Macy’s has partnered with Cosmopolitan magazine and Perfect Corp., the creator of the YouCam AR-powered makeup app, to deliver a virtual try-on feature through an eight-page native content package. The pages will showcase select Juicy Couture products.
Using a smart device, readers can snap a photo of a special QR code, which will bring them to a destination on Cosmopolitan.com where they’ll be able to choose a try-on experience, test out the look using YouCam Makeup facial mapping technology and shop the products directly from the page.
YouCam technology will be featured in future print issues of Cosmopolitan and digital features on Cosmopolitan.com, and will be integrated into sister publications Seventeen and Women’s Health beginning in 2019.
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Use of the YouCam technology is growing among retailers and beauty brands: Estée Lauder, Eyelure, L’Oréal, Lancôme Paris and Maybelline New York all have partnered with Perfect on apps that help shoppers discover and sample products before purchasing online.
AR technology is gaining traction among beauty retailers in general. In March, L’Oréal acquired ModiFace, an AR beauty company. The deal is expected to bring additional AR and AI tools to the retailer’s 34 international brands, including Lancôme, Kiehl’s, Giorgio Armani, Urban Decay and Maybelline.
Prior to its acquisition, ModiFace had collaborated with more than 80 beauty brands, including Sephora, with which the AR provider developed the “Sephora Virtual Artist” mobile app and in-store mirrors. The app works through Facebook Messenger, allowing shoppers to upload a photo of themselves to the virtual chatbot, which then directs them to a compatible shade of makeup and suggests products they may want to purchase.
