Beauty Tech: Immersion & Inclusivity

Beauty brand executives and chemists in the lab may not understand what makes a new computer chip faster than the last iteration or what exactly a digital twin is, but these technologies and others can play a role in creating better products and empowering consumers.

That’s why you will find beauty executives walking the aisles, meeting with startups behind closed doors and listening to panel sessions at CES, the huge consumer electronics show that’s held in Las Vegas in January. This year’s show encompassed nearly 2.2 million net square feet of exhibits (70% larger than in 2022) and more than 3,200 exhibitors. There were 115,000 attendees, according to pre-audit figures released by the show producer, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), as this issue went to press.

Procter & Gamble was back at CES this year with some of its top executives serving on panels and sharing stories of how technology—like artificial intelligence (AI) and experiments in space with NASA—can help improve its business in areas such as speed to market, quality control and NPD.

“It isn’t just AI for the sake of AI. It is AI to really drive the right business decisions to create products and services that solve consumer problems,” Kelly Anderson, director in corporate R&D data and modeling sciences at Procter & Gamble, told CES attendees gathered at the Startup Stage in Eureka Park, a special section of CES that features budding startups and hundreds of companies with a varied software, gadgets and services.

“You may not interact with our AI when you’re using our shampoo. That’s great; I don’t think you need to. But, you should know we used a lot of AI to make the best possible shampoo that we could, to make molecules that are safe, sustainable and that can be sourced appropriately that really lead to the best product that we can put out there,” Anderson added.

CES has been a stage for new “tech” developments from beauty brands during the past several years and this year was no exception. For example, Neutrogena announced its collaboration with a developer of 3D-printed supplements, while L’Oréal unveiled two prototype beauty devices. These leading beauty players have been using CES as mileposts on their journey to incorporate more sophisticated technology into everyday products to aid their own organizations internally and improve their customers’ experiences.

Inclusivity Through Technology

At CES Unveiled—a sneak-peak, media-only event organized by CTA—L’Oréal revealed Hapta, a prototype handheld, computerized makeup applicator designed to advance the beauty needs of people with limited hand and arm mobility.

An estimated 50 million people globally live with limited fine motor skills, which can make daily gestures, including applying makeup, a challenge. Hapta helps users steadily apply lipstick. The device incorporates technology originally created by Verily to stabilize and level utensils so those with limited hand and arm mobility could eat with independence.

According to L’Oréal, Hapta combines built-in smart motion controls and customizable attachments that give users an improved range of motion, increased ease of use for difficult-to-open packaging and precision application. A magnetic attachment allows for use with one hand, enabling for 360 degrees of rotation and 180 degrees of flexion. Further, a “click-in” feature allows the user to set the intended position of their product, which stays in position during use, and they can also lock in that customized setting for future use.

“For L’Oréal, the future of beauty is inclusive. And this future will be made more accessible by technology,” Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of the L’Oréal Groupe, said in a statement when the company announced the device to the general public. 

According to L’Oréal, Hapta’s leveling abilities will be piloted with Lancôme in 2023—first with a lipstick applicator followed by additional makeup applications in the future.

The beauty giant also showcased L’Oréal Brow Magic, an electronic eyebrow makeup applicator, which it says can be an alternative to costlier professional services like microblading. It was developed in partnership with the tech company Prinker, a maker of printed, non-permanent tattoos.

Brow Magic has 2,400 nozzles and printing technology with up to 1,200 dpi printing resolution, which is said to provide consumers with their most precise brow shape in seconds. L’Oréal’s Modiface AR technology scans the user’s face and makes recommendations for microblading, micro-shading or filler effects.

The device is expected to launch this year, according to the L’Oréal.

The Estée Lauder Companies is using tech to empower consumers with visual impairment. Last month it launched a voice-enabled makeup assistant (VMA) application, a first-of-its-kind, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered mobile app to help visually impaired users more easily and confidently apply makeup.

The VMA’s pioneering smart mirror technology is driven by ELC’s augmented reality (AR) and AI capabilities and was developed using machine learning. VMA uses voice instruction technologies to assist the user in makeup application; users receive audio feedback and tips on whether their lipstick, eyeshadow or foundation is evenly applied. Using AI, ELC’s VMA identifies makeup applied on a user’s face and assesses the uniformity and boundaries of application and coverage. It identifies any areas on the face that may require more accurate application and audibly describes where touch ups may be needed, according to the beauty giant.

“We are committed to building innovative technology solutions that make beauty truly inclusive to everyone. We are thrilled to bring the experience of independently applying makeup to the millions of people that are visually impaired,” Michael Smith, chief information officer, The Estée Lauder Companies, said in a statement. “Technology is a powerful tool to drive inclusion and we are delighted to be first to market with this pioneering app.”

The Estée Lauder flagship brand in the UK will be the first to adopt and promote the technology. It is expected to hit the Google Play store within the year and move across other ELC brands and markets in the near future.  The app will be continuously optimized and improved over the coming months, according to ELC.

Tasty Tech

J&J's Neutrogena recently unveiled its new alliance with Nourished, a personalized vitamins and supplements brand. The companies will leverage artificial intelligence and the latest 3D-printing technology to create personalized dietary supplements, on-demand.

Neutrogena has been incorporating technology to connect with customers for the past several years, making a series of announcements in and around CES. For instance, Neutrogena unveiled a skin scanner device with the Skin360 app in 2018. At the time, it was an attachment that consumers placed on their cell phones. Thanks to advancements in other technologies—such as cameras quality inside smartphones and AI—Neutrogena was able to ditch the hardware altogether. It is a progression that mirrors so many other categories at CES, like cars and computers—easier, faster and more accurate results that increase engagement with consumers.

Now, by linking with a startup like Nourished, this heritage skin care is making its foray into skin health supplements with Nourished x Neutrogena Skin360 Skinstacks, gummies that have seven layers of vitamins, superfoods and nutrients. The personalized supplements are limited edition products for now, but officials at CES told Happi that they will monitor customer feedback and engagement moving forward.

To get their personalized Skinstacks, consumers will use Neutrogena’s Skin360 digital skin assessment, which uses more than 100,000 skin pixels to analyze more than 2,000 facial attributes and consumers’ skin needs and goals. The data helps identify and recommend a nutrient stack and topical routine for the individual user to help them meet their skin health goal.

Each stack contains a seven-layer blend; the total lineup includes 14 ingredients, which vary by skin needs. Five layers of the “core skin blend” across each Skinstack, made up of top skin vitamins and nutrients like vitamins A and E, vitamin C, selenium, vitamin D3 and zinc. Based on the customer’s skin health goals, each stack has two unique layers that make up the skin supplement: 

• Hydrate (8 ingredients total) contains astaxanthin and biotin;  
• Ageless (8 ingredients total) – CoQ10 and riboflavin;
• Clear (7 ingredients total) – Zinc (booster), hydrocurc and black pepper;  
• Glow (8 ingredients total) – Lutemax 2020 and lycopene;  and
• Resilient (8 ingredients total) – Iodine and hydrocurc and black pepper.

According to the Neutrogena team, astaxanthin was the more difficult component to work with in regard to the 3D printing process.

Consumers can also customize gummy flavor, opting for watermelon, green apple or cherry, among others. Each order is printed by Nourished on demand to ensure freshness and delivered in 100% plastic-free, home compostable packaging. A 28-day supply of personalized gummies is $49.99 and arrives within 14 days of ordering, according to Neutrogena.

Nourished is part of female-owned company Rem3dy Health, which was founded by Melissa Snover, a registered nutritionist turned entrepreneur. Her Birmingham, England-based company has two factories in the UK; it is reportedly exploring options for a US-based facility.

Speaking to Happi at CES, Snover said she has fielded many requests for alliances with her brand since it was founded in 2019, but said aligning with Neutrogena was a no brainer for her company based on the brand’s credentials and its holistic approach to skin health.

Metaverse Matters

No discussion of technology is complete without talk of the metaverse. While for many, the idea is met with some skepticism, experts like Steve Koenig, VP research at CTA, are bullish on its future.

“Make no mistake, this is a real trend—just like the internet was in the early 1990s,” he said during his technology trends update, which was held the night before CES opened.

According to Koenig, the industry will start to see substance forming around the metaverse in technology and in business strategy.

“It is the next generation of the internet; an online experience that has elevated immersion,” he said.

During his presentation, Koenig referenced Touchcast, an enterprise metaverse company which recently unveiled its first metaverse showroom with automaker Fiat. At the Fiat Metaverse Store, consumers can browse, customize and purchase an electric Fiat 500 inside an interactive virtual showroom, directly from their browser, without needing a VR headset or specialized software.

“This is leveled up from online shopping today,” Koenig said.

Beauty brands may not be far behind.

Last month, L’Oréal’s corporate venture capital fund known as BOLD (Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development) made a minority investment in Digital Village, a US-based metaverse-as-a-service platform and NFT marketplace. It marked the first venture capital investment by L’Oréal in the metaverse and Web3 space.

“As L’Oréal continues to explore and define what beauty means in Web3, we seek to work with the most promising startups who adhere to the highest possible visual and technical standards. We are excited to be partnering with Digital Village, whose solutions will be powerful enablers for our brands and whose ideals of sustainability, accessibility and interoperability in the metaverse or Web3 are ones we share,” said Camille Kroely, who is chief metaverse and Web3 officer at L’Oréal.

Seamless Experiences

According to experts at CES, the key to success with technology—whether in the metaverse or IRL—is to make it easy and seamless for the customer.

“Decrease the friction… You don’t want to have them spend too much time downloading an app,” according to Jenna Seiden, vice president of business development at Niantic Labs. She was part of a CES panel session about “XR/AR/Metaverse-Revolutionizing Retail-Consumer Experience.”

Seiden pointed to Urban Decay’s AR game called ‘Beamin’ Up” released in connection with the launch of a special eyeshadow palette co-created with Robin Eisenberg. After playing the interactive AR game—which was Urban Decay’s first—users could download personalized assets to share on social. The game was accessible at the point of sale and on the packaging of the Naked x Robin Eisenberg Eyeshadow Palette as well as on Urban Decay’s website. Urban Decay worked with 8th Wall, part of Niantic Labs, on the project.

8th Wall also worked with Lancôme on an immersive webAR experience designed to transport customers to the Lancôme AR boutique with its Ready Player Me avatar. The launch was designed to celebrate the beauty brand’s collaboration with artist Richard Orlinski. Using their smartphones to access the experience in their mobile browser, customers generated and customized their Ready Player Me avatar and visited the Lancôme boutique that appeared in their world space. The boutique encompassed three floors where users could uncover information about Lancôme’s products and the brand’s collaboration with Orlinski. On each floor, they were rewarded with promo codes to use on the brand’s e-commerce website.

According to 8th Wall, Ready Player Me avatars added a new layer of customization to the experience, allowing Lancôme to get closer to its customers by inviting them into its universe and providing each user with a unique experience that was web-based and did not require an app to download.

Seiden and her fellow panelists stressed the need for AI/AR experiences to make an emotional connection with customers.

“Tech has to be easy and relatable and it needs to work seamlessly,” she said.

Enlisting experts is your best strategy.

Take Beekman 1802 and its My Skin Biome facial scanning tool. Beekman tapped AI technology from Perfect Corp on the project, which offers a skin assessment, educates consumers about the microbiome and features a cute mascot called Goatie—a nod to the brand’s goat milk heritage.

According to Perfect Corp, since deployment in June 2022, half of Beekman’s customers landing on the site are engaging with the facial scanning app and they are sharing their skin diagnostic sheets shots on social media. What’s more, Beekman 1802 has found that customers who engage with the My Skin Biome tool make larger purchases. In fact, Beekman 1802 has reportedly experienced a double-digit boost in basket size.

According to Brad Farrell, chief marketing officer, Beekman is seeing 50% longer dwell time on its site for those who engage with the My Skin Biome tool. The brand is including links to the AI Skin experience landing page across its marketing channels.

As this issue headed to press, news broke of another tech-driven alliance that marked a leading beauty retailer’s foray into personalized skincare. Sephora in mid-January announced a new partnership with fast-growing startup Proven that includes both digital and brick-and-mortar experiences. The accord also marked Proven’s entrance to retail.

Sephora’s online customers in the US can now take Proven’s three-minute Skin Genome Quiz to formulate personalized skin care. Products available through the partnership (the brand’s cleanser and day and night moisturizers) can be purchased as a system or separately and are shipped directly to customers’ homes.

A brick-and-mortar Proven experience will also bow at select locations across the US, according to Sephora. There will be interactive displays in stores where customers can take the Skin Genome Quiz and learn about the benefits of personalized skin care. Additional details will be released later in the year, according to the brands.

“I have long believed that personalization is the future of skin care, and this groundbreaking partnership is the clearest evidence yet,” said Proven Co-Founder and CEO Ming S. Zhao. “Bringing personalization to retail is not an easy task, but with the strength and savvy of Sephora, combined with our amazing team and leading technology, we are able to bring our innovative approach and beloved products to customers in a way they crave. All of us at Proven are proud to be partnering with Sephora and are thrilled to provide an entirely new customer base with skin care solutions as unique as they are.”

Finding Innovation

Proven participated in the 2018 Sephora Accelerate incubator program, and the companies said they began planning this new partnership in August 2021. 

Incubator programs and events like CES can help CPG players find innovators in AR, VR and AI that can help them across their operations, not just at retail.

During its sponsored panel inside CES Eureka Park, P&G executives discussed the company’s work with Labelbox, an AI infrastructure software company.

According to Anderson, P&G “stumbled across” Labelbox at a conference similar to CES.

What began as a pilot in quality control, is now moving enterprise wide just three and a half years later.

“As a startup, a small company—I believe we were series A at that time—I was over the moon excited to have an opportunity to work with a company like Procter & Gamble,” recalled Labelbox Founder and CEO Manu Sharma as he sat on the stage alongside his client.

What startup wouldn’t be?