There are MILLIONS of lipsticks sold every year in the world – according to one report, between 800 and 900 million.*
Testing the colour, feel and staying power of a lipstick is crucial, which is why the bulk of the ‘try before you buy’ when it comes to beauty has largely happened in brick and mortar retail locations.
But Pinterest could be about to massively impact this tradition.
Pinterest has launched Try On, a virtual reality feature accessible through the iOS and Android apps, which works by opening its camera ‘Lens’ through search.
Pinners’ can try on countless lipstick shades from bareMinerals, NYX Professional Makeup, YSL Beauté, Lancôme, Urban Decay from L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Estee Lauder and Sephora.
Once the user has tried on different lipstick shades from all the big brands, they can snap a selfie save it as a Pin to come back to.
With Pinterest’s shop function, the user can easily swipe up to shop and buy on the retailer’s site, effectively making a purchase in just a few clicks.
Pinners can also explore different looks with the same shade of lipstick by scrolling below Try On and browsing ‘more like this’.
The influence of augmented reality on the retail beauty space can’t be ignored.
Last year, L’Oréal announced plans to integrate its ModiFace augmented reality (AR) makeup tool with Amazon, after acquiring it in 2018, in a bid to enable millions of additional shoppers to ‘try on’ lipstick in live selfies.
Currently, the Try On app from Pinterest is only available in the US, but there are plans to roll it globally.