OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 2, 2025--
e.l.f. Cosmetics, a brand from e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF), launched today a clever campaign that gives a whole new meaning to AI: Animal Intelligence. The words of wisdom fueling this content come from some of the smartest sources on the planet, our beloved pets.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251002412237/en/
With universal appeal to every eye, lip and face, e.l.f. Cosmetics is vegan and double-certified cruelty free by both PETA and Leaping Bunny – with premium quality and extraordinary prices. With over 94 million households in the U.S. owning pets,* furry friends are a source of positivity, inclusivity and accessibility for so many in the e.l.f. community.
At the heart of this campaign is a collective love for animals. e.l.f. looks to celebrate the joy, emotional intelligence and individuality pets bring to our lives. The campaign features beloved social sensations Luna the Mini Cockapoo, Venus the Two-Faced Cat and Blue Planet Pets. Fans are invited to join the “Paw Squad” between October 2-8, 2025, by submitting the best photo of their own pets for a chance to win a “treat.” Participating community members have a chance to be featured in upcoming e.l.f. campaign and a chance to win prizes, including Chewy.com “Paw-tastic Prize Packs.” Visit here to enter and find more information about the sweepstakes, including the official rules.
“As a lifelong pet lover, this campaign is especially close to my heart. At e.l.f., we know how deeply our community values our products being vegan and cruelty-free. These superpowers are part of who we are and what we stand for,” said Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer of e.l.f. Beauty. “With this launch, we wanted to surprise and delight the community while emphasizing our shared passion for pets. By reframing AI as Animal Intelligence, we’re showing up with purpose, fun and positivity.”
To further celebrate the furry-friend fun, e.l.f. is extending its support of the Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America’s shelters, by donating $25,000.
“Our partnership with e.l.f. Cosmetics continues to be such a joyful collaboration. Together, we’re proving that when compassion meets creativity, incredible things happen for the animals. We share a deep love for homeless pets and a commitment to creating a brighter future for them, and we’re so grateful for the ongoing support e.l.f. Cosmetics brings to this lifesaving work,” said Candi Maciel, Director of Corporate Partnerships of Best Friends Animal Society.
Animal Intelligence launches across TikTok, Instagram and e.l.f. Beauty Squad for one week, with future waves of pet-led content planned for later this year.
The campaign was developed in consultation with eGEN, a global immersive consultancy that helps brands engage next-gen audiences through culture, community and technology.
For more information about Best Friends and pets looking for loving homes, please visit bestfriends.org.
*APPA, March 2025
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 Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends runs lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with more than 5,500 shelters and rescue organizations. From our headquarters in Kanab, Utah, we also operate the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary — a destination that brings our mission to life for thousands of visitors each year. We maintain the most comprehensive animal sheltering data in the country and make it accessible to the public — empowering communities with critical insights into the needs of their local shelters and how they can help. We believe every dog and cat deserves a home. And we believe that, by working together, we can Save Them All®.
e.l.f. Cosmetics launched a clever campaign that gives a whole new meaning to AI: Animal Intelligence. Featuring beloved social sensations Luna the Mini Cockapoo, Venus the Two-Faced Cat and Blue Planet Pets, e.l.f. looks to celebrate the joy, emotional intelligence and individuality pets bring to our lives.
TRIKORFO, Greece (AP) — Can a centuries-old ritual of spiritual renewal rekindle a New Year’s resolution to build healthy eating habits before it fades in the spring?
For six weeks every year, millions of Orthodox Christians around the world adopt a largely vegan diet, abstaining from meat, dairy products, eggs, and fish with backbones. Oil and wine also are prohibited on weekdays during the 40-day Lenten period before Orthodox Easter, which often falls later than its Catholic and Anglican counterpart.
The annual adherence to a plant-based, Mediterranean-style meal plan drives a communal rediscovery of vegetables and oil-free cooking methods in majority-Orthodox countries.
In Greece, even McDonald’s franchises get into the lean Lent spirit by adding seasonal menu items that meet most of the proscriptions of the Greek Orthodox Church. The menu includes shrimp wraps, shrimp salad, vegetable spring rolls and plant-based McVeggie burgers but is not oil-free.
Although following Eastern Orthodox dietary guidelines before Easter is often referred to as fasting, the focus is on going without certain foods, not refraining from eating altogether. The rules are not rigid but can be adapted to account for personal needs.
Here’s a look at the annual alimentary tradition, along with reasons to consider sticking with a similar diet and cautionary advice from nutritionists.
Christian traditions diverge between East and West ahead of Easter, and not just in their methods for determining the most important date on their calendars. Catholics are encouraged to give up one or more personal indulgences during Lent but get to decide whether to deny themselves dessert, alcohol, video games, swearing or something else. Members of the Orthodox Church forgo animal products except for shellfish.
Gone are Greeks' beloved dishes like mousaka and souvlakia — grilled meat wrapped with toppings. So are dairy products like milk and cheese. Vertebrate fish like anchovies, mullet and hake are no-nos too, although shrimp, oysters and calamari are permitted.
On a lush coastal hillside in central Greece, 40 monks closely follow these rules at the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim. The monks, who wear black robes and full beards, grow and harvest most of their own produce in the monastery's gardens, including an abudance of zucchini and tomatoes.
Their meals during Lent are basic but not bland. The monks have mastered methods to replicate familiar tastes and textures. Oven-roasted potatoes are coated with tahini instead of oil to preserve the crunch factor. Vegetable stock prepared from scratch gives lentil dishes a hearty flavor.
The monks listen to prayers read aloud as they eat.
Father Nektarios Moulatsiotis, the monastery's affable abbot, says the practice of fasting and following a restricted diet is essential for deep reflection and focus required for the spiritual preparation for Easter. He compares it to endurance training.
“In the same way someone goes to the gym to shape their body," Nektarios said, "the church is a gym for the soul.”
Occasional hunger pangs aren't something to resist; they are part of the plan. The idea is simple: less indulgence, more clarity.
“You cannot really pray, study, chant or do any spiritual exercise with a full stomach,” he said with a chuckle.
Nektarios argues that a nutritious yet disciplined diet can produce benefits that apply outside of a religious setting as much as inside of one, such as a sense of greater self-control and enhanced awareness.
Orthodox monks observe several fasting periods that limit what, when and how much they eat for most of the year. Researchers have studied their health and food intake for decades to determine if their customs hold any clues to preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes.
However, the advantages of eating a balanced diet that includes whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes are well-established. Reduce consumption of meat, saturated fats and processed foods long enough, and the body typically responds.
“Fasting certainly has benefits, provided it’s done correctly,” Eirini Babaroutsi, a sports nutritionist at the Hellenic Athletics Federation, said. For example, Orthodox Christians tend to eat more fiber during Lent, which helps the digestive system function better, she said.
“It also matters what we do eat, not simply what we avoid," Babaroutsi said. "With the right combinations, we can get all the nutrients we need.”
Meals that meet the guidelines aren’t confined to the ingredients found in Orthodox-majority countries in Southern and Eastern Europe. Babaroutsi suggests porridge with oat milk, vegetable wraps with olive paste, and high-quality peanut butter as helpful international additions.
There are a few considerations.
A six-week fasting cycle is not advisable for older adults and young children, Babaroutsi said. The Eastern Orthodox church also exempts people with serious health conditions, special dietary requirements, and pregnant or nursing women from strict obedience.
Engaging in a post-Lent binge as a reward also is best avoided because loading up after a period of abstinence can strain the body, Babaroutsi said.
For those wary of making a full commitment, know that you're not alone. Orthodox Lent started on Feb. 23, but many Greeks participate only during Holy Week, which starts on April 5, Palm Sunday, and goes until April 11, the day before Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter this year.
Supermarkets and bakeries in Greece make it easier to abide by stocking fast, family-friendly meals and an assortment of seasonal goods.
These include jars of pickles and olives, bags of chickpeas and other pulses, squid sliced into rings in freezer cases, the creamy pink fish roe known as taramosalata, and slabs of unleavened bread shaped like small surfboards.
In central Athens, at the slippery-floored central fish market, vendors call out over piles of Lent-compliant clams, octopus and mussels, shoveling seafood into paper cones.
Gerasimos Mantalvanos, the market’s general manager, said many customers tend to overindulge when Easter Sunday's traditional lamb dishes and sweets arrive. For most, a spirit of moderation eventually returns, he said.
“It is good for eating habits to change from time to time during the year,” Mantalvanos said. “So a period of fasting, a little fish and some abstinence from meat, I think these are good for the body. It is a kind of small detox, a little break.”
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AP photographer Thanassis Stavrakis and videojournalist Srdjan Nedeljkovic contributed.
Father Seraphim carries a sack of feed for sheep at the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim of Sarov in the village of Trikorfo, about 236 kilometers (147 miles) northwest of Athens, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
A monk tends to plants at the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim of Sarov in the village of Trikorfo, about 236 kilometers (147 miles) northwest of Athens, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Monks prepare the meals at the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim of Sarov in the village of Trikorfo, about 236 kilometers (147 miles) northwest of Athens, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
A monk prepares meals at the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim of Sarov ahead of Easter as part of annual Lenten dietary restrictions in the village of Trikorfo, about 236 kilometers (147 miles) northwest of Athens, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Father Isaac serves lentils for the midday meal at the Monastery of St. Augustine and Seraphim of Sarov in the village of Trikorfo, about 236 kilometers (147 miles) northwest of Athens, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
