Charles Sternberg, Associate Editor04.20.23
You may have noticed recently a slate of beauty brands investing in the metaverse. Global beauty companies, L’Oréal, Estée Lauder Companies and P&G have all made moves toward entering the digital realm, and they’re not alone.
An increasing number of beauty companies are acknowledging the metaverse as a novel and thrilling avenue for engaging with their customers.
According to Bloomberg, the global metaverse revenue opportunity could approach $800 billion in 2024 vs. about $500 billion in 2020.
McKinsey defines the metaverse as an “emerging 3-D-enabled digital space that uses virtual reality, augmented reality, and other advanced internet and semiconductor technology to allow people to have lifelike personal and business experiences online.”
In layman’s terms, the metaverse is a term used to describe a virtual world that is similar to the real world but is accessed through technology. It is a space where people can interact with each other and digital objects in a 3-dimensional (3D) environment.
There are many metaverse platforms in 2023 that cater to different audiences, from Roblox, which has over 24 million active users globally and is popular among gamers, to Decentraland, a 3D virtual space where users can trade NFTs.
In the metaverse, brands can create virtual stores, where customers can try on and purchase products in a digital space. They can also create virtual events, where consumers can interact with the brand and each other, and even try on makeup or hairstyles virtually.
Investing in the metaverse also allows beauty brands to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and innovation. As more and more people spend time in virtual worlds, beauty brands want to be there too, offering novel ways for consumers to experience their products and services.
Each brand and company has taken a unique approach to the metaverse. There is no one way to experiment with this new technology. Below are some of the biggest recent metaverse-related beauty stories of the past year:
BeautySPHERE, which can be accessed from any desktop, offers a journey of discovery through Responsible Beauty, P&G Beauty’s platform for being a positive force for beauty in the world. With engaging content, livestream panel discussions and a gamified challenge, visitors learn about the interconnected Responsible Beauty principles of Sustainability, Safety, Transparency, Quality & Performance, and Equality, Inclusion & Wellbeing.
The trademark applications are said to have been filed through Roraj Trade LLC, and include “downloadable virtual goods comprising cosmetics, makeup and hair accessories” for use in online virtual worlds, retail stores, online environments, NFTs and digital media.
Fenty Beauty also applied to sell “online, non-downloadable virtual goods” in the metaverse.
So far, there haven’t been any new updates on the progress of Fenty’s entrance into the metaverse, but keep your eyes peeled, because Fenty likes to always be on the cutting edge of what is hot and trendy.
Users were able to virtually step inside the Advanced Night Repair “Little Brown Bottle” to unlock a digital badge or Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP) and claim one NFT wearable that gives their avatars a glowing, radiant aura inspired by Advanced Night Repair.
A limited quantity of 10,000 of the complimentary Advanced Night Repair NFT wearables were available to be claimed by attendees of Metaverse Fashion Week.
Visitors could head to “Paris World” in the popular online game Roblox to check out the “Cryptoween” metaverse event created by Hilton’s company 11:11 Media in partnership with Urban Decay. Plus, Hilton made daily appearances in the world via her avatar at the virtual world’s selfie booth.
The first Roblox activation sponsored by a L’Oréal Group-owned brand, the event was a reflection of major beauty and fashion brands’ growing investment in Roblox as a part of their metaverse marketing strategies.
Buxom PlumpVerse has three unique floors – a first floor lounge featuring a plumping lip bar inspired by Buxom's new Plump Shot Sheer Tints formulated with Pure Vegan Collagen, a dance area, DJ on floor two, to further play into the brand's DNA rooted in entertainment and music, and an immersive, virtual try-on store on the third floor – where users can explore, interact, try on shades and participate in gamified experiences.
This move marks the first venture capital investment by L’Oréal in the metaverse & Web3 space.
The store was a digital twin of the brand’s SXSW house activation, which took place in Austin, Texas, from March 10-13.
It enabled users to get a first look at the brand’s new products and messages, with a digital quest to complete.
The virtual store allows consumers to browse product offerings and brand heritage through a digitalized, immersive, and interactive online shopping experience. Utilizing extended reality as the enabling technology, the HD-quality, 3D and 360-degree experience features four interactive virtual rooms and a category-first AI Quiz, all designed with the brand's ethos and aesthetic in mind.
Upon entering the store, shoppers are welcomed with the Dry Shampoo Center, showcasing the Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo and Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo. Customers can then experience an AI Hair Quiz to find their individualized hair routine, get an inside look at Living Proof’s salon in their Boston HQ, learn how to properly recycle beauty products with Terracycle, and purchase hair care products directly from the virtual store.
The free educational launch event offered attendees a unique and immersive experience – no VR headset required – as they learned about the new demi permanent gel toner collection, its extensive shade palette and usage techniques.
The event featured live education from the Matrix Education Team, networking, games, giveaways and more. During the event, the first 500 stylists who visited all the exposition hall's booths received a free Tonal Control Kit containing two tubes of Tonal Control Pre-Bonded color, a Tonal Control color brush or bottle, and a developer.
The advanced virtual storefront features a photorealistic 3D environment and brings the retail experience of the Clinique Counter to the metaverse where brand lovers and new consumers can discover, interact, play, learn and shop.
Users can create a custom avatar and explore the world through six unique environments, including product storytelling, gamification, personalized engagement with Clinique Consultants, unique offers and immersive on-site shopping.
Using desktop and mobile technology from top 3D social platform Spatial, the Coty Campus integrates tools like text and vocal chat discussions, screen-and-filesharing, and customizable avatars.
The Coty Campus will gamify global collaboration and engagement through a phygital reward system, based on item collection, location exploration and quest fulfillment. It is unique because it is built for employees rather than consumers.
The new virtual hairstyles, launched as a part of the Gravitas campaign, “offer more opportunities for metaverse gamers to fully express themselves,” explains L’Oréal. Each of the new virtual hairstyles are shaped in a manner that seem to defy the laws of physics—hence the name.
The Gravitas campaign was developed in partnership with Wunderman Thompson, a New York-based global marketing communication agency.
The fully shoppable experience is designed to delight and engage Elizabeth Arden’s more digitally driven consumer base by allowing customers to experience the brand’s products and learn about the woman behind the brand.
The virtual store features animation, 360-degree video functionality, gamification and seamless checkout. The layout consists of five rooms that are each custom designed around specific Laneige products and video content.
“The amikaverse" allows users to learn about the brand as they create and share their own digital hair care products, engage in unique challenges, and interact with other characters throughout the amikaverse environment.
An increasing number of beauty companies are acknowledging the metaverse as a novel and thrilling avenue for engaging with their customers.
According to Bloomberg, the global metaverse revenue opportunity could approach $800 billion in 2024 vs. about $500 billion in 2020.
What Is the Metaverse?
If you have heard the term “metaverse” used a lot lately, but you are still confused as to what it means, you are not alone. In fact, in 2021, internet searches for the term “metaverse” increased by 7,200% says McKinsey.McKinsey defines the metaverse as an “emerging 3-D-enabled digital space that uses virtual reality, augmented reality, and other advanced internet and semiconductor technology to allow people to have lifelike personal and business experiences online.”
In layman’s terms, the metaverse is a term used to describe a virtual world that is similar to the real world but is accessed through technology. It is a space where people can interact with each other and digital objects in a 3-dimensional (3D) environment.
There are many metaverse platforms in 2023 that cater to different audiences, from Roblox, which has over 24 million active users globally and is popular among gamers, to Decentraland, a 3D virtual space where users can trade NFTs.
Why It Matters to Beauty Brands
Beauty brands are investing in the metaverse because they see it as a new and exciting way to connect with consumers.In the metaverse, brands can create virtual stores, where customers can try on and purchase products in a digital space. They can also create virtual events, where consumers can interact with the brand and each other, and even try on makeup or hairstyles virtually.
Investing in the metaverse also allows beauty brands to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and innovation. As more and more people spend time in virtual worlds, beauty brands want to be there too, offering novel ways for consumers to experience their products and services.
Each brand and company has taken a unique approach to the metaverse. There is no one way to experiment with this new technology. Below are some of the biggest recent metaverse-related beauty stories of the past year:
P&G Introduces BeautySPHERE
At CES 2022, P&G Beauty debuted its virtual storytelling world, BeautySPHERE. A first step into the metaverse, BeautySPHERE allows visitors to virtually interact with P&G Beauty’s portfolio of brands through live and simulated content.BeautySPHERE, which can be accessed from any desktop, offers a journey of discovery through Responsible Beauty, P&G Beauty’s platform for being a positive force for beauty in the world. With engaging content, livestream panel discussions and a gamified challenge, visitors learn about the interconnected Responsible Beauty principles of Sustainability, Safety, Transparency, Quality & Performance, and Equality, Inclusion & Wellbeing.
Fenty Beauty Files Trademark for Virtual Cosmetics and Hair Care Products
Last year, Rihanna filed a trademark to sell Fenty Beauty products as virtual cosmetics, hinting that the beauty brand could be entering the metaverse in the future.The trademark applications are said to have been filed through Roraj Trade LLC, and include “downloadable virtual goods comprising cosmetics, makeup and hair accessories” for use in online virtual worlds, retail stores, online environments, NFTs and digital media.
Fenty Beauty also applied to sell “online, non-downloadable virtual goods” in the metaverse.
So far, there haven’t been any new updates on the progress of Fenty’s entrance into the metaverse, but keep your eyes peeled, because Fenty likes to always be on the cutting edge of what is hot and trendy.
Estée Lauder Offers NFTs at Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week
In March 2022, Estée Lauder participated in Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week, the first-ever large-scale virtual fashion week in an on-chain metaverse, where it unveiled its first wearable NFT.Users were able to virtually step inside the Advanced Night Repair “Little Brown Bottle” to unlock a digital badge or Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP) and claim one NFT wearable that gives their avatars a glowing, radiant aura inspired by Advanced Night Repair.
A limited quantity of 10,000 of the complimentary Advanced Night Repair NFT wearables were available to be claimed by attendees of Metaverse Fashion Week.
Paris Hilton Hosts Metaverse Party in Partnership with Urban Decay
Last October, Paris Hilton hosted a Halloween party in the metaverse in partnership with cosmetics company Urban Decay.Visitors could head to “Paris World” in the popular online game Roblox to check out the “Cryptoween” metaverse event created by Hilton’s company 11:11 Media in partnership with Urban Decay. Plus, Hilton made daily appearances in the world via her avatar at the virtual world’s selfie booth.
The first Roblox activation sponsored by a L’Oréal Group-owned brand, the event was a reflection of major beauty and fashion brands’ growing investment in Roblox as a part of their metaverse marketing strategies.
Buxom Cosmetics Launches Metaverse Experience in Decentraland
In early 2023, Buxom Cosmetics teamed up with Publicis Sapient, a digital business transformation company, to launch Buxom PlumpVerse in the virtual world of Decentraland.Buxom PlumpVerse has three unique floors – a first floor lounge featuring a plumping lip bar inspired by Buxom's new Plump Shot Sheer Tints formulated with Pure Vegan Collagen, a dance area, DJ on floor two, to further play into the brand's DNA rooted in entertainment and music, and an immersive, virtual try-on store on the third floor – where users can explore, interact, try on shades and participate in gamified experiences.
L’Oréal’s Corporate Venture Capital Fund Invests in Metaverse & NFT Marketplace Startup
In January 2023, L’Oréal’s corporate venture capital fund BOLD (Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development) made a minority investment in U.S.-based startup, Digital Village, a metaverse-as-a-service platform and NFT marketplace for brands, creators and communities.This move marks the first venture capital investment by L’Oréal in the metaverse & Web3 space.
Lush Launches Space in Decentraland
In March, Lush Cosmetics entered the metaverse by launching a space in Decentraland – a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) which is governed by its users.The store was a digital twin of the brand’s SXSW house activation, which took place in Austin, Texas, from March 10-13.
It enabled users to get a first look at the brand’s new products and messages, with a digital quest to complete.
Living Proof Launches Virtual Store
In April 2023, science-backed haircare company Living Proof launched a virtual store in partnership with ByondXR.The virtual store allows consumers to browse product offerings and brand heritage through a digitalized, immersive, and interactive online shopping experience. Utilizing extended reality as the enabling technology, the HD-quality, 3D and 360-degree experience features four interactive virtual rooms and a category-first AI Quiz, all designed with the brand's ethos and aesthetic in mind.
Upon entering the store, shoppers are welcomed with the Dry Shampoo Center, showcasing the Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo and Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo. Customers can then experience an AI Hair Quiz to find their individualized hair routine, get an inside look at Living Proof’s salon in their Boston HQ, learn how to properly recycle beauty products with Terracycle, and purchase hair care products directly from the virtual store.
Matrix Introduces Demi Permanent Gel Toner Collection via Metaverse Event
Canadian professional hair color brand Matrix, a part of L’Oréal Canada’s Professional Products Division, recently introduced Tonal Control Pre-Bonded to stylists via an exclusive metaverse event—a first for the brand.The free educational launch event offered attendees a unique and immersive experience – no VR headset required – as they learned about the new demi permanent gel toner collection, its extensive shade palette and usage techniques.
The event featured live education from the Matrix Education Team, networking, games, giveaways and more. During the event, the first 500 stylists who visited all the exposition hall's booths received a free Tonal Control Kit containing two tubes of Tonal Control Pre-Bonded color, a Tonal Control color brush or bottle, and a developer.
Clinique Introduces Digital Retail Concept
In April 2023, Clinique (an Estée Lauder Companies brand) launched a new digital retail concept—The Clinique Lab, available online and mobile accessible to all, anytime, anywhere.The advanced virtual storefront features a photorealistic 3D environment and brings the retail experience of the Clinique Counter to the metaverse where brand lovers and new consumers can discover, interact, play, learn and shop.
Users can create a custom avatar and explore the world through six unique environments, including product storytelling, gamification, personalized engagement with Clinique Consultants, unique offers and immersive on-site shopping.
Coty Creates Internal Metaverse for Employees
Coty Inc. recently partnered with tech innovator Spatial to create an internal metaverse for its 11,000 global employees. Built with 3D technology, the virtual campus will upskill Coty’s global workforce and will empower future innovation for Coty’s broad portfolio of brands.Using desktop and mobile technology from top 3D social platform Spatial, the Coty Campus integrates tools like text and vocal chat discussions, screen-and-filesharing, and customizable avatars.
The Coty Campus will gamify global collaboration and engagement through a phygital reward system, based on item collection, location exploration and quest fulfillment. It is unique because it is built for employees rather than consumers.
L’Oréal Professionnel Launches Virtual Hairstyles
In April, haircare and hair styling brand L’Oréal Professionnel launched five virtual hairstyles that can be accessed across three major metaverse platforms: Roblox, Ready Player Me and Zepeto.The new virtual hairstyles, launched as a part of the Gravitas campaign, “offer more opportunities for metaverse gamers to fully express themselves,” explains L’Oréal. Each of the new virtual hairstyles are shaped in a manner that seem to defy the laws of physics—hence the name.
The Gravitas campaign was developed in partnership with Wunderman Thompson, a New York-based global marketing communication agency.
Elizabeth Arden Debuts Virtual Store
In May 2023, beauty brand Elizabeth Arden launched its first-ever immersive virtual store experience, created in partnership with experiential e-commerce platform Obsess.The fully shoppable experience is designed to delight and engage Elizabeth Arden’s more digitally driven consumer base by allowing customers to experience the brand’s products and learn about the woman behind the brand.
Laneige Enters Metaverse with Virtual Store
Skincare brand Laneige (owned by Amorepacific U.S.) recently launched its first immersive virtual store, powered by Obsess.The virtual store features animation, 360-degree video functionality, gamification and seamless checkout. The layout consists of five rooms that are each custom designed around specific Laneige products and video content.
Amika Introduces Roblox Experience
In January 2024, amika, the Brooklyn-based, B Corp–certified hair care brand, entered the metaverse with its first immersive virtual experience, "the amikaverse," on Roblox in partnership with experiential e-commerce company Obsess.“The amikaverse" allows users to learn about the brand as they create and share their own digital hair care products, engage in unique challenges, and interact with other characters throughout the amikaverse environment.
