e.l.f. Bets on Zepeto While the Rest of the Industry Sours on the Metaverse

e.l.f. Cosmetics is back in the metaverse. The brand launched "Express your e.l.f." on Zepeto, the Korea-based avatar social platform, where players can dress their avatars in digital makeup looks inspired by the Power Grip line, along with handbags, jewelry, and other accessories. Users can also take photos and videos against an e.l.f. backdrop and share them in-feed.

The audience is the point. Zepeto has an estimated 15 to 20 million monthly active users, roughly 70 percent of them Gen Z and mostly women, and Marketing Dive reports that users update their avatars more than 14 times a week. Like earlier e.l.f. gaming activations, this one is built around a single product line, so virtual try-ons can raise awareness and purchase intent.

The brand has results elsewhere. Its Roblox game "Glow Up!" is the top makeup game on the platform, and the company says it is the top beauty brand on Twitch, according to its own materials. Marketing Dive also cites a Gen Alpha teen survey in which 60 percent of teenage girls said they would ask their parents for e.l.f. products. Chief integrated marketing officer Patrick O'Keefe said e.l.f. sees no boundary between where beauty lives and where culture happens.

The timing runs against the grain. The metaverse once drew forecasts of $900 billion by 2030 and has cooled since. Meta considered shutting down Horizon Worlds earlier this year before deciding against it, and what survives mostly lives on youth-focused gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. Walmart launched Zepeto's first e-commerce experience there in 2025. Meanwhile, e.l.f. Beauty reported net sales of $479.4 million for its fiscal first quarter ended June 30, up 36 percent year over year.

Source: Marketing Dive

Kyle Duford, Founder & Editor, BRNDWIRE. More from Kyle →