Pure Beauty

Covid-19: Perfect Corp confronts hygiene fears with new touchless in-store beauty solutions

By Becky Bargh | Published: 3-Sep-2020

The new technology includes gesture control, voice activation and face mask detection, and aims to mitigate consumer concerns around Covid-19

Perfect Corp is helping beauty brands keep up with consumer expectations in-store during the Covid-19 pandemic with four new beauty tech solutions.

New interactive touch-less try-on features are gesture controlled and use voice activation while testers remain out of action in-store due to the outbreak.

Meanwhile, face mask detection has been introduced in order to comply with in-store health and safety rules.

This retail feature is said to recognise if a consumer is wearing a face mask and apply virtual make-up looks around the mask area, allowing customers to keep their mask on while shopping.

Virtual arm swatches for lipsticks are also available through the technology.

“As beauty brands continue to adapt to the ‘new normal’ of beauty retail, including in-store face mask requirements, it’s essential to embrace beauty tech innovation to provide a safe, touchless shopping experience that beauty consumers are expecting,” said Alice Chang, Perfect Corp’s founder and CEO.

“Our new non-touch virtual make-up try-on solutions will help beauty brands to build their in-store shopping experience around digital interaction with consumers by delivering on virtual, touchless makeovers, while also complying with strict safety and hygiene standards.”

The reveal comes a month after the YouCam Makeup app owner launched an interactive AR live streaming solution to help brands engage with consumers.

Beauty adapts

In a study conducted by First Insight, almost 80% of women polled said they would not feel comfortable using cosmetic testers in-store, while more than 60% of men shared the same view.

“Safety and prevention of spread has to be foremost as consumers emerge from lockdown,” said Charles Beardsall, Managing Director and CEO at Wala UK, the subsidiary responsible for the Dr. Hauschka brand in the region.

“Many range from very nervous to complacent, as seen in the press. So it is important there are guidelines to protect all.

“The virus is still there and, at present, there is no vaccine, so we need to be cautious to help those who are most vulnerable.”

This has forced beauty brands and retailers to seize an opportunity for innovation and find new ways to connect shoppers with their products.

Arcade Beauty Europe told Cosmetics Business it has reshuffled its technologies to adapt to new sampling solutions for perfumes, make-up and foundation.

“We have a peel-off solution that allows the beauty advisor to peel off and give a single dose to a consumer in-store,” Carl Allain Arcade Beauty’s CEO explained.

You may also like