Beauty Brands will take over the Metaverse.

The beauty industry has undergone a tremendous amount of digitalization, and fashion is at the forefront of technological advancement.

Social media face-contouring filters came initially, followed by the ability to try on various makeup looks, hairstyles, and hair colors in the virtual world. In fact, trying on clothes virtually even without leaving your couch was a popular buying trend.

Fashion and beauty have always paved the way forward and brought innovative, groundbreaking ideas to the forefront. It's no wonder, so many designers use fashion to make a statement!

Now, the virtual world, or “metaverse” is increasingly becoming an integral part of the fashion and beauty industry.

How does that work? Let’s find out!

Beauty Meets Virtual Reality

The Metaverse Fashion Week held in March 2022 was an internet sensation as Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, and Etro showcased their designs on the virtual runway. 

While this was sensational in itself, what made it even more intriguing was Estée Lauder's involvement in the virtual beauty endeavor.  

In fact, Estée Lauder wasn’t just the event’s exclusive beauty partner. The team exceeded expectations to artistically approach the event and collaborated with Alex Box to create an NFT wearable. The brand’s Advanced Night Repair serum inspired this. All the attendees who claimed it took pleasure in avatars that were distinguished by a “glowing, radiant aura”.

While entering the metaverse in a mainstream fashion was a significant leap for the beauty industry, it wasn’t an isolated incident. Charlotte Tilbury, YSL, Lottie London, Nars, and Gucci have also explored the metaverse.

Nars launched its first NFT collection Truesy in collaboration with three artists— Nina Kraviz, Sara Shakeel, and Azede Jean-Pierre. They gave life to the brand’s iconic Orgasm shade in the NFT space, and the collection sold out within minutes.

L’Oreal has reportedly filed 17 trademarks pertaining to NFTs, virtual perfume, cosmetics, and avatar styling. Rihanna has also applied for trademarks for her Savage X Fenty and Fenty Beauty products, laying the gauntlet for similar diversity-oriented brands to enter virtual reality.

It’s interesting that beauty, which is built on commodification and depends on a sensorial experience, is now becoming more virtual and immersive.

In fact, blockchain is also expected to help the beauty industry tackle problems related to authenticity, allowing them to offer customers a better experience.

Beauty in the metaverse is a perfect blend of functionality, innovation, and creativity. However, it also has an educational and gamification aspect.

Sephora’s Sephora event held on September 18 included an NFT giveaway along with interactive games. Their “house party” format, which was unveiled in 2021, allowed attendees to click through a series of virtual rooms.

These rooms offered live streams of masterclasses, and attendees could also play games to collect redeemable tokens to earn points for their Beauty Insider Loyalty Program.

Conclusion

The metaverse offers ample opportunity for the beauty industry to grow and flourish. While on an individual level, it makes shopping for products more fascinating, fun, and convenient for users, it has limitless potential that is only just being discovered.

With the expansion of beauty in the metaverse, we can expect virtual fashion shows and metaverse stores.
As we wait to see what virtual beauty has in store for us, what is your favorite part about it right now?