 relates to the closure of our manufacturing plant, including impairment of plant assets, the disposal of excess inventory on hand at the plant; and the termination of manufacturing plant employees.
(2)Represents various non-cash or non-recurring costs, including proxy contest expenses, pre-launch costs to develop Keys Soulcare, acquisition-related costs for W3LL PEOPLE, and costs related to the automation of certain warehouse and distribution activities.

elfbeautylogosquare.jpg
892021 Proxy Statement
elflogosmalla07.jpg


inside_backxcover.jpg



back_cover.jpg



elfproxycard_page1.jpg



elfproxycard_page2.jpg