Today, by merely holding up a handheld device, home decor brands like Wayfair and Amazon Home allow you to see exactly what a piece of furniture or accessory will look like in a space. Luckily, this augmented reality has become much more prevalent and has caught up to the beauty industry. (Image Credit: Senivpetro/Freepik)
Taking advantage of this augmented reality, three of the world’s most prominent cosmetic companies–L’Oréal, Shiseido, and Estée Lauder–have become quite active in beauty tech. They are looking for a way to progress the cosmetics industry and bring it into the new age. Beauty technology is changing cosmetics. Today we will explore some examples of at-home devices and gadgets you can look forward to in the near future.
Finding a Brighter Smile
Beauty technology has changed cosmetics in a big way, especially when it comes to at-home applications. No longer do you have to book a dentist appointment to get a radiant, bright smile. Today, you can find various luxury teeth whitening products equipped with bacteria-killing blue light technology and a practically sensitivity-free experience. Plus, you can find single-use applicators with premium teeth whitening gel for those days at work or in-between whitening routines that can give you pearly whites, even after a cup of morning coffee or a glass of red wine.
AI Personalization
Each person has their own beautiful shade of skin tone. Unfortunately, it means you have to find the perfect tone to match. This discovery could take you through countless brands and products. That’s where this new tech comes in super handy!
One newfangled tech is skin scanners. These devices analyze our unique skin tone and suggest an exact match in a cream or serum that can blend perfectly. Not only can the skin scanner locate the perfect shade, but it can measure your skin’s needs. As a result, you can find a preferred texture and hydration level. One skin scanner is the recently revealed Perso by L’Oréal, which can locate the perfect formula.
Try-on Apps
Long gone are the days when you had to upload your photo and digitally apply makeup or a celeb’s hairstyle to see what it might look like on you. Instead of shelling out lots of money for a product you might hate and throw away, give that new makeup a test using a try-on app.
Many cosmetic companies have developed convenient apps using augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) that allow users to test everything from makeup products to skincare products and even nail polish. This new “try before you buy” idea is much better than using potentially germy testers at the beauty store. Plus, the apps offer the same product knowledge of a beauty consultant.
Some try-on apps include Benefit’s Brow Try-On, L’oreal’s Virtual Try-on and Samsung’s Bixby Vision, which works as a Snapchat-like filter through integrated augmented reality and Samsung Galaxy’s front-facing camera. Certain apps like YouCam allow users to give themselves a virtual makeover using top brands and beauty filters for real-time results.
Modern Manicure Treatments
Cosmetics go further than your face, too. Beauty technology is also creating the ability to use 3D modeling to laser-cut stickers you apply to your nails. ManiMe offers users a way to snap and upload photos of their nails to its website and choose from a variety of colors and designs. Top manicurists, like Alicia Torello and Madeline Poole, have collaborated to make some more graphic style designs.
Once you choose your nail pattern or color, simply wait four days for the custom-fit, stick-on gel stickers to arrive. Standard gel manicure requires you to expose your hands to harmful UV light. However, this gel is already set before application. Plus, the formula and 3D manufacturing offer a cruelty-free cosmetic and are 10-free. This means it has absolutely no toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, parabens, animal by-products, or fragrance, among others. Now that’s an easy at-home manicure!
Cleansing Brushes
As you can already see, beauty tech is not just about cosmetics. It’s about skincare, too! We already use brushes to cleanse our faces of dirt and makeup at the end of the day. Cleansing brushes can also keep our complexion glowing and looking healthy. But what if you could take this effective cleaning a step further with more advanced technology?
One new beauty tech for skincare is the Foreo Luna 3. This handy little home device can be connected to an app on your personal handheld device. The Foreo Luna 3 allows you the ability to control cleansing modes through a timer and follow through with a personal cleansing routine.
The Future of Cosmetics
Virtual makeover software has been around for quite some time. However, this shift in beauty tech is not just due to the recent advances in smartphone technology and augmented reality. It’s also partly driven by a number of other consumer issues and concerns, such as environmentally friendly practices and the amount of waste the cosmetic industry can create. Plus, while it is yet to be seen, in a post-COVID-19 world, swatches and in-person makeup trials may not be widely accepted or even allowed.
Beauty technology is changing cosmetics in an enormous way. Whether you have used a virtual makeover app to test a shade of lipstick or can’t wait to try L’oreal’s Perso to achieve a flawless complexion, there’s a good chance we will all be using some form of beauty tech in the near future.