Genshin Impact’s Latest Collab With Charlotte Tilbury Is One Happy Surprise

Beauty and gaming are no strangers to each other. We’ve recently seen make-up artist Pat McGrath team up with Candy Crush, of all things, and there’s no small amount of fashion gaming gear, and soaps and eyeshadow of your favorite character in stock. Yet each time one of these collaborations get announced, there’s still a fair amount of surprise and intrigue.

Take the global mobile hit Genshin Impact joining hands with makeup mogul Charlotte Tilbury. Almost as if imitating the virtual loot boxes from Genshin, the collaboration offers up two beauty boxes that contain multiple products and collectibles for gamers and skincare aficionados alike. But where did this collab come from? “Darling, I am in love with the mesmerizing, magical world of Genshin Impact,” Tilbury tells Inverse, “and its celestial colors, mystical landscapes and dreamy details!”

The mashup is interesting — Tilbury has always been known for a sort of old Hollywood-like glamor, from the products’ fonts to their names, like one particular Bond Girl shade of deep red lipstick. Genshin, meanwhile, lets you teleport across a magical land. While the sister game Honkai Star Rail explores silkpunk and Eastern aesthetics, Mona’s distinctive magical girl look harken back to the old anime Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura days in a more East meets West fashion.

“The cosmic connection I have with Genshin Impact’s much-loved in-game character, Mona Megistus, the Astrologist, was written in the stars!” Tilbury says. “I have always been obsessed with astrology, which is why you’ll find everything from star-inspired shade names to celestial packaging designs and a signature hand-drawn star on all my beauty icons.”

Tilbury further explains why she went all in on Mona, who’s the only character from Genshin’s lengthy cast to be featured in the collab. (Her figure is emblazoned on the special accompanying tote bag.)

“I have found perfect harmony with Mona,” Tilbury says. “The mysterious, mesmerizing character shares my love for the stars and divine artistry, and we both have boundless passion and dedication, which allows us to think limitlessly and pursue our biggest and boldest dreams!”

What ties the two brands together is the color scheme — Tilbury tells Inverse she loves the red and gold that Mona wears, they share the same signature colors. “Mona’s accessories are like my distinctive night crimson and gold hues! This is how we captured both iconic worlds.”

All of the products are draped in the purple of Mona’s clothes, from the velvet pouches, to eye mask and headband in the two sets, and then highlighted by the red and gold tones. Curiously, none of Tilbury’s iconic lipsticks made it into the boxes. Instead, what’s featured is the setting spray and a magic cream moisturizer that can be applied over makeup. Tilbury, when pressed, says she is most excited about the $210 Starry Miracle box, which also includes a lip oil and eye serum.

The more generalized products mean that anyone of any gender expression could easily pick up one of these beauty boxes and make use of the included products. It’s notably different from Pat McGrath’s bold red nail polish or Fenty Beauty’s vivid Arcane lip glosses. As Tilbury puts it, “there is something for everyone, everywhere to love — it’s the perfect gift for everyone from gamers to skincare lovers and more.”

When we got our hands on the box, we can confirm these travel-size skincare goods could make a trip more pleasant. While the eye mask wasn’t for us, and the decorative pin felt placed there mainly for collectors there was plenty to love. I’ve always used the Magic Cream, even years before this collab, and the depuffing eye serum comes with a nice metal applicator for a mini-gua sha effect. But the story is what really drives it all. Take the lore behind the Magic Cream, for example: Tilbury says she found that people getting their makeup done backstage were often dehydrated and needed something to ignite the glow from within. She claims, according to recent sales numbers, that a pot of cream is sold every minute.

The collab with Genshin is Charlotte Tilbury’s first gaming partnership. The brand has also started its own Twitch channel featuring gaming livestreams, and clips of those streams on its own TikTok account. Tilbury teases that this is only the start of the company’s work with the games industry. “My team won’t let me say much more, but there is plenty more magic to come.”

If the year so far has been any indication, there are certainly more gaming collaborations to come, from any and all directions in the beauty industry. In the modern era, it’s pretty much a given that gamers also love make-up and skincare, and more brands are waking up to that reality.