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PARIS — Coty has unveiled a a first-of-a-kind augmented reality (AR) makeup try-on experience.
The company debuted the blended reality Magic Mirror — which integrates physical products with digital content — at its newly relaunched Bourjois boutique in Paris.
With the Magic Mirror, when a shopper picks up a lipstick the chosen color instantly appears on her lips. This removes barriers of traditional virtual makeup experiences, where shoppers can only engage with products in a virtual setting. Putting the physical product in shoppers’ hands has been found to increase purchase intention by propelling a more seamless path to purchase. Seventy-two percent of consumers surveyed said they want an in-store beauty experience to be a mixture of both physical and digital elements in order to make it feel more “real” and “believable.” At the same time virtual product try-on solves the issue of testers not always being available, hygiene concerns and shoppers’ lips becoming stained after only a few lipstick try-ons.
The in-store connected shelf features the Bourjois Rouge Velvet lipstick collection, and shoppers can complete their digital looks with onscreen eye makeup and blush, which is matched to each customer’s individual skin tone. This experience is tailored to offer both individual products and bespoke beauty combinations. In addition to product discovery, the Magic Mirror has a selfie function which is equipped with three playful filter effects and provides all the details of the products shoppers try on. The image can be printed in-store or emailed, with links for purchase on the Bourjois e-commerce site (https://www.bourjois.fr).
Elodie Levy, Coty’s global digital innovation senior director, said, “As part of our desire to reinvent the retail experience through purposeful and personalized innovation, the Bourjois Magic Mirror represents the most extensive integration of physical products and digital content in the beauty industry. Most women intuitively prefer to play with a lipstick rather than touch a screen, as there is an inherent sensual aspect in cosmetics packaging that no technology can replace, and our new Magic Mirror provides this desired experience to shoppers.”
The Magic Mirror was developed by Coty in collaboration with Holition and Perch Interactive. Behind the form and function of the mirror is a composite of Perch’s technology and the augmented reality SDK, FACE by Holition. Holition harnessed Perch’s smart camera, which monitors a defined area for activity, as a trigger for the virtual makeup experience.
Jonathan Chippindale, CEO of Holition, said, “Approaching this collaboration research first, design second and technology third, we’ve partnered with Coty to create the next generation of the Magic Mirror, blending consumer insight and strategic UX to facilitate a bespoke, personalized experience.”
Trevor Sumner, Perch CEO, said, “The next generation of in-store marketing is about blending digital experiences naturally into the shopper journey. The Bourjois Magic Mirror uses computer vision to sense the most important indication of interest in physical retail — when a shopper touches a product — unlocking an experience that encourages natural pathways of discovery, education and engagement.”
