The Beauty in Gaming

Video games and beauty brand collabs are an ongoing trend in the licensing space, and some would say it’s an unlikely crossover. License Global digs deeper to see where this trend comes from and why it succeeds.

McKenna Morgan, Content Editor

May 8, 2023

2 Min Read
Game Beauty's "Persona Royal 5" collection.
Game Beauty's "Persona Royal 5" collection.ATLUS

When you think of video games, you probably don’t think about makeup, but maybe you should. Gaming and beauty have had a variety of licensed collaborations of late, and they seem to be growing in popularity. 

Take Epic Games’ “Fortnite.” Revolution Beauty is teaming up with 'Fortnite' to create a beauty line inspired by elements of the game. The Revolution Beauty website currently has an email waitlist sign up for more information about the collaboration.

Many associate games like “Fortnite” with children (Jazwares toy line, anyone?). Some might be surprised to find that, according to Priori Data, more than 80% of regular “Fortnite” players are between 18 and 35. Currently, the game has 250 million average monthly players, with 89.7% reported to be male and 10.3% reported to be female. 

If all 10.3% of female players of “Fortnite” were interested in makeup, that leaves more than 25 million potential buyers. But don’t count men out. Ipsos recently found that roughly one-third of men are open to using cosmetics.  

Additionally, Statista says the global beauty and personal care market was estimated to be worth more than $500 billion in 2022, meaning that beauty is an enormous business to tap into – perfect for licensed products. 

“Fortnite” isn’t the only video game with a makeup line. In the last few years, “Animal Crossing” worked with ColourPop Cosmetics for a line; NYX created a “Tetris” collection and Lush celebrated the launch of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” with bath and body essentials.  

Related:‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ Brings Moviegoers Back to Theaters

Even non-licensed beauty products are getting inspiration from video games. A makeup line from a brand that frequently partakes in licensed collabs, e.l.f. Cosmetics’ “Game Up Makeup” celebrates arcade games’ aesthetic and color palette. There’s even an indie makeup brand called Game Beauty that specializes in creating makeup inspired by the world of video games. Don’t count this brand out from licensing, though.

It recently collaborated with Atlus’ “Persona 5 Royal” for a cosmetics line.

As gaming and cosmetics continue to cross over, consumers and licensing executives should expect an increase in these collaborations. Watch this space. 

About the Author

McKenna Morgan

Content Editor, License Global

McKenna Morgan is Content Editor for License Global. Based in the Santa Monica office, McKenna specializes in coverage involving non-profits, beauty and cosmetics, health and wellness, new and social media and entertainment licensing.

When McKenna isn’t covering the latest licensing news, she spends her time attending live music shows and finding her next travel destination.

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