How does the beauty industry enter the metaverse?

For a long time, the beauty industry has provided customers with a sensory experience based on intimacy and treatment. This industry is being transformed into a virtual world, and in this virtual world, users cannot feel, smell or actually touch the skin in front of them Stuff, it all sounds crazy, but it's happening.

Brands must adapt quickly and learn how to establish themselves in the digital space .

Brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Lottie London, Yves Saint Laurent, Estée Lauder, Gucci and Nars have begun to immerse themselves in the metaverse.

According to reports, in February this year, L'Oreal submitted 17 trademark applications related to the metaverse, which were related to NFT, virtual perfume, cosmetics and virtual human modeling. Rhianna also recently applied for the Fenty trademark for her Savage X Fenty and Fenty Beauty brands.

Recognized for their inclusivity, these brands are challenging some other inclusive brands to join the virtual world.

Jon Roman, senior vice president of global consumer marketing at Estée Lauder, said: "The metaverse is inherently infinite in terms of how a person can express themselves through things like avatars, and that More surreal beauty will be unleashed, along with new realms of inclusive and abstract self-expression."

In short , in the metaverse, people can be whoever they want to be, and live as they please, without any constraints or restrictions that they might encounter in real life.

Makeup artist Alex Box agrees and embraces virtual possibilities. “ Beauty is built on commoditization, and what we need right now is more immersive experiences and education about that, not trying to replace it. The complexity will also increase."

Metaverse has attracted a myriad of digitally savvy crowds, especially female gamers, and the female audience is much bigger than you might think.

In fact, a WeAre Social report found that 80% of women aged 16 to 44 are using the internet and video games, while another Global World Index survey found that 53% of female fans will download video games in 2021. free video games.

It also explains why Charlotte Tilbury made a deliberate decision to sponsor the Girl Gamers Festival. In April, the brand launched its first virtual store, called Pillow Talk Party Virtual Beauty Wonderland .

In this virtual store, customers were able to see a 3D avatar of Charlotte herself, which instantly etched the brand into the memory of gamers.

To enter Charlotte Tilbury's virtual world, users can access the magical portal directly through a web browser or mobile browser .

Users only need to scan a QR code, and Charlotte will magically appear in front of them, next to floating and rotating 3D beauty products.

With a few simple steps, users can open the door to master classes with professional artists around the world, and enjoy the opportunity to shop with friends.

Imagine what it would be like to enter the virtual space through the digital fashion application Drest. Yes, Gucci Beauty is the first brand to launch the beauty mode of the application, which allows users to try Gucci 29 virtual beauty products.

Not long after, Nars and Drest each launched a nine-day beauty campaign in which users can use 30 of the brand's products to customize on virtual models . In addition to this, consumers can also save trial looks and products on a personalized mood board.

When it comes to a particular "metaverse," there's more than one digital playground to choose from. Decentraland seems to be the most popular virtual space right now, and it really focuses on people's freedom and self-expression. It is also where consumers can access NFTs and collect wearable POAP (Proof of Attendance Protocol).

NFT was originally used in the art world. It is a digital collection that can record information to the blockchain, a system that cannot be changed, and trace its source.

It's a bit like an original piece of art that lasts forever and can't be reproduced, whereas a POAP is similar to a ticket, a program or a T-shirt that is used to verify a user's attendance at an event .

Nora Zukauskaite, Global Marketing Director at Lottie London, explained: “When we first ventured into the digital space last year, launching our first NFT in partnership with Ciate London, the response was overwhelming and the NFT issued sold out within 24 hours. .”

Afterwards, an event was held in downtown Las Vegas in Decentraland with Los Angeles-based celebrity-only manicurist Chaun Legend, presenting the new collection released by Ciate and announcing that they will be re-entering the nail scene after six years of this ideal. place.

“In real life we would be locked into a certain location or a certain time zone and would be stuck where we were, but here we can present our brand to a broad audience in a new way and product ,” Nora continued. “It unlocks so much potential, we’re about to host our first ever Decentraland Ball. The ball is in a unique venue and we’ll also have 1,000 unique POAPs, including Lottie London’s best-selling glow makeup, ball crowns and corsages.”

Estee Lauder has also recently settled in Decentraland, becoming its exclusive beauty brand in cooperation with Metaverse Fashion Week in March.

Estee Lauder invites users to walk into the iconic advanced night repair "little brown bottle", unlocking exclusive POAP and an NFT wearable device for them , giving their avatar a luminous aura, which will continue to glow as long as the user wants.

It's a frenzied product for avid beauty lovers, and the brand's move into the virtual world means they can reach some new clientele who aren't yet familiar with Estée Lauder. “It’s not about targeting a specific age group, but about engaging and engaging with a new community of consumers who are already immersed in the metaverse and have a strong interest in connecting virtually with beauty and fashion brands,” Roman explained.

While it's true that the majority of the metaverse's population right now is Gen Z and millennials, anyone with an internet connection can participate.

WGSN predicts that by 2024, brands will target a new beauty persona – Beautyversals. As an audience who considers digital products as important as physical products, they also prefer to interact with virtual ambassadors rather than those real-life experts. Dermalogica has already begun testing the waters internally, and instead of focusing on the brand's consumer-facing campaigns, they have created their first internal digital ambassador,Natalia .

Natalia trains therapists on new treatments, products and protocols. Dermalogica opens up a whole new dimension, with Natalia's avatar showing real-time skin aging that people can never experience in real life.

Emma Chiu, global director of Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, believes that the tipping point between the real world and the metaverse will become the new reality .

“Digital touchpoints are by no means a replacement for face-to-face events, but the Metaverse is providing another experience that is more complex than what we’ve experienced. It makes sense to go deeper into the Metaverse, but at the same time we need some activities that move into the real world. Reality as we know it will change, and while it may be an adjustment for older generations, for those born now, the Metaverse is their future."

I hope that brands will have the opportunity to add a layer of "deep service" to their products and consumers , and provide consumers with a new way to try, enjoy and use beauty products; also expect more brands to start opening their doors to virtual stores, leading Users feel the charm of NFT together.