The (G)low Down:
Digital shopping is shifting from simple transactions to more playful, experience-led engagement—where gaming and rewards motivate people to return and participate, not just purchase.
To respond to cultural trends, e.l.f. is expanding its Beauty Squad in-app game portfolio with a third game, Collect Your e.l.f., designed to blend digital play with real-world discovery for a more joyful, “reset to real” kind of experience.
Using AR + real-time geo-location, players complete challenges to “collect” e.l.f. holy grails, earn Beauty Squad points (play + finds + full challenge bonus), and redeem points for discounts, free products, and exclusive offers—alongside other games like e.l.f. Blast and Escape from Power Grip Mountain.
The gamification of digital shopping has leveled up in a major way in recent years. In 2025, 69% of shoppers said gamification would motivate them to engage with loyalty programs more often, consider a specific brand more frequently, and open a retailer’s app to check points*. In beauty, shade finders and reward-based loyalty programs once reimagined how brands built engaging digital experiences for their communities. Today, brands have moved beyond subtle gamification into true gaming — creating more tangible, impactful ways for community members to engage.
A year ago, e.l.f. Cosmetics launched exclusive Beauty Squad games to dial up the fun and give our e.l.f.-obsessed community more reasons to return to the app for moments beyond the transaction. Now, we’re tripling down with the release of our third in-app game: “Collect Your e.l.f.” — an IRL-meets-digital adventure that turns everyday movement into e.l.f.ing rewards.
This year, it was reported that in-person events were Gen Z’s top choice for engagement: 40% preferred live experiences, vs. 34% online communities and 26% virtual settings****. Instead of choosing just one, Collect Your e.l.f. blends all three — inviting every eye, lip and face to get in on the action.
Using a mix of augmented reality and real-time geo-location technology, players complete challenges to earn Beauty Squad points and unlock exclusive rewards. Once gameplay begins, users see a map of their location — where purple question marks guide them to “collect” e.l.f. holy grails in the real world.
This expansion is also being shaped by what our community is craving right now: more joy in the everyday, and more experiences that feel real – with 84% of people saying it’s important to seek out small moments of joy to balance life’s seriousness**. And 2026 has been marked by a broader “reset to real,” with Gen Z and Millennials actively gravitating toward live, human experiences — even as digital remains the starting point for discovery and participation***.
By converging digital and physical worlds, Collect Your e.l.f. puts tangible experiences in the palm of our community’s hands, while bringing them outside the app’s e.l.f.iverse for in-person play, surprises around every corner and an IRL treasure hunt to spark joy and play.
How points stack up:
5 Beauty Squad points for playing the game
5 points for each product found
50 points for completing a full challenge (finding all products)
e.l.f.’s in-app gaming portfolio is rooted in our zero-distance model—meeting our community where they are and creating experiences that feel more personal, playful and memorable.