Key Takeaways:
In late August, tens of thousands of fans flocked to Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom 2025. Amid the excitement at the world's largest gaming convention featuring new releases, console upgrades, and e-sports showdowns, one exhibitor stood out, not for its headsets and hardware, but for its color cosmetics.
Essence, the mass-market brand under the cosnova umbrella, became the first-ever color cosmetics brand to take the stage at Gamescom. For a business in an industry with historical ties to fashion weeks and red carpets, the move beyond such norms represented more than just a marketing activation. As Sara Apaza, Digital Brand Experience Manager at essence, told BeautyMatter, showing up at Gamescom was “a cultural signal that beauty belongs wherever creativity thrives.”
The Rise of the Kingdom of Essentia
Essence’s debut at Gamescom was a culmination of years spent in digital-first storytelling. In 2023, the brand launched Kingdom of essentia on Roblox, a virtual world built to reimagine beauty through play.
Part fantasy realm and part social hub, the game allows players to explore colorful environments such as Sunshine Shores and complete quests inspired by makeup rituals, including gem-collecting adventures echoing face jewels or interactive challenges that celebrate color and creativity. The brand positioned the game as a place where younger generations can experiment with self-expression beyond traditional beauty counters.
To date, Kingdom of essentia has now surpassed 13.4 million visits and counts more than 150,000 community members. Roblox, with its 380 million monthly active users and record-breaking 47.4 million concurrent users, provides the perfect cultural stage. For essence, building a branded game universe has become more than a marketing channel; it's also a community space. Apaz noted that the scale and depth of connection with players through Roblox made Gamescom the right platform for the next step in essence’s hybrid gaming approach.
Bringing Virtual to IRL
At Gamescom, essence translated the whimsical energy of Kingdom of essentia into a physical booth experience. Instead of replicating game assets, the team opted to recreate the feeling of the digital world in real life.
The booth featured a multistep quest, accessible through a mobile-tracker app, which guided visitors on a journey of exploration and interaction. Participants were tasked with completing challenges, mirroring the discovery-driven mechanics of Roblox to earn rewards.
For players over 16, completing the IRL quest unlocked exclusive in-game rewards tied to Kingdom of essentia, while every visitor received a curated prize kit including essence bestsellers like face jewels, lip peptides, and lip gloss holder phone cases.
Apaza explained that the goal for the Gamescom booth was to create the online gaming experience in an authentic way while creating something playful, colorful, and instantly joyful. “In a space often filled with darker aesthetics, the essence booth stood out as a pink place full of positive energy, inviting everyone into our Sunshine Shores.”
Meeting Gamers Where They Play
Gamescom attracts a global audience of gamers, families, and digital natives, a demographic that often overlaps with beauty. “Gamescom Cologne was the natural step as part of our broader brand journey,” said Apaza, “not only because of its global relevance, but because our Roblox world has earned a place there.”
The response to the booth exceeded expectations. Attendees of all ages lined up in queues to complete the quest, with many staying far longer than typical trade show dwellers. Families with children, teens eager to unlock digital rewards, and even skeptical adults immersed themselves in the experience.
“Visitors were pleasantly surprised and excited to see us there,” Apaza reflected. “Even if not everyone expected a decorative cosmetics brand at Gamescom, we received overwhelming feedback—and that’s what made us one of the most talked-about booths.”
Gaming as the New Cultural Runway
The success of essence Gamescom presence underscores a broader industry trend placing gaming as a cultural cornerstone. The medium is no longer a niche but one of the largest social ecosystems in the world.
For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, cohorts who grew up with digital-first identities, the overlap between gaming and beauty is natural. Both present themselves as arenas for customization, creativity, and storytelling. Beauty brands must now consider Roblox and gaming conventions as equally important stages to the likes of billboards and social media platforms.
Apaza believes that the hybrid model of molding digital and physical experiences is the future of brand building. Showing at Gamescom validated essence’s philosophy that community-first immersive activations are the present. “Going forward, we’re committed to showing up at events that align with our values and audiences, whether it’s gaming, entertainment, or emerging digital culture.”
The brand's foray into Gamescom highlights how beauty can authentically integrate into gaming ecosystems without feeling forced. By treating gaming not as a stunt, but as a long-term, community-building strategy, essence has carved out space in a cultural arena that most beauty brands have yet to touch. As other companies continue to experiment with TikTok-native campaigns and hybrid cultural events, essence's success at Gamescom serves as a blueprint for how beauty can thrive beyond its traditional stages.
