L’Oreal’s NYX and Samsung have partnered to launch a virtual reality (VR) makeup tutorial in select stores, the “Impossibly NYX Professional Makeup” Gear VR experience.
In-store shoppers can use Samsung Gear VR technology to access makeup tutorials led by beauty vloggers Kristen Leanne, Mykie (also known as “Glam & Gore”) and Karen Sarahii Gonzales.Consumers wear the Samsung Gear headset with an Oculus controller to select the products they want to learn more about, and they also receive a special price for purchases.
The VR tutorial will be available in select NYX Professional Makeup stores on December 18, 2017, followed by a nationwide rollout across the brand’s 42 retail stores over the course of 2018.
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NYX is taking advantage of VR technology to add value to its makeup offerings, reel in shoppers with different price points and play to a more tech-savvy shopper base. These shoppers are all about the VR experience: as many as 70% to 80% of “early tech adopter” consumers are eager to use VR technology to design rooms, try on clothing, customize products and take virtual shopping “trips” with friends in different locations, according to research from L.E.K. Consulting. In addition, 46% of consumers already have tried some form of VR.
Retailers such as Lowe’s, IKEA and Swarovski have jumped on the VR bandwagon to showcase virtual tours, present DIY projects and display newer products that can’t fit in stores. In many early-stage cases, VR provides an “endless aisle” value proposition that regular brick-and-mortar stores simply can’t offer. Additionally, these experiences are designed to give shoppers a more realistic view of products in a way that an e-Commerce site cannot.
Sephora hasn’t taken the full VR leap in the way NYX has, but the beauty retailer has a similar augmented reality (AR) platform to help shoppers fulfill their makeup needs. In March 2017, the retailer launched the Sephora Visual Artist mobile app, which enables shoppers to upload a photo of themselves to get a recommended compatible shade of makeup.
NYX and Samsung created the experience in collaboration with VR production agency Cubicle Ninjas.
