In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, professional beauty brand Make Up For Ever has teamed up with Perfect Corp’s YouCam Makeup to introduce a virtual foundation Shade Finder.
Using artificial intelligence (AI), consumers can visit the brand’s website and find their ideal foundation shade match to receive personalised product recommendations.
The technology uses advanced AI and augmented reality to simplify the matching process by leveraging AI smart detection based on more than 200,000 samples across all skin groups.
“We are very excited to team up with Make Up For Ever to launch the online virtual AI Shade Finder, which will deliver a more personalised beauty experience to consumers,” said Perfect Corp’s founder and CEO Alice Chang.
“[The] beauty industry is becoming more and more digitally-driven.
“This inspiring partnership will re-imagine beauty shoppers’ journey and allow them to interact and engage with Make Up For Ever in a completely new and unique way.”
Make Up For Ever also hopes this digital transformation will help it stay connected with its customers who are accustomed to the traditional in-store beauty retail experience.
Colour cosmetics suffer
The move to the digital realm has been swift since beauty brands were forced to shut up shop during the coronavirus crisis.
Brands have taken to streaming on social media and launching video consultations to engage with clients.
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However, colour cosmetic brands have been predicted to suffer as more people continue to work from home and have fewer reasons to wear make-up.
According to market research firm Kantar, Brits will have 35 million fewer occasions to use cosmetics every week, which could have a major impact on colour cosmetics sales.
For the four weeks ending 22 March, there was a reported 12% decline [of what] among British consumers.
Despite the challenges, there are still opportunities for colour cosmetics brands to boost sales, particularly in the nail polish sector.