At any given time, e.l.f. has more than 200 ideas in the works and emphasizes "first to mass" items — products that are either entirely new, or versions of products sold by only higher-priced brands, such as a mineral-infused face primer inspired by prestige brands, Amin said. It takes about 27 weeks to turn an idea into a product on sale at e.l.f.'s website and stores, but can be done in as little as 20 weeks. The company went public last fall.