You’re sitting inside of Rihanna’s Fenty lab, working with her to develop the newest lip gloss, wearing your best outfit. Except – you’re not. Or, you are – kind of – you’re here virtually. How did this happen?
Recently, Roblox and Fenty fans alike were hyped to try the new Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin interactive experience that dropped on Roblox on June 30th 2023. The experience was made up of scavenger hunts, Gloss Bomb creation labs, mazes and more. Within the Fenty experience, you can explore a maze showcasing the ingredients of Fenty Eau De Parfum, and develop your very own Gloss Bomb lip gloss even down to the applicator and name (with a winner chosen and then developed IRL with Rihanna herself). This is not all, users got the chance to win virtual items such as a Fenty Skin beanie and a Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb backpack to wear within the game.
With an estimated 4.3 billion accounts made on Roblox, it’s not only Rihanna who is exploring the virtual world. Essence Cosmetics, whose brand mission is to Make Beauty Fun, released a pride-focused game on Roblox known as Color Dare by Essence where the player, accompanied by the Lash Princess build a colourful world together.
You might be wondering why beauty brands would bother, considering beauty products are, you know, something we physically apply to our faces. But, it can be a lot deeper than that. When you think about it, why do most people apply makeup? One of the main reasons that come to mind is self-expression and creativity – making ourselves look more like how we imagine, and virtual spaces are the perfect place to do this.
Not only is the virtual world accessible to a wider range of people, but users can also explore new colours, textures and possibilities without worrying about the cost of the products, or other obstacles that present themselves when we’re bringing our imagination to life.
Whilst we’re in online settings, it’s not uncommon for us to play with filters or wear different skins, and sometimes these looks might reflect how we wish we looked in real life. These digital beauty experiences can be crucial in developing and playing around with our self-image. Trying a new hairstyle or makeup look in the metaverse might encourage us to become more adventurous in our real lives.
So, do you think you’ll explore the Beautyverse and become a Beautyversal? Do you see avenues for self-exploration, or would you rather stick to your real-life experimentation and self-expression?
