Beauty and gaming in sweet harmony is not something that appears obvious at first glance. The depiction of the stereotypical 80s or early 90s gamer was someone who was rather nerdy or sat on a sofa without a care in the world about how they looked. That was never strictly true but was a construct for shows like The Big Bang Theory which made a play on social awkwardness.
Times have changed, and so has the vision of common ground between odd couples of industries. Thirty or forty years ago, the relationship between gaming and other aspects of consumer industry behaviour was less cohesive. There’s a new reality now that speaks volumes about how the demographics have changed.
Female Gamers Are Encouraged More
iGaming is growing in popularity among women as it has moved from land-based venues to smartphone devices. Casino operators have marketed the delivery of certain types of games, like bingo, and slot titles so that they are more gender neutral. Emerging mobile online casinos appeal to a broader, more diverse audience.
According to a new consumer trends report by GWI, 45 per cent of gamers are now female. Newzoo, the world’s main provider of esports data and gaming, report that this number jumps to 63 per cent on mobile devices. Almost two-fifths of beauty and cosmetics fans enjoy playing video games and a deeper dive into the data shows that over half of beauty consumers are more likely to buy products from advertising than the general populace.
Beauty brands are beginning to realise the potential of reaching out to women gamers. There is a growing market for engagement if they can get their message across in an authentic manner. The latter is key. Charlotte Tilbury has already enjoyed a partnership with the provider of the leading competition for female professional Esports. During the event’s World Finals in Dubai in 2020, Johnson L’Occitane, and Benefit Cosmetics partnered with the same brand too.
Synergy Between Gaming and Beauty
The synergy between gaming and beauty becomes more transparent in this interactive world. Both ventures are, by definition, artistic and designed to have a certain wow factor. Moreover, there is a real opportunity for cross-pollination between the two. Looks and graphics are part of the same “game face”. When it comes to playing or creating something that both feels and looks good, there is fantastic potential for empowerment. The beauty audience is tech-savvy, creative and possesses the eyes and ears for gameplay too.
One of the best examples of the crossover is the popularity of Drest, an interactive styling game. It allows the player the opportunity to use existing fashion collections and has authentic input by celebrity makeup artist Mary Greenwell. The avatars of Imaan Hammam, ‘social media supermodel’ Candice Huffine and other big stars provide the game with true-to-life glamour too.
The idea of beauty and gaming are not incompatible at all. In the metaverse, there is a myriad of possibilities that seemed unimaginable before. The global reach of both industries conjoined has all the makings of a gateway to an ever-growing, vibrant consumer base. It is fitting that the fantasy domain of iGaming and the facial flair of
