Blind boxes are here to stay, and brands are leaning into the mystery product format
In the era of viral Labubu unwrapping, mystery boxes are taking over feeds, and brands are jumping on the merchandising opportunity.
A number of brands are now creating blind box experiences to engage customers and drum up social media buzz. Beauty brand Gisou, for example, recently launched a “HoneyPups” mystery box that included its new Honey Glaze Collagen Therapy Lip Mask and one of a variety of HoneyPup bag charms — the box quickly sold out. Meanwhile, in January, hair accessories brand Emi Jay released a limited-edition $40 blind box featuring a surprise assortment of its popular hair clips — it also sold out. Even Michaels and Walmart have begun carrying their own mystery boxes, with the latter selling blind box plushie keychains that come with a matching lip gloss for $5. The mystery box format has become especially popular among beauty brands, as it offers product discovery and a sense of newness that customers often seek. Beauty versions are also the most primed to go viral.
As one of the early pioneers of surprise bag drops, beauty subscription service Ipsy has been growing its mystery bag assortment over the past year to meet growing demand. “We’ve been doing these for over a decade now, so it’s not a gimmick for us,” Ipsy CMO Stacey Politi told Modern Retail.
Politi said Ipsy customers like the surprise-and-delight element, the fact that the bags offer them good value for their money and the opportunity to discover products they may not have chosen for themselves. Customers receive multiple full-size items in Ipsy’s mystery bags, often under $100.
“We’re all about discovery, play and savvy shopping,” Politi said. “These mystery bags allow us to bring all three of those together.”
As for sales performance, both January and February’s mystery bags outpaced sellout rate year-over-year. February’s Valentine’s Day themed bags are already outperforming last year, with a 30% sell through rate at less than a week in.
The mystery bag program has become a major investment for Ipsy, with bag themes planned a year in advance. The company now carries a monthly rotation of a dozen mystery bags. Current themes include “Glow Up,” featuring R.e.m. Beauty and Neen, and “Pink Prism,” featuring Korres and Onekind products.
“We have an unbelievable team of merchandisers who test over 8,000 products a year, so they’re able to curate these perfect collections to be delivered in the mystery bags every month,” Politi said, adding, “Our marketing and merchandising teams are already looking at user data, consumer trends and forecasting to come up with themes for next year.”
According to an Ipsy spokesperson, the monthly mystery bags are created in limited quantities each month, so they “do not drive a significant portion of the business.” However, they said, they make for an exciting offering for Ipsy members.
Blind boxes have been around long before the Labubu craze, but several factors are driving the trend in 2026.
Lucy Markowitz, svp of the U.S. region at ad agency Vistar Media, said more brands are turning to blind boxes “because they convert a purchase into an experience.”
“Blind boxes carry the same nostalgic thrill that generations remember from baseball cards, Pokémon and even Happy Meals,” Markowitz said.
What’s more, she said, their unboxings are a built-in way to create excitement, community and instant virality. “We’ve seen this explode with Labubus, but it’s also showing up in collectibles, fashion, food and beauty,” Markowitz said. “Not knowing what you’ll get creates anticipation, and the reveal delivers a quick dopamine hit. When brands give people a little thrill or a reason to trade and talk about what they got, it becomes bigger than just what’s inside the box.”
There is also the scarcity aspect — mystery boxes are often offered in limited quantities, which drives anticipation as people await restocks.
Markowitz said more marketers should be considering how to leverage the mystery box momentum in 2026, and she expects to see more surprise-and-delight formats. “Gaming already uses this through pay-to-play mechanics,” she said. “[I expect] we’ll see more of it in live events, retail and subscriptions.”
She added, “Trends ebb and flow, but this format isn’t going anywhere. Brands like Pop Mart are already thinking ahead, focusing on how to make their collections hold lasting value.” Albeit, the demand for Labubu figures has declined since its peak in mid-2025.
The trend is indeed going strong in 2026. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Zales has partnered with Sweethearts to release a collection of gold charms featuring lab-grown diamonds and shaped like the nostalgic candy heart. The “mystery” was the charm’s featured message — either “Ooo la la,” “Amore” or “XOXO.” The original Zales charm retails for $299.99, but it was sold for $49.99 as part of the mystery box deal. The limited-edition collection sold out on day one of the release.
For its part, Ipsy will continue to invest in curating mystery bags, as demand shows no signs of slowing. “There is this playfulness [aspect] and also savvy shopping, where we see people come back because they love the newness,” Politi said.