Toys are no longer just for kids. ‘Toyification’ is the latest beauty craze, with brands embracing playful packaging, nostalgic references and collectable appeal – and there’s little sign of the trend slowing down.
We’ve seen this kind of internet obsession take off before, most notably with the cult-like frenzy surrounding Labubus. What began as a fluffy, slightly freaky-looking toy became a hard-to-get status symbol for adults, clipped onto designer handbags and collected in multiples. Part of the appeal was novelty, but there was something more nostalgic at play too – a chance to reconnect with the carefree joy of childhood.
Now beauty is getting the same playful treatment, with brands turning everyday essentials into products we want to collect, display and show off. Daise Beauty is leading the charge with its fun, colourful bodycare range, tapping into that sense of nostalgia and discovery. “Beauty and toys are almost meeting in the middle,” explains founder Jaimee Lupton. “Toys are ageing up, beauty is ageing down, and somewhere between the two is this consumer who wants products that are useful but also bring them a little bit of joy.”
Think funky colours, lip glosses attached to phone cases, mini collectables and interactive experiences. The minimalist era of beauty is making way for something far more fun. Packaging is less about looking clinical and polished, and more about creating a playful, tactile user experience.
For Lupton, that’s the point. “Toyification isn’t simply about making something look cute – it’s about creating an emotional response. The excitement of opening something, discovering what you got, collecting it, swapping it with a friend or clipping it onto your bag. The product still has to perform, but now the experience around the product is just as important.”
The trend isn’t confined to affordable beauty, either. It’s creeping into the more premium end of the market too, with social media’s ultimate cool girl, Hailey Bieber, giving it a fresh boost this month with her latest rhode collection – putting the wearable, collectable element front and centre. When she’s fronting the campaign with F1 WAG Alexandra Leclerc, wife of Charles Leclerc, the hype is almost inevitable.
The latest drop includes an apple-scented, bronze shade of the brand’s bestselling Peptide Lip Tint, three shimmery blushers reimagined in adorable mini sizes and, of course, the accessories: a carabiner and butterfly charm.
When I hear “carabiner”, my mind goes straight to rock climbing – sturdy, practical and decidedly un-chic. Rhode’s version is something else entirely: an aesthetic accessory designed to secure your blush to your keys or bag, transforming a beauty product into something you carry, display and, ultimately, show off.
Do we really need to have a blush attached to us 24/7? Probably not. But that’s arguably not the point. The appeal isn’t practicality; it’s the novelty, the status, and the sheer fun of having the right beauty product dangling from your bag. Consumerism at its finest? Absolutely. But, in the spirit of full transparency, I’m already adding to cart.
You can shop Daise at The Warehouse, while the new rhode collection is available directly from the brand’s website.
