What do you get when you cross augmented reality with cosmetics?
A virtual mirror, where you can see what your face is going to look like, without going to the bother of putting on makeup. In future, who knows? They may eventually be able do the same for in-store cosmetic surgery, which in my case will make the whole thing a much more practical proposition.
The press release also talks about the fact that EZface “prevents the consumer from making the wrong choice”: what do you think about this?
Here is EZface’s press release:
EZface, the worldwide leader in virtual makeover technology, today launched its newest technological innovation: the EZface Virtual Hair Colouration In-Store Kiosk.
“The Virtual Hair Colouration Kiosk is an exciting development in the hair colour marketplace and will revolutionise how women buy hair colourants in stores. The application contains a smart diagnostics engine that prevents the consumer from making the wrong choice. By showing the predicted result, customers are no longer faced with uncertainty or potential mistakes”
Ruth Gal, EZface co-founder and Marketing Vice President.
The application is set to transform hair colouring product purchase habits by enabling consumers to colour their hair at the touch of a screen.
Launched at The Global Summit of the Consumer Goods Forum (23-25 June) in the L’Oreal Innovation Zone, the EZface Kiosk features the company’s patented Virtual Mirror Application (VMA) which provides a photorealistic preview of hair colour applied to the consumer’s photo.
The technology features an intuitive camera and sophisticated algorithms to analyse the consumer’s photo.
Taking into account the consumer’s skin tone, facial features and hair colour, it then applies the new hair shade directly to the consumer’s hair on their photo.
The kiosks provide a true-to-life personalised preview of the customer’s new look, eliminating any doubt or worry as to whether the chosen hair colour will complement their appearance.
The Virtual Hair Colourant Kiosk follows on from the successful launch of the company’s Virtual Make-Up Kiosk which accurately applies a wide range of cosmetic products including foundations, lipsticks, mascara, powders and eye-shadows to consumer photos.
The in-store Hair Colouration Kiosk is designed to complement the EZface Virtual Make-Up Kiosk, providing a holistic solution for cosmetics and hair colour consumers and retailers.
EZface is an IBM business partner and both applications run on the IBM AnyPlace Kiosk™ platform.
The collaboration with IBM enables EZface to provide a one-stop-shop solution that includes Kiosk hardware, in-store installation and maintenance services.
“The Hair Colouration Kiosk is well-suited to both the retail and salon environments” said Rami Orpaz, EZface co-founder and CEO.
“The kiosks can be implemented across in-store, web and mobile platforms and easily integrate with any database, e-commerce, CRM systems or loyalty schemes, providing retailers with a valuable means of demonstrating innovation and tracking user behaviour and preferences.”
