Published
Jan 23, 2026
Written by Sonia Summers
Watching Drunk Elephant work through a turnaround is lighting a fire in me — and I’m genuinely rooting for a comeback.
They were a true pioneer: clean (before it was crowded), science-forward, and fun without losing credibility. And a big part of that magic was Tiffany Masterson—a founder people actually liked, whose POV felt inseparable from the brand’s voice.
What’s interesting right now: the brand is publicly signaling a reset with “Please Enjoy Responsibly,” positioning itself back toward regimen education, intentional routines, and grown-up credibility.
And if you’ve worked in beauty long enough, you know: you don’t regain trust with a tagline alone.
The Missing Ingredient Might Be Founder-Connected Clarity
I’m watching how founder energy shows up in a brand’s reset messaging—and I can’t help but wonder if founder-connected clarity is part of what Drunk Elephant needs to fully lock back in. Not because founder presence is a magic trick. But because when a brand loses its identity, it usually wasn’t a marketing problem first—it was a clarity problem.
And clarity is contagious:
It sharpens merchandising decisions
It simplifies regimen education
It makes product storytelling feel coherent again
A Quick Flashback: Where Drunk Elephant Won (And Why It Mattered)
Beauty Barrage had the opportunity to help Drunk Elephant win in-store at Sephora pre-acquisition—we absolutely killed it on retail execution and trial-to-loyalty. Then when VMG became a minority partner, we stayed in it with them for another year as the brand scaled into its next chapter.
That era matters because it proves something simple:
Drunk Elephant performs best when the customer journey is guided. When the education is strong. When the routine makes sense. When the brand voice is unmistakable.
“Please Enjoy Responsibly” Signals a Return to Education and Credibility
In the brand’s latest direction, “Please Enjoy Responsibly” reads like a strategic course-correction—less chaos, more intention.
It’s a clear move back toward:
Routine-building (not random product collecting)
Skincare literacy (not trend-chasing)
Credibility (not confusion)
Multiple outlets have described this as a deliberate refocus on an adult audience and a recommitment to science-backed, intentional skincare. That’s not accidental. That’s reset energy.
2026 Is Starting to Feel Like the Year of the Reset
And Drunk Elephant isn’t the only one. 2026 is shaping up to be the year iconic brands make hard, necessary moves to stabilize and rebuild. One clear example: Anastasia Beverly Hills announced it closed a recapitalization transaction that significantly reduces debt, including a $225 million equity investment from founder/CEO Anastasia Soare. Because nobody wants to watch another founder-led legend drift into a quiet “what happened?” headline. And that fear isn’t abstract. Recent reporting has described Pat McGrath Labs as exploring an asset sale process, with bids and an auction timeline managed by Hilco Global.
Reset energy is everywhere—and honestly, I get it.
Comebacks Aren’t Won with Messaging. They’re Won with Consistency.
This kind of return isn’t powered by a tagline alone. It’s built through consistency:
Education: clear “how to use it” guidance that reduces overwhelm
Merchandising: routines that are easy to shop in-store and online
Regimen logic: fewer dead ends, more “start here, then go here”
POV: a voice that feels unmistakably Drunk Elephant again
Because when a brand is iconic, the goal isn’t to become someone new. The goal is to become yourself again—on purpose.
Call It a Reset or Reinvention—Either Way, I’m Here for the Return
I’m rooting for Drunk Elephant because beauty needs its pioneers to stay sharp—not diluted, not confused, not chasing.
Call it a reset or a reinvention. Either way, I’m here for the comeback.
— Sonia S.