While shopping online does have its perks, the biggest issue many people face is not being able to try what they want before they actually buy it. When it comes to makeup, this is particularly difficult because you want to make sure you get the right shade of foundation or lipstick fit for your skin tone. Through recent developments, augmented reality (AR) has helped leading beauty retailer, Sephora, make online shopping for makeup easier by offering consumers the ability to try on products without having to visit the actual store.
Through Sephora’s Virtual Artist, consumers can instantly try on eye, lip and cheek makeup from their favorite brands. This 3D live experience is available through a web version and on the Sephora app.
When you have all the products you need, but don’t necessarily know how to put it all together, Virtual Artist has a “Looks” feature that allows you to get inspired by and try on looks created Sephora experts. For those who are sick of their same old makeup routine and want to try something new, it will even categorize several makeup looks for you according the style you’re trying to go for.
Virtual Artist on the Sephora app offers users great in-app only exclusives. When you love makeup but are not sure how to use it or are looking for a new technique, the “Virtual Tutorials” option will give you step-by-step instructions on techniques such as contouring. If you love matching your outfit with your makeup, the “Color Match” feature allows you to take a picture of your outfit or accessory and find the perfect shade to match. You can also virtually swatch hundreds of eyeshadow palettes to compare shades without the extra mess through the “Swatch Me” feature.
We all know how tricky buying makeup online can be. Sephora’s Virtual Artist now makes the online shopping experience a bit more personal and is a huge step toward innovation in the beauty industry. Several other retailers have begun to use Apple’s ARKit to integrate augmented reality into their apps, giving us a glimpse into the future of online shopping.