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Essence expands Roblox beauty world with monetized emote and Gamescom debut

With a new summer island and its first paid emote, essence steps deeper into gamified brand building

Patrecia Meliana

22 Jul 2025 • 4 min read

Essence is stepping up its game—literally.

The Gen Z-focused beauty brand is expanding its presence in Roblox with a major update to its digital world Kingdom of essentia, introducing a summer-themed island, its first premium emote, and a real-world activation at Gamescom Germany.

This move is more than just a playful campaign. It signals a strategic push into gamified brand-building, blending digital cosmetics, community mechanics, and fandom culture.

With the platform’s Gen Z and Gen Alpha audience spending hours socializing in immersive spaces, essence is meeting them where they are—and monetizing the interaction along the way.

essence collaborates with Roblox to create a new world

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What's new in essence's Roblox world

Essence’s latest Roblox update, Sunshine Shores, brings a beach-themed expansion to its Kingdom of essentia universe. Built in collaboration with Jung von Matt NERD, ALFR3D, and GEEIQ, the new island lets players build sandcastles, collect in-game coins, and explore themed designs—many inspired by the brand’s “Juicy bomb” campaign.

The world is guided by a new NPC character, Princess Solara, designed to encourage exploration and self-expression.

While beauty tie-ins have been trending in Roblox, this release gives essence a foothold in how brands can drive branded engagement without heavy-handed product placement.

Why emotes could be beauty's next revenue stream

Essence is also launching its first monetized emote in Roblox, adding a fresh layer to how virtual beauty brands approach monetization. Priced at 75 Robux (around US$0.94), the emote offers players a branded but subtle way to express mood and identity—adding symbolic status to in-game interaction.

With fewer than 150 emotes available on Roblox—and most of them paid—essence’s move taps into a low-supply, high-demand format. The brand says rewards from emote purchases will be reinvested into community events, creating a flywheel of engagement and reward.

This is a notable shift from traditional in-game item sales, moving toward expressive mechanics that blend brand identity with player creativity.

Gamescom 2025: From pixels to presence

Essence won’t stop at digital. The brand is set to become the first color cosmetics label to exhibit at Gamescom Germany in 2025. Its 100sqm booth will bring Kingdom of essentia to life, offering an immersive brand-meets-gaming experience.

@essence.cosmetics
@essence Lash Princess #essence #essencecosmetics #roblox
♬ cute kawaii - nanaacom

This physical activation builds on previous gaming presences at Dokomi and Gamescom Latam. As Sebastian Romanus, Director of Digital Brand and Community Experience at cosnova, put it: “Roblox aligns perfectly with essence’s values of diversity, creativity, and self-expression. It allows us to engage in a playful and meaningful manner.”

The activation strategy suggests essence sees gaming not just as a campaign channel—but as a culture it wants to embed in.

What marketers should know

Essence’s Roblox update offers three clear takeaways for marketers watching the convergence of beauty, gaming, and community:

1. Emotes are the new brand merch

Forget physical swag bags—Gen Z wants digital flair. With Roblox’s emotes still limited in number, branded animations could become a status-symbol ad unit. Brands should explore expressive formats that integrate naturally into play and self-representation.

2. Community mechanics matter more than virtual shelf space

Essence isn’t pushing product inside Roblox—it’s pushing storytelling. Brands entering immersive platforms should focus on participation, not just promotion. Design mechanics that reward exploration and co-creation.

3. Hybrid experiences are table stakes

The leap from Roblox island to Gamescom booth reflects a larger strategy: cross-channel storytelling. Successful brands will connect their metaverse plays with real-world events and fandom culture, stitching online and offline into one ecosystem.

Essence’s Roblox expansion isn’t just about gaming—it’s about rewriting what brand experience looks like for a generation raised on interactive worlds.

For marketers, the message is clear: creativity, immersion, and expression aren’t optional extras—they’re the currency of Gen Z attention.

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