Pinterest Debuts AR Lipstick Try-On Featuring Sephora, L’Oreal

Need to Know

• Pinterest launches ‘Try On’, an augmented reality feature that allows pinners to virtually “try on” lipsticks in their mobile app. 
• Powered by Lens, Try On has been integrated with Pinterest’s existing skin tone range feature, allowing users to shop for similar lip shades on skin tones that match their own.
• The new feature allows users to try on lipstick from Estée Lauder, Sephora, bareMinerals, Neutrogena, and L’Oreal brands NYX Professional Makeup, YSL Beauté, Lancôme, and Urban Decay.
• Pinterest reports that 42% of their global audience has seen or engaged with a Beauty Pin in the last month. 

Analysis

Millions of Pinterest’s monthly visitors come to the site to find beauty inspiration and engage with beauty-related pins. In fact, 42% of Pinterest’s global audience has seen or engaged with a Beauty pin in the last month. 

Through the new ‘Try On’ feature, the “catalogue of ideas” site hopes to optimize the engagement on its most popular search topic, increase beauty brands ad spend, and continue to deliver unique experiences for their millions of visitors. 

“As we focus on building inclusive products, we’ve integrated ‘Try On’ with our skin tone range feature, so Pinners can see similar lip shades on skin tones that match their own,” Pinterest wrote in a release on its site. “And with ‘Try On’, you won’t find skin smoothing or image altering effects that make you look less like you (as you might see on some other AR technologies). We believe in celebrating you, and so our AR won’t be augmenting your reality, but rather helping you to make happy and real purchases for your life.” 

The easy-to-use feature comes integrated with a “swipe up” option allowing pinners to purchase their preferred lip shades directly from the brands. While in the mobile app, users open the Pinterest camera “Lens” and while in search, click “Try on” to explore available shades. From there, pinners can save and pin the image or shop directly from the brand. 

‘Try On’ is the latest in the string of advancements Pinterest is making in its own digital marketplace. Recently grocery giant, Albertsons partnered with the social site to promote its own private label products, using the app to draw customers directly to its own brands and launched Pinterest powered instore mobile receipts. Albertsons reported significant growth since the Pinterest partnership. 

L’Oreal also recently used AR to improve their customer experience. Working with Walmart, the brand launched a virtual hair dye tool, that similarly to “Try On” allowed customers to try on shade before making a purchase. 

‘Try On’ is currently only available to pinners in the US on both iOS and Android, but Pinterest says it has plans to eventually roll the feature out globally.