As the beauty industry continues to morph due to shifting market trends highlighted by markers such as TikTok algorithms, only a handful of brands have experienced the meteoric rise and reckoning that Morphe has. Formerly lauded as a pioneer of influencer-driven marketing, Morphe, the California-based cosmetics brand, had built an empire through the help of makeup megastars and their signature eyeshadow palettes.However, in recent years, the brand found itself at a crossroads. It’s become heavily reliant on personalities, yet it struggles to reassert its independence. Now, under the leadership of CEO Simon Cowell and the strategic guidance of investors such as Doug Jacob, founder of &vest and an operating partner at Morphe, the brand is undergoing a bold, comprehensive transformation; one that is not rooted in faces but in formulas.From Influencer Darling to Product Powerhouse“The brand had become known as an influencer-led company,” Cowell explained to BeautyMatter. “And the change was really about returning to what the founders originally built: artistry-grade products at accessible prices. Not influencers, not noise, just really good makeup.” This reset hasn’t just been cosmetic, though.Over the last 18 months, Morphe has repositioned itself as a “masstige” beauty brand, offering prestige-level performance at a more attainable price point. It’s a nuanced space that sits strategically between mass-market drugstore brands and luxury counters, and it’s one few players occupy convincingly. Yet, the numbers speak for themselves.