essence cosmetics Opens Island in Immersive Roblox Experience 'Kingdom of Essentia'

cosnova, the company behind the cosmetics brands essence, in partnership with Jung von Matt NERD and ALFR3D, is launching a second island in the essence brand’s hugely successful immersive Roblox experience 'Kingdom of Essentia’.

Jung von Matt NERD launched Kingdom of Essentia for essence cosmetics last year, in partnership with its sister company ALFR3D and London-based business intelligence agency GEEIQ. The experience is a constantly growing world that reflects the changing seasons in the form of islands.

The first island in the experience, Frosty Falls, brought the magic of winter to the virtual gaming world. The new second island, 'Sunshine Shores', to be released on 26th June, brings the summer.

'Sunshine Shores' is part of essence's existing Roblox universe and is inspired by the brand's bestselling Juicy Bomb lip gloss series. This also reflects in the game design through recurring elements such as fruits, juice bars and kitchens.

Sunshine Shores used to be full of golden beaches, bright sunshine and joyful laughter until the Grey drifted in – symbolising real-world challenges such as negativity, intolerance, and bullying. But the strong community will also master this challenge together: Solara, the glowing guardian of Sunshine Shores, has kept her lighthouse shining. Guided by her light, players can collect essence coins to help the island regain its colour and grow a new world together.

One of the main advantages of Roblox is that one can build on existing technical infrastructure, unlike classical campaigns where everything always starts from scratch. What began with the island playground ‘Frosty Falls’ quickly became a real success: to date, the total time spent with the brand stands at an outstanding 90 years, with six million player visits recorded and an average session time of ten minutes.

A combination of popular tycoon game mechanics – a favourite part of gaming culture since the '90s – and the experience of different seasons ensures long-term gaming fun.

The development, executed by JvM NERD and ALFR3D, included strategy, lore and mechanics as well as the monetisation logic and UGC creators. The technical implementation was carried out by ALFR3D with the support of GEEIQ.

Sara Apaza, digital brand experience manager at cosnova, said, "With Sunshine Shores, we're taking our Roblox strategy to the next level – combining player feedback, seasonal storytelling, and campaign integration into one cohesive experience. This launch isn't just about world-building; it's about laying the foundation for future monetisation, social commerce, and deeper community connection. For us, gaming is no longer a niche – it’s a cultural driver, and platforms like Roblox are where we actively shape the future of self-expression."

​Thanh Dao, managing director of Jung von Matt NERD and founder of ALFR3D, said, "With our comprehensive and interactive storytelling, we’ve created another shared adventure that attracts new players as well as our existing fan base. When players start the game, they’ll find an empty beach and begin to build their own sandcastle. Over time, they can unlock and construct unique designs, boosting progression and retention. They can also explore nearby islands by boat, party with friends and get pets – all features inspired by the Juicy Bomb essence campaign to keep the experience fresh and social."

cosnova, JvM NERD, ALFR3D and GEEIQ will continue their successful collaboration: Further extensions will follow in the coming months.