Surprise box resurgence: Gen Z seeks shareable and intentional beauty experiences

Gen Z consumers are driving a revival for mystery beauty boxes as they continually gravitate toward joy-driven, surprise-led beauty experiences. The beauty subscription brand Ipsy tells us that the momentum for its surprise boxes continues to rise.

Long before “blind boxes” became a retail trend, fueled by “little treat” culture and the online community’s unboxing experience, Ipsy introduced Mystery Bags as a core part of its consumer experience. For over a decade, surprise drops have fueled discovery and experimentation, tapping into the same unboxing excitement and perceived value that are driving today’s surprise box resurgence. 

According to Ipsy, strong seasonal performance is significant. Its February Valentine’s Day-themed Mystery Bags reached a 30% sell-through rate in under a week, outperforming last year’s drop. 

Personal Care Insights speaks with Stacey Politi, Ipsy’s chief marketing officer, who tells us more. 

What makes surprise-driven shopping experiences so compelling to Gen Z consumers? 

Politi: Gen Z sees shopping as a sharable experience, not just a transaction. Surprise formats like our Mystery Bags naturally spark anticipation and conversation about which products people receive, their value, and more. Unboxing culture is a big part of the experience, so the reveal moment feels participatory and social, as many members share and discuss their assortments on Reddit and TikTok. 

As blind box popularity continues to surge, Ipsy stands out as one of the original brands to builds surprise and play into its DNA.What makes it even more compelling is when the surprise feels intentional and curated, not random. That intentionality transforms surprise into something meaningful, not gimmicky.

Surprise boxes are experiencing a resurgence in retail. How has Ipsy’s approach to surprise-driven experiences remained relevant and kept up with this evolution?

Politi: Surprise and play have always been part of our DNA, grounded in expertise and trust rather than novelty alone. We’ve evolved by deepening our use of member data, trend forecasting, and planning to keep each drop and assortment fresh and relevant for our members. Between the thoughtful beauty product curation by our team of experts and the exciting element of surprise, that’s what keeps us relevant with our members. 

For us, surprise assortments aren’t a trend but a reflection of our members’ desire for discovery, value, and play through beauty. Over time, we have evolved our Mystery Bags to be far more data-informed and intentional. We apply learnings from every drop, listen closely to member feedback, and continuously refine our assortments. That discipline has strengthened engagement and fueled repeat participation. 

Ultimately, loyalty is built on trust and consistent value, and that is what keeps members coming back.

With the increasing demand for surprise-led shopping experiences, how can other beauty brands tap into this trend and leverage the affinity for discovery and joy-driven shopping?

Politi: The key is to anchor surprise in trust and value. Consumers are excited by discovery, but they need to feel confident that what they’re receiving is worth their money — especially if they buy into a curation ‘blind.’ At Ipsy, that means testing thousands of products a year and curating with intention, so every surprise feels both joyful and relevant. 

We also tease the brand names in our Mystery Bags so members can trust they’re receiving a product from a brand they’re excited to try. Brands that combine expertise, thoughtful curation, and community engagement will see the most sustainable success.

How do you keep the Mystery Bag experience exciting, and how do you manage to keep that sense of excitement with each new drop? 

Politi: We plan themes a year in advance, informed by consumer data, cultural trends, and extensive product testing. Our merchandising team tests over 8,000 products a year to discover and curate the best products for our members, which find their way into our Mystery Bags. 

Each Mystery Bag drop is designed to feel timely and intentional, with nods to seasonal holidays and trends, like Valentine’s Day. Of course, there is substantial value built in, and we closely monitor both beauty and broader retail trends to ensure our experiences feel culturally connected and differentiated.

How does IPSY foster a sense of community and connection with its consumers online and globally?

Politi: Community has always been at the heart of Ipsy. We actively engage a network of over 1,000 hand-vetted creators and spotlight member unboxings and reviews across our channels, turning each drop into a shared, participatory moment. For Mystery Bags in particular, seeing members share their assortments and reactions online fuels conversation, informs future assortments, and strengthensOver the past year, Ipsy has expanded its Mystery Bag assortment to meet increased consumer demand for surprise-led shopping. connections across our beauty community. 

With the increasing demand for surprise-led shopping experiences, how can other beauty brands tap into this trend and leverage the affinity for discovery and joy-driven shopping?

Politi: The key is to anchor surprise in trust and value. Consumers are excited by discovery, but they need to feel confident that what they’re receiving is worth their money — especially if they buy into a curation “blind.” At Ipsy, that means testing thousands of products a year and curating with intention, so every surprise feels both joyful and relevant. 

We also tease the brand names in our Mystery Bags so members can trust they’re receiving a product from a brand they’re excited to try. Brands that combine expertise, thoughtful curation, and community engagement will see the most sustainable success.

What advice would you give to brands looking to incorporate more playful or experiential elements into their consumer offerings?

Politi: It’s essential to start with a deep understanding of your consumer’s emotional drivers. It should feel authentic, not forced. Build experiences that are shareable, intentional, and rooted in the brand’s expertise. 

At Ipsy, we’ve seen that when play is backed by thoughtful curation and real value, it becomes a long-term loyalty driver for our community of beauty enthusiasts, not just momentary buzz. Surprise creates excitement, but consistency, value, and credibility are what keep our members coming back.