Well Up: The Weekly Update 7/10

IS ROBLOX THE BEAUTY DESTINATION OF THE FUTURE?

In July, E.l.f. Cosmetics became the first beauty brand to test real-world commerce on Roblox. 

Within the E.l.f. UP! Experience, users (age 13 and up) were able to shop physical products like a hoodie, sunscreen, and lip oil from a Walmart-powered virtual kiosk. Each purchase was coupled with a ‘virtual twin,’ i.e. “a digital item for use on Roblox.” 

Walmart was the obvious partner, as the company became the first retailer to launch an e-commerce channel on Roblox in April 2024, with Walmart Discovered. Notably, over 65 percent of its visitors were over 18.

Later this month, the company will also launch a No Boundaries capsule (with virtual twins) on the platform. To drive awareness, it will leverage Instagram, TikTok and more — laying the groundwork for a new kind of omnichannel campaign centered around the gaming platform.

Plus, with Roblox boasting 44.9 million users over the (purchasing) age of 13, it may offer brands renewed access to Gen Z, Gen Alpha and the coveted ‘Sephora kids.’

YOU'RE HEARD OF TWEEN SKINCARE, BUT WHAT ABOUT BABY SKINCARE?

While new beauty brands have rushed to target Gen Alpha, luxury brands like Bonpoint have quietly released products for babies for years. Now, other luxury brands want in. 

Bonpoint offers everything from baby-friendly sun care to a fragrance for newborns, and Baby Dior recently followed suit. Its new infant-ready cleansing foams and moisturizers retail for roughly $100 a bottle. 

On the one hand, these products align with a consumer shift towards alcohol-free perfumes and other ultra-gentle formulas for kids. On the other, they actively resist the flashy user-friendly marketing we’ve seen Gen Alpha beauty brands lead with. 

Instead, luxury baby care remains “self-indulgence for adults” says Michael Nolte of BeautyStreams, emphasizing that in a certain way, “you are telling everybody: ‘I can afford luxury for my baby.” 

So as the wellness and beauty industries continue to expand, and skincare is further realigned with whole-body health, these changes may shift parents' approach to baby care.

THERAPEUTIC SCENTS ARE RESHAPING FRAGRANCE 

With consumers spending more than ever on wellness and optimized health — the beauty industry is finding ways to cash in. 

This week, Glossy asked “How expensive can fragrance get?” The article touched on Fendi’s newest line which it calls, “an olfactory journey through the origins and places dear to the Fendi family” — with pricing starting at $330. Meanwhile, Baby Dior launched a $230 ‘Bonne Étoile’ scented water, which it describes as “an invitation to experience the tenderness of childhood.”

Both emphasize a rising trend, which sees fragrances aligning more with feelings than aromas. The Business of Beauty wrote about this in June, claiming “Perfume Wants to Be Your Therapist.” But as price points continue to rise, it seems these efforts are paying off.

Marilyn Zubak, director of customer acquisition and partnerships at Snif, says “Every time you spray your fragrance it’s a part of your self-care routine [and] should amplify your confidence. . . That healing component is something we really want to push and focus on.” 

This shift is not limited to the fragrance world – it’s also happening in skincare and beauty, with the rise of neurocosmetics. PopSugar explains that emerging brands are focusing on finding “pathways to trigger the nervous system [and] positively impact the skin and well-being.” 

This shift demonstrates that beauty consumers are thinking of fragrance as a tool for emotional wellbeing–and are willing to shell out for it.