Laura Mercier is entering the metaverse with debut virtual store World of Beauty.
Using virtual and augmented reality, the store will educate users on the eponymous beauty brand and let them play with products.
MUA Laura Mercier will share her career journey in video format, before allowing users to move between three interactive rooms.
The first room focuses on the eponymous beauty brand’s ‘Flawless Face’ technique.
It takes consumers through the steps and products needed to achieve the brand’s signature look, alongside the opportunity to use its virtual shade finder.
The second room is known as the ‘shopping shortcut’, where consumers are guided through curated selections of products with a direct path to checkout.
The last room brings Laura Mercier’s holiday collection ‘Wrapped with Love’ to life with an interactive 3D unboxing.
All rooms have been designed in line with the brand’s “quintessential Parisian aesthetic”.
The platform also features gamified elements, such as a hide-and-seek challenge that encourages users to engage with the brand via mini product giveaways.
"This is an exciting time for our consumers to explore Laura Mercier through a new, digitalised lens that offers an immersion into the brand and its history,” said Diane Kim, Global Brand President of Laura Mercier.
“The dynamic shopping experience provides consumers with the opportunity to play, discover, test and trial products, while telling the rich story of this iconic brand."
Laura Mercier partnered with experiential e-commerce platform Obsess on the store.
Neha Singh, Founder and CEO of Obsess, said the company was “thrilled” to help create the virtual experience.
“It gives consumers a delightful new way to discover, learn about, and be inspired by the brand's iconic products and aesthetic," said Singh.
"Visitors can do everything from virtually trying on products to finding the shades that are their own personal perfect match.”
Laura Mercier was founded in 1996 and offers a wide range of products, including make-up, skin care, body care and fragrance.
The company was acquired in 2022 by Orveon, which plans to to accelerate Laura Mercier’s growth through innovation and authenticity.
The metaverse boom
Laura Mercier is the latest in a string of beauty brands that have tapped into the power of the metaverse.
Dr. Barbara Sturm launched an interactive, virtual skin care shopping experience last month.
It offered customers a spa-like environment to explore the brand within, which was broken down into four different ‘rooms’.
There was a main hall, anti-ageing lab, next-gen microbiotic room and an anti-inflammatory area.
L’Oréal also ramped up its metaverse efforts last month by allowing users to customise avatars with branded looks.
The French beauty brand developed digital Maybelline New York and L’Oréal Professionnel make-up and hairstyles.
These could be used on avatar platform Ready Player One.
Users could explore and purchase from Printemps' main collection, as well as exclusives from partner brands such as Gucci, Balenciaga and Ganni.