Dive Brief:
- Fenty Beauty is partnering with Roblox to launch a four-week Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin experience on Roblox, the company said in a press release on Tuesday. The experience centers on product creation, allowing users to make their own Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer.
- Players can visit the Fenty Beauty Lab to customize the ingredients, applicator and shade name of their lip luminizer, among other things. Users can vote on their favorite creations and founder and CEO Rihanna will choose one to produce physically; the product will be available in 2024 on Fenty Beauty and Sephora’s websites.
- Within the virtual gaming environment, players can also go on scavenger hunts, explore mazes and learn more about the brand’s most popular products, such as its cleansers, fragrances, and lip glosses. The brand will release new Fenty avatar accessories every week.
Dive Insight:
Fenty Beauty makes its Roblox grand entrance as many others have built virtual brand representations on Roblox, including Nike, Gucci and Forever 21.
Many have also tied their digital experiences to physical products: Last December, Forever 21 introduced its F21 Metaverse Collection, a real-life apparel collection based on its popular Roblox items, including the Forever Beanie. And earlier this month, DressX unveiled a three-piece digital wearables collection on Roblox inspired by physical products sold by YouTuber and TikTok creator Mackenzie Turner.
“Beauty experiences are meant to be fun, so I’m excited to provide everyone, everywhere, a glimpse into our world and a new realm of amusement with our makeup, skin care, and fragrance,” Rihanna said in a statement.
Though Roblox presents an opportunity for brands and retailers to generate revenue from digital goods, experts have also warned about the possibility of the game fading from popularity in the future. For now, major beauty brands like E.l.f. Cosmetics, Estée Lauder and L’Oréal have turned to the metaverse and other emerging channels as a method to reach younger shoppers.
The Fenty Beauty news comes as Rihanna steps down from leading lingerie brand Savage X Fenty, where she had been CEO since 2018. She will reportedly serve as executive chair of the company.
