Once Again, E.L.F.'s Super Bowl Commercial Is the Only One That Matters

Listen, we aren't saying that we plan to watch the Super Bowl solely for the commercials, but we aren't not saying that, either. Yesterday, E.L.F. shared a first peek at its Super Bowl spot, and we'd like to tip our hats to the brand's marketing department. They are not E.L.F.-ing around.

The commercial, which takes place in E.L.F. Court, is star-studded and includes none other than Judge Judy Sheindlin as Judge Beauty, as well as "Suits" cast members Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman, and Sarah Rafferty. Hoffman is bringing charges against Torres for the crime of overspending on foundation. Her sentence? Glowy skin courtesy of the brand's viral Halo Glow Liquid Filter. Joining the jury box are a few familiar faces, including "Jury Duty"'s Ronald Gladden and one of our favorite comedians ever, Benito Skinner.

When Skinner's agent first came to him with the opportunity to work with E.L.F. on its Super Bowl commercial, he says it was an immediate yes for two main reasons. "I played football in high school," Skinner tells POPSUGAR. "The fact that some of these straight dudes in Idaho who played football with me will get to watch me with acrylic nails on at the Super Bowl? Poetic. A fairy tale."

The other reason? Skinner has an organic history with the brand that started very early. "I had just moved to New York and I was making videos and I needed to start transforming into characters," Skinner says. He needed makeup that actually worked and was affordable. "Every YouTuber I watched [said E.L.F.] was a good starter, so that was my first experience with it. It's been in my makeup kit for a long, long time."

For the commercial, E.L.F. requested to see one of Skinner's past beloved characters, Kooper the Gen Z intern. "I just thought it was so funny that they wanted Kooper," he says. "I haven't been my intern in a while. Whenever people request a character, it's fun."

Kooper is just one of the many characters Skinner has created, and he's also well known for impersonating popular celebrities like the Kardashian-Jenners. His current favorite to emulate? Kylie Jenner. "I feel like Kylie is the main character right now," Skinner says. "For a while, I was Kourtney pretty much nonstop. I think [her voice] has seeped into how I actually talk."

No matter what character Skinner decides to portray, a transformation is always necessary. It took time to acquire the skills to make his epic looks happen. "I couldn't afford a makeup artist, so I want[ed] to learn myself," Skinner says. "When I started making videos when I was out of college, I was obsessed with YouTube makeup, and I still am. It became a peaceful thing that I would do before I started a video, which is inherently pretty chaotic. It just became this great time to get into character."

This coming Sunday, Skinner's character Kooper sits in the E.L.F. Court jury booth and serves more than just the judicial system. "Alexandra French did my makeup [for the commercial]," Skinner says. French used E.L.F.'s Putty Blush ($7) on his cheeks, as well as the brand's contour wand to give Kooper a chiseled jaw. Most importantly, though? Kooper sports the Glow Reviver Lip Oil ($8).

E.L.F.'s Putty Blush

From

$7

$7 at Target

Glow Reviver Lip Oil

From

$8

$8 at Target

"That's my girl, that's 'Miss Girl,'" Skinner says. "Someone once commented that I had crusty lips in a video . . . Since then, I've been on a mission to make sure my lips are just glossed. Too much is never enough right now, and fortunately, that went with Kooper's character."

When asked who he'd put on trial with Judge Beauty, Skinner didn't hesitate to answer: "There was this culture of straight dudes on TikTok being like, 'I don't know what this is,' about makeup products," Skinner says. "It's concealer; I think you can figure it out. So them — let's step it up, kings." And their sentence would be to stop lying, he adds. Got a problem with that? Well, Skinner will see you in court this Sunday for Super Bowl LVIII.