June 29, 2020 – By Raegan Rubin
Although it may sound futuristic, virtual beauty is not a new concept. Indeed, most of us have played with app filters to alter our facial features, used skin tone gadgets to identify the most natural foundation hue and been advised by AI (artificial intelligence) assistants online.
In the wake of Covid-19, there has been a surge in digital innovation as beauty brands clamour to be heard in a cacophony of digital traffic and gage presence within the online community.
Websites, social media and celebrity endorsement wield some influence, whilst investing in experience and problem solving have become intrinsic means of securing customer engagement.
The beauty industry and sustainability
The relationship between the beauty industry and sustainability has be fraught with issues like overconsumption, animal testing, product formulation (inclusion of harmful ingredients such as parabens), packaging lifecycle and the overall carbon footprint of the brand.
Although these aspects have been addressed in recent years, past demands for reformation pale in comparison to the intense scrutiny (pioneered by social media accounts such as Estée Laundry) that the industry has undergone in the last few months.
Virtual sustainability
In alignment with the rapid evolution of digital fashion, technological advancement and utilization has become an iron chord; anchoring beauty brands and promising buoyancy against the wave of online congestion.
Meanwhile, many brands who previously relied upon their brick-and-mortar presence to turn a profit, are struggling to summon an online hub and have been swallowed whole; banished to the industry’s cavernous depths, along with over-stocked warehouses and bankruptcy.
As businesses swim to stay afloat, they use the digital trend to personalize the shopping process for the consumer and amass spools of instant feedback on product effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
As a result, the manufacturing process has become more calculated and strategic and it’s unsurprising that the online spending on beauty products has surpassed virtually any other category of packaged goods.
Expect to digitally 'try on' your make-up
Packaging has been at the forefront of many eco-friendly campaigns against the industry and plagued the public and political spheres for decades. Due to isolation, this concern has been amplified and many are looking for easy changes to make their beauty routine more sustainable.
The production and wastage of product packaging is a prime example and Joanna Monange, the CEO of perfumery Maison 21G, predicts an increase in packaging consciousness:
“Already we see that we need to talk about sustainability and how sustainable you are in the way you create your products. Consumers will become even more conscious about what they are taking.”
In response, beauty brands such as Estée Lauder and Nars have joined the effort to tackle the plastic crisis, by investing in AR try-on makeup apps.
The advent of try-on makeup promises sustainable progression in terms of production and packaging. Rather than churning out mounds of foundation bottles to be tested, discarded and replaced by the public on the shop floor, customers are able to ‘try-on’ various shades using apps.
In partnership with the AI and AR(augmented reality) company Perfect Corp, the brands are using advanced technology to offer customers virtual makeup trials, hair colour and accessory try-ons, and skincare diagnostics.
Another prominent brand monopolising on Perfect Corp’s AR tech is Benefit Cosmetics, who launched a WeChat virtual brow try-on tool in China in May. The programme allows the shopper to experiment with eyebrow shapes and colours prior to their appointment with a stylist at Benefit’s BrowBars.
A reduction in product testing and enhancement in personalised experience, the programme aids us as we try to ‘zero waste’ our beauty routine and indicates a much more efficient and procedural future for the beauty arena.
Promoting a 'greener' beauty
Parallel to the spike in digitization, speculation over transparency remains a contentious issue and has forced many companies to adopt the eco trend in order to remain relevant.
Embellishing their websites with buzzwords such as “responsible innovation“ and “green formulation,“ brands like L’Oréal are pitching their virtual advancements as exciting opportunities for sustainability.
By conversing with the customer through interpersonal jargon and leveraging virtual reality as ethically responsible, L’Oréal fulfills the ethical needs of the consumer effectively whilst standing out in an over-saturated market.
L’Oréal recently reported a growth in e-commerce sales by 52.6% since the previous year, accounting much of it to the freedom that social networks provide its customers; allowing the public to continuously research and share content with others.
Generating less waste and manufacturing products designed to address specific needs, it seems as if ‘digitally smart’ tools will become a permanent feature of customer experience and promote a deeper shade of green beauty.
'Natural beauty' and personalisation
‘Natural beauty’ is a subjective term with connotations ranging from authentic and makeup-free complexions to ethical products and organically sourced manufacturing.
The common thread binding each factor to one another is the potential for a greater intimacy with the world we inhabit and a natural and personalized consumer experience.
The natural beauty trend was certainly predicted by beauty experts such as Imelda Burke, the founder of Content Beauty & Wellbeing however, in the face of digital progression, how can something as intangible as augmented reality or artificial intelligence deliver a ‘natural experience?’
The virtual plane is rife with direct-to-consumer opportunities that work to resemble human-to-human interaction.
YouCam Beauty Advisor for example, offers 1-on-1 video consultations and Hero, the live chat app, equips fashion clients like Rag & Bone and Nike with a virtual consulting program that connects them to their clients.
According to a Nielson report labelled ‘The Future of Beauty,’ almost a quarter of cosmetics consumers want to identify with the brands that they buy from.
This is good news for the digitally savvy Startups like Proven, Curology and Shiseido, who garner appeal through live-streams and broadcasted events, creating a customized service that feels tailor made to your needs.
A new reality
The end of June marks a new beginning: people are more experimental in their makeup looks, the correct foundation hue can be determined via a questionnaire and there is a higher demand for quality over quantity.
As we adapt to a digitally enhanced reality so will the beauty industry and in 20 years we may be 3D printing our makeup and applying it in front of our voice-enabled smart mirrors whilst tutorials are projected from our shower screens.
Raegan Rubin
Raegan is an undergraduate currently studying fashion art direction in Florence. She is passionate about ethical fashion at KeiSei and when she isn't writing, enjoys listening to podcasts whilst cycling the streets of Italy like a quintessential tourist.
