Try On Makeup Virtually with Google AR & Shop Influencer Videos

If you’re familiar with filters on platforms like Snapchat or Instagram, you’re aware of how augmented reality (AR) can be used to virtually alter your appearance – experimenting with different lipstick colors or eyeshadows, for instance. Now, Google is introducing a similar capability with the rollout of an AR-powered cosmetics try-on feature directly within Google Search. The company is collaborating with leading brands including L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, MAC Cosmetics, Black Opal and Charlotte Tilbury, enabling customers to preview makeup shades on a diverse selection of models, categorized by skin tone, or even on themselves using their mobile device’s front-facing camera.

The development of this new feature was supported by data partners ModiFace, a provider of AR technology to the beauty industry, and Perfect Corp, the creators of the YouCam Makeup application and other AR-focused beauty solutions.

When users now search for specific makeup items on Google – such as “L’Oréal’s Infallible Paints Metallic Eyeshadow,” for example – they will find the virtual try-on shopping experience prominently displayed at the top of the search results. Users can then browse photos of models with varying skin tones to compare shades and identify the ideal product.

To visualize the product on their own face, a new option allows users to utilize their phone’s camera. This interface presents a range of shades at the bottom of the camera view, allowing users to easily cycle through them – functioning similarly to a filter on social media. This experience shares similarities with the AR makeup try-on feature launched by YouTube last year.

However, unlike social media applications focused on image enhancement for sharing, Google’s intention is to facilitate connections between consumers and brands to drive purchases, as part of its broader strategy for online shopping and its overall online advertising initiatives.

Google clarifies that the AR try-on experience is not currently structured as an advertising format, and the participating brands are not paying for inclusion in the feature. This initiative represents Google’s ongoing efforts to expand the Google Shopping platform to include a wider range of retailers. Previously, the Shopping tab primarily featured paid product listings, but earlier this year, Google announced that the majority of listings on the Shopping tab would become free.

This change occurred during a crucial period for retailers, as their businesses were significantly affected by the closure of physical stores due to the pandemic. However, Google’s motivation wasn’t solely altruistic. Restricting Shopping to paid advertisements had limited the scope of Google’s Shopping search results, often leading to out-of-stock items or inaccuracies in data. Simultaneously, Amazon was expanding its advertising business, posing a potential threat to Google’s advertising revenue.

Furthermore, a significant portion of younger consumers are not utilizing Google for shopping. They are discovering products through social media and then proceeding to make purchases either through direct links to retailers or directly within social platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Google is now entering this market driven by influencer recommendations.

Alongside the AR try-on feature, Google will now showcase recommendations from beauty, apparel, and home and garden experts and enthusiasts, who will share their favorite products in videos featured on Google Shopping. For example, users can view makeup tutorials from professional makeup artist Jonet or discover holiday gift ideas from Homesick Candles.

This feature originates from Shoploop, a project that has recently completed Google’s Area 120 incubator program. It is a competitor to similar video-based shopping initiatives from Facebook, Instagram, and, more recently, TikTok.

These launches are occurring at a time when beauty brand sales have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, due to store closures, the rise of remote work, and the reduced need for makeup when the lower half of the face is concealed by a mask.

The new AR try-on feature and influencer videos are accessible within the Google app on both iOS and Android devices.