Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty breaks into digital beauty with Riot Games “makeover”
10 Nov 2021 --- As digital beauty begins to shape the direction of industry, beauty brands are innovating to provide products and services that tap into this movement. Developments within the gaming industry are beginning to feature partnerships with makeup brands.
In latest moves, Fenty Beauty, a cosmetics brand launched by singer Rihanna and Riot Games, a video game developer, have partnered to debut the animated series Arcane on Netflix. The inclusive beauty brand developed the looks that will feature in the characters of the show.
Arcane is a series that is based on Riot Games’ League of Legends. The latter is a multiplayer online battle arena game launched by Riot Games in 2009.
The partnership will “celebrate beauty in all its forms – including animation.” Additionally, this collaboration allows Fenty to expand its digital makeup offerings and target a broader consumer base that now includes gaming audiences.
In the Acarne game trailer, characters are shown to have makeup that features a “smokey eye” and “gold eyeliner,” which are part of Fenty Beauty’s makeup offerings.
Fenty Beauty may expand its offerings to other gaming platforms as this initial partnership is a stepping stone toward more gaming beauty endeavors. The beauty brand may offer the purchase of its digital makeup for characters in different games.
Virtual reality and beauty merge
This partnership is at the heels of other beauty brands that have merged makeup with gaming.
A few months ago, Benefit Cosmetics, a brow brand, unveiled its official channel on Twitch, a live streaming platform for gamers. The launch evolved Benefit Cosmetics’ pilot “Game Face” campaign into a global program to continue supporting and empowering women in gaming and to engage all beauty lovers across the gaming space.
Fenty Beauty taps into digital beauty and the gaming world (Credit: Riot Games).
With the success of the pilot campaign, Benefit Cosmetics hosted streams on Twitch which featured gamers showing their go-to “Game Face” makeup routines as they shared what playing with confidence means to them.
“Our goal is to create a space where gamers can explore and combine their interests in beauty and gaming and ultimately feel empowered to get their best ‘Game Face’ on so they can play and live stream with confidence. I hope to see more beauty brands tap into the gaming industry to support and highlight underrepresented talent,” says Toto HaBa, SVP of marketing and communications at Benefit Cosmetics.
Previously Mac Cosmetics and EA Games released makeup looks for the Sims 4 game.
Also tapping into the gaming industry, Gillette Venus launched a “My Skin. My Way” campaign on Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The company offered a series of downloadable avatar customization options, including stretch marks, tattoos, freckles and acne.
Digital beauty soars
PersonalCareInsights previously explored how social commerce and online beauty technologies are leading to a “digital revolution” in the beauty space.
Global brands have been increasingly investing in digital beauty solutions, signaling the dawn of the “Metaverse era.” This term encompasses the increase of innovations within digital beauty, including cosmetics technology, e-commerce and phygital solutions.
In relevant developments, a partnership between Perfect Corp. and No7 resulted in the first virtual try-on foundation matching diagnostic solution. Meanwhile, Coty used Perfect Corp.’s AI technology to boost personalization for Covergirl and Kylie Cosmetics.
Edited by Nicole Kerr
