Metaverse Beauty Week prepares for launch: What to expect

As if it hasn’t already been said enough, Web3 is really defining the future of retail, driving new innovations and bringing to light fresh ways for brands to engage with their consumers. One of which was Metaverse Fashion Week, a highly hyped up event that took place solely in digital realms, through which brands presented virtual collections, fashion shows and immersive experiences to the young audience that frequent such platforms.

Now, however, the beauty industry wants to get in on the act with its own Metaverse Beauty Week (MBW), an event spanning six days, from June 12 to 17, looking to bring a highly-sensorial experience to fans of the sector. Like its fashion counterpart, MBW will take a cross-platform format, with a schedule that hosted across metaverse worlds Decentraland, Spatial and Roblox.

Over the course of the week, each day boasting its own theme, the virtual spaces will accommodate a programme centred around the theme ‘reality gets a makeover’, with panels, educational videos, virtual experiences and more scheduled over its duration.

Among the participating brands is The Hut Group’s Glossybox, which on the second day will allow visitors to Decentraland to collect Glossyboxes scattered around the experience offering opportunities to win real-life beauty products. Meanwhile, on the same day, Neutrogena will provide five different gamified experiences on the platform. Other brands releasing games during the week include Essence and MBW itself.

Lush, Glossybox, Flannels and Neutrogena among participants

Lush is also among the big names taking part, with the brand set to host live moments in an immersive bath bomb atmosphere, as well as the MBW wrap party at the end of the week. Flannels is another notable participant. Alongside the release of beauty looks for avatars, the retailer will also be bringing a physical element to the event through its Oxford Circus flagship store, where on Friday a series of panels and creator showcases will be presented.

The final day will see Ffface.Me unveil an exhibition of augmented reality (AR) beauty, with showcases from Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Clarins and Prada, among others. The display will also include work from the likes of digital fashion house The Fabricant, Nya, Immersive Kind and The Future in Black.

Notable speakers taking part during MBW include Inés Alpha, who will lead a virtual keynote on subverting beauty norms with virtual beauty, and Paige Piskin, whose in-person speech will centre around her career and celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, a selection of participating brands will join a panel discussion on the topic ‘from mall to metaverse’ led by MBW founders Bridey Lipscombe and Cat Turner.