How Smart Makeup Mirror Technology Can Help You Stay Ahead of Competition in 2024
Traditional makeup testers are becoming a thing of the past: the post-pandemic world has come up with new solutions that help cosmetics brands turn consumers and convert occasional store visitors into buyers. Unlike product testers that are usually applied on the side of the hand, the AR makeup mirror technology allows users to try on makeup products as part of a complete look or applied directly where the product belongs. This helps brands increase product coverage, boost engagement, and drive sales so that the benefits outweigh the risks.
So are AR mirrors a truly worthy investment in 2024? Here’s everything you need to know about smart makeup mirrors. Find out how technology helps resolve post-pandemic sanitary challenges, how AR mirrors work, which type to choose, how to introduce them into your store and how to make the most of this investment.
The Technology Behind Smart Makeup Mirrors
Today’s advancement of AR and AI technology allows users to try on virtually every element of a complete look from clothing to makeup. Be it in a mobile app, on the web, or in-store, leading beauty brands already offer their clients top-quality experience of lifelike try-ons. Virtual makeup apps allow you to view beauty products and experience makeup with the use of cameras. So what makes realistic makeup try-on possible?
Makeup mirrors are powered by two rapidly advancing technologies: augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI). AR is responsible for detecting the user’s face, as well as segmenting it into zones and overlaying virtual makeup that looks as realistic as its real-life version. AR allows users to try on a variety of products in no time, experimenting with colors and textures to find their perfect match. This not only eliminates the need for makeup testers and solves the ever so relevant hygiene problem, but also creates a more immersive shopping experience.
AI, on the other hand, goes even further. It combines machine learning algorithms to analyze the user’s facial features and characteristics like skin type, color, and age. Then, once the data is in, artificial intelligence can serve as a personal makeup assistant and suggest the best matching products based on this individual data.
Mobile vs Web vs In-store: Choose Your Beauty Try-On Experience
Considering that the tendency to drift away from traditional makeup testers as a post-pandemic safety precaution will continue, AR makeup try-on will only grow in popularity and relevance. The good part of this technology is that it can be implemented in a number of try-on solutions: as a web feature on the brand’s website, as a try-on mobile app, or as a smart beauty mirror installed in-store for those who prefer traditional shopping.
In-App Makeup Try-On
The trend for online shopping does not seem to stop. According to Statista, around 900 million people around the world purchased beauty products online in 2023. The cosmetics market is the fastest growing segment of the beauty market worldwide and is expected to almost double its current revenue by 2027.
Now is the best time for beauty brands to invest in an immersive experience for their customers and build positive brand sentiment by offering consumers realistic AR try-on on mobile. Overall, branded apps are a great way for businesses to build long lasting relationships with their customers. Promote your products, inform your consumers about new arrivals and special offers, engage with the audience via targeted campaigns. Adding a try-on experience to this already extensive list guarantees you better conversion rates and a boost to sales.
Web AR Try-On
While applications are an overall solid option, they may as well be an inconvenience for consumers. Using a branded app involves downloading it, i.e. sacrificing storage space, and allowing access to personal data. This raises concerns over privacy and may repel certain customers.
In this case, web-based solutions are a great alternative. All one needs to use it is a functional web camera and a browser. So instead of downloading an app, users can simply allow access to their camera and try on items in real time without exchanging any data with you. Many AR solution companies recognize these benefits and offer a Web AR try-on experience.
In-store Smart Makeup Mirrors
Beauty shoppers are naturally hesitant to buy a product without giving it a try. This is especially true for makeup and skincare products. Virtual mirrors can increase sales by taking an omnichannel approach. The technology not only decreases the time customers spend finding the right product but lets them browse many more items when in the store.
Another feature of AR-based beauty mirrors is that with the help of AI, they can serve as non-intrusive consultants, suggesting the best products based on users’ features and preferences. Digital makeup testing keeps shoppers engaged, adding fun, novelty and convenience, so retailers stand out from their competitors.
How To Make A Virtual Makeup Mirror For Your Store?
Like every other device, the AR-powered smart beauty mirror consists of the hardware part (the physical device or kiosk itself) and the software part (a makeup try-on app that overlays beauty products on the user’s image). Let’s take a closer look at each component.
In-Store Smart Mirror Hardware
If you are considering virtual try-on as an in-store option, start right here. Depending on a number of factors, there are several hardware solutions that would allow you to create a makeup try-on mirror. The easiest way is to use iPads or Android tablets: they can both serve as a display to substitute for the mirror surface and provide the image with the built-in camera. The tablet’s powerful processor and high-resolution screen are able to ensure a seamless AR experience for your customers. The pricing is quite flexible, especially in comparison with specialized mirror hardware. One of the cons, however, is rather short battery life — a tablet can only ensure about 4 to 6 hours of non-stop AR mirror experience.
Another way is to use full-sized touch screen displays. They definitely win over tablets in terms of both battery life and visibility — quite obviously, a bigger screen with better resolution helps you see your reflection in more detail. Professional makeup kiosks and mirrors give your store a more solid look and attract visitors and customers with just their appearance. With potent software like Banuba Face AR SDK the launch will take little to no time even on custom hardware. However, more sophisticated options may require additional testing to ensure full functionality and provide the best try-on experience.
Tablets
Pros:
- Fully portable
- Cost-effective
- Compact and easy to install
- Fully compatible with makeup SDK
Cons:
- Poor battery life
Touch Screen Displays
Pros:
- Quick and easy launch
- Compatible with makeup SDK
- Look imposing
Cons:
- Take up quite some space
- May require additional testing
Professional Makeup Software
Proper try-on software is what makes a touch screen display in your store an actual smart mirror. Let’s take a peek into the “magic” behind try-on mirrors: these are the features that ensure a positive virtual try-on experience.
- Realistic Visualization. It is vital that the products look realistic. Thanks to advanced rendering technology, virtual makeup mirrors mimic real-life products, ensuring realistic behavior like shiny lip gloss and intense hair color.
- Real-Time Try-On. Enhanced face tracking enables immediate virtual makeup trials, surpassing traditional photo editing in speed and adding to the immersive experience.
- Makeup Advisory. AI in smart beauty mirrors analyzes facial features to recommend makeup suited to age, skin tone, and eye color, presenting preset looks and coordinated product suggestions. In case of skincare, AI can predict and visualize the effect of prolonged use of certain products like acne treatment or skin smoothing.
A smart beauty mirror can be enhanced with user experience features like video or photo-taking, or even try-on history logs so consumers can save, share and review their try-on sessions. Engagement Insights can help you track consumer interactions with products, including session durations, scarcity of trials of various items, and returning customers, yielding valuable marketing insights.
Increased demands for hygiene protection in public places impose new challenges for AR try-on developers. While a smart mirror requires touching, e.g. swiping to browse products and tapping to select items, our company has focused on developing touchless UI. We utilize hand tracking and gesture recognition, enabling consumers to control screens without physical contact, aligning with heightened demand for hygiene protection in public spaces.
Guided Virtual Makeup Try-On
As we can see, AR mirrors are all about boosting engagement and raising your customers’ loyalty to your brand to increase sales. And they do work: according to research, 61% of online shoppers prefer to shop in stores that offer AR try-ons than in stores that do not, and 71% of them would shop more often if AR solutions were offered.
A classic makeup try-on approach suggests that users rely on themselves for finding a perfect match. However, there is another way to provide a more satisfying experience — so-called Guided Virtual Try-On. The AI-based solution includes smart makeup analysis that gives personalized recommendations based on the user’s skin tone, hair and eye color, facial features, etc. This leads to an increase in sales and a decrease in returns. When complemented with a “buy now” button right in the try-on screen, this type of try-on is a game changer in user engagement and sales boosting.
Why Invest in Makeup Mirror Try-On
One store’s offer is sometimes already too big of a range to choose from. Consumers often struggle to navigate retailers’ sites or stores, leading to frustration and potential abandonment without a purchase. Virtual makeup try-ons, be it in-store AR mirrors or mobile apps, offer a solution that allows consumers to explore numerous options at once with ease.
This ‘try before you buy’ approach minimizes returns, prevents unsatisfactory purchases, and enhances overall brand interaction. Its appeal extends to Gen Z, the true digital dwellers, as the novelty of AR, mobile accessibility, and selfie-centric camera experiences captivate digitally native consumers, prolonging engagement and boosting conversion rates.
