OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 5, 2025--
e.l.f. Cosmetics, a brand from e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF), signed four powerhouse athletes from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), reinforcing its commitment to Empowering. Legendary. Females. on and off the field.
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e.l.f. has a multi-year partnership with the league, sharing the goal to level the playing field for the over 400 women who are elevating professional women’s soccer in the U.S. - and for the next generation to have the role models to take their own ambitions to the next level.
Melanie Barcenas, Abby Dahlkemper, Lo’eau LaBonta and Jaedyn Shaw are the newest bold disruptors to join e.l.f.’s talent roster. Each one brings a powerful story of resilience, perseverance and passion to the pitch.
“Melanie, Abby, Lo’eau and Jaedyn are each powerhouse athletes—bold, fearless, and unapologetically themselves. Their stories reflect the kind of grit, grace and glow that define today’s rising legends,” said Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Beauty. “As part of our e.l.f.‑in‑sports movement, they embody our mission to champion the underrepresented and inspire the next generation of girls through unstoppable positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. They’re not just shaking up the game—they’re rewriting the rules of what it means to lead, to inspire, and to be legendary.”
Meet the team of Empowered.Legendary.Females:
Barcenas, now 17, made history at just 15 as the youngest player to sign with the NWSL. She continues to balance school and professional soccer as a forward for San Diego Wave FC and represents the U.S. U-17 Women’s Youth National Team. “Balancing school, soccer, and being a teenager isn’t easy - but e.l.f. reminds me to have fun with it. They’re all about breaking boundaries, owning your journey, and showing up exactly as you are - and that’s what I want to represent,” said Barcenas.
Dahlkemper, center back for Bay FC, is a three-time NWSL Champion and World Cup winner who made a remarkable return to the field after a serious back injury sidelined her for over a year. “I’m so excited to partner with e.l.f. because they’re all about confidence - in the wins and in the tough moments. That really speaks to me. Some of the biggest lessons in my career have come through setbacks, and e.l.f. shows up for women wherever they are on that journey,” said Dahlkemper.
LaBonta, who was waived early in her career, fought her way back to become a key midfielder and captain of Kansas City Current, earning her first USWNT call-up in May 2025. "My story’s had twists and turns, but it’s mine. I’m thrilled to team up with e.l.f. because they see the beauty in the entire journey - they celebrate the grind, the hustle, the comeback. I can’t wait to use this partnership with e.l.f. to inspire the next generation of soccer fans,” said LaBonta.
Shaw, a forward for North Carolina Courage and rising star on the U.S. Women’s National Team, became an Olympic gold medalist in 2024—all before her 20th birthday. “Partnering with e.l.f. means I get to represent all of who I am — Vietnamese, Black, athlete, creative. I want girls to see that you don’t have to choose one version of yourself. Confidence comes from being your full self, and that’s what e.l.f. is all about,” said Shaw.
All four players will join e.l.f. through the remainder of 2025 through editorial content, appearances, public events, interviews, social content and exclusive campaigns across e.l.f. platforms.
Earlier this year, e.l.f. became the first official makeup and skincare partner of the NWSL and was named Presenting Partner of the NWSL Challenge Cup through 2027. The brand teamed up with San Diego Wave as the Presenting Sponsor of the June 22, 2025, Pups at the Pitch match, and will head to Kansas City Stadium on August 16, 2025, as the KC Current take on Orlando Pride. Throughout the remainder of the season, e.l.f. will continue to deliver fan-first experiences that amplify and celebrate voices both on and off the field.
Supporting women who are breaking barriers and redefining what’s possible brings to life e.l.f.’s vision to be a different kind of beauty company that is a bold disruptor with a kind heart. e.l.f. also supports the Billie Jean King Cup, Kendall Coyne Schofield and the National Women’s Hockey League, professional race car driver Katherine Legge, Paralympic swimmer Anastasia Pagonis and the Wonder Women of Wrestling Varsity Tournament, among other initiatives that democratize access for all on the playing fields.
About e.l.f. Cosmetics
e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is fueled by a belief that anything is e.l.f.ing possible. We are a different kind of company that disrupts norms, shapes culture and connects communities through positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. e.l.f. Cosmetics, our global flagship brand, makes the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip and face by bringing together the best of beauty, culture and entertainment. Our superpower is delivering universally appealing, premium quality products at accessible prices that are e.l.f. clean and vegan, all double-certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA as cruelty free. We are proud to have products made in Fair Trade Certified™ facilities. Learn more at www.elfcosmetics.com.
About National Women's Soccer League
The National Women’s Soccer League is the premier women’s professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay FC, Boston Legacy FC, Chicago Stars FC, Denver Summit, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC, North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, Seattle Reign FC, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.
Melanie Barcenas, Abby Dahlkemper, Lo’eau LaBonta, and Jaedyn Shaw join e.l.f.’s talent roster—reinforcing the brand’s commitment to Empowering. Legendary. Females.
BERLIN (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. envoys arrived in Berlin on Sunday for another round of talks intended to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv stuck to their sharply opposite views of a prospective peace deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were spotted entering a hotel in downtown Berlin.
Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin.
“Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation late Saturday.
Washington has tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles, including control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which is mostly occupied by Russian forces, and security guarantees for Ukraine.
“The chance is considerable at this moment, and it matters for our every city, for our every Ukrainian community,” Zelenskyy said. “We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is dignified, and to secure a guarantee — a guarantee, above all — that Russia will not return to Ukraine for a third invasion.”
Responding to journalists’ questions in audio clips on a WhatsApp group chat, Zelenskyy said Sunday that he will meet separately with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and, possibly, other European leaders later in the evening. He said he hadn't yet received any response from the U.S. to Ukraine’s latest proposals on the peace plan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the part of the Donetsk region still under its control and abandon its bid to join NATO, among the key conditions for peace — demands Kyiv has rejected.
Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard would stay in parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas even if they become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan, a demand likely to be rejected by Ukraine as U.S.-led negotiations drag on.
Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time, noting that the U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been “worsened” by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.
Speaking to Russian state TV in remarks broadcast Sunday, Ushakov said that “the contribution of Ukrainians and Europeans to these documents is unlikely to be constructive," warning that Moscow will “have very strong objections.”
Ushakov added that the territorial issue was actively discussed in Moscow when Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin earlier this month. “The Americans know and understand our position," he said.
Merz, who has spearheaded European efforts to support Ukraine alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said Saturday that “the decades of the ‘Pax Americana’ are largely over for us in Europe and for us in Germany as well.”
He warned that Putin's aim is “a fundamental change to the borders in Europe, the restoration of the old Soviet Union within its borders.” “If Ukraine falls, he won’t stop,” Merz warned on Saturday during a party conference in Munich.
Putin has denied plans to restore the Soviet Union or attack any European allies.
As peace efforts continued, Russia and Ukraine exchanged another round of aerial attacks.
Ukraine’s air force said overnight Russia launched ballistic missiles and 138 attack drones at Ukraine. In its daily report, the air force said 110 had been intercepted or downed, but missile and drone hits were recorded at six locations.
Zelenskyy said Sunday that hundreds of thousands of families were still without power in the south, east and north-east regions and work was continuing to restore electricity, heat and water to multiple regions following a large-scale attack the previous night.
The Ukrainian president said that in the past week, Russia had launched over 1,500 strike drones, nearly 900 guided aerial bombs and 46 missiles of various types at Ukraine.
“Ukraine needs peace on decent terms, and we are ready to work as constructively as possible. These days will be filled with diplomacy. It’s very important that it brings results,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 235 Ukrainian drones late Saturday and early Sunday.
In the Belgorod region, a drone injured a man and set his house ablaze in the village of Yasnye Zori, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Uryupinsk in the Volgograd region, triggering a fire, according to the regional governor, Andrei Bocharov.
In the Krasnodar region, the Ukrainian drones attacked the town of Afipsky, where an oil refinery is located. The authorities said that explosions shattered windows in residential buildings, but didn’t report any damage to the refinery.
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Ciobanu reported from Warsaw, Poland.
Günter Sautter, left, foreign and security policy advisor to the Federal Chancellor, and former Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow arrive for talks between representatives of the U.S. and Ukraine, at the Hotel Adlon, in Berlin, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)
Jared Kushner, entrepreneur and former chief advisor to President Donald Trump, arrives for talks between representatives of the U.S. and Ukraine at the Hotel Adlon, in Berlin, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)
Ukraine's Secretary of National Security Rustem Umerov, right, and Günter Sautter, Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to Chancellor Merz meet in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Steve Witkoff, special envoy of the United States, arrives for talks between representatives of the U.S. and Ukraine, at the Hotel Adlon, in Berlin, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)
In this grab from a video provided by the Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine on Friday, Dec 12, 2025, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy records a video at the road entering of Kupiansk, Ukraine. (Press Service Of The President Of Ukraine via AP)
