The inaugural Metaverse Beauty Week will debut across three virtual worlds from June 12th to the 17th and include two IRL pop-ups in New York City and London. Events will feature activations from top beauty brands, activities for users, and virtual drops for fans. Some of the headliners include:
- AR makeup artist and GLOW UP judge Paige Piskin
- Beauty AR artist Inés Alpha
- YouTube star Cassandra Bankson
- Web3 futurist Sasha Wallinger
The virtual festival will take place in the Decentraland, Roblox, and Spatial metaverses, with specific daily activations planned for each. Cult, a creative agency based in London and New York City, is organizing the event, which builds on the Metaverse Fashion Week that took place just months ago.
Bridey Lipscombe, CEO and co-founder of Cult, said in a statement that as the first festival spanning three metaverses and IRL events, it is interested in sharing its learnings so companies can refine their approach to Web3.
“We are acutely aware of the mixed responses from brands and press to Web3 experiences, which is why we’ve looked to enhance our program with a rich diversity of talent, accessible experiences and delightful real-life experiences so that there are multiple ways for as many people who wish to, to be involved,” Lipscombe said.
Some of the brands taking part in the virtual festival are Neutrogena, Flannels Beauty, Glossybox, and LUSH. It will culminate with an IRL event at Flannels X on Oxford Street in London, a pop-up shop that is known for hosting talented individuals.
Three Metaverses, Five Days of Events
According to a press release shared with Rarity Sniper, Metaverse Beauty Week is leaning hard into the technology as well as exploring what beauty might look like in virtual spaces. The themes for each day echo that:
- Day 1: Reality Gets a Makeover
- Day 2: Limitless Beauty
- Day 3: Redefining Beauty
- Day 4: Infinite Playfulness
- Day 5: Subverting Beauty Norms
Each metaverse gets a focus of at least one day, with Decentraland activations taking place on Day 2, those on Spatial starting on Day 3, and Roblox taking center stage on Day 4. Day 5 will include a mix of IRL and virtual events, including keynote presentations from influencers. Throughout the festival, there will be live masterclasses from beauty artists.
A representative of Cult told Rarity Sniper that the three metaverses were selected because each offers unique experiences for beauty lovers, including those who have never been part of a metaverse experience.
“One of the most exciting parts of the festival is how beauty is explored differently across each platform,” the representative added. “By working with amazing partners like Polycount, Exclusible, Ffface.Me and Vegas City, our aim is to create lasting experiences that stay in the hearts and minds of the attendees.”
Beauty in Virtual Worlds Is a Rising Industry
While some may believe that beauty and virtual worlds is an odd pairing (after all, you can’t smell or touch products in the metaverse yet), some beauty companies have already started initiatives in virtual worlds. Estée Lauder, for instance, was the official beauty partner of Metaverse Fashion Week, creating a fragrance that gave avatars a “glowing look.”
In fact, statistics show that more and more consumers are interested in testing products virtually. According to a survey from Accenture, 42% of Gen X and 23% of Boomers are interested in purchasing virtual apparels like hair styles and makeup for their avatars. Some influencers on social media have already staked their claim to this new domain.
Here are some of the headlines we’ve covered at Rarity Sniper from beauty companies joining the metaverse:
- L’Oréal Teams with Ready Player Me for Web3 Beauty NFTs
- Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Prepares for Metaverse with Trademarks
- Laneige Cosmetics Opens Metaverse Store
Although the metaverse is still maturing, there’s no doubt some companies see the value in it, even if some pairings might seem odd at first.