This post was originally published on this site

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY At a MAC store in Manhattan, ModiFace’s augmented-reality mirror lets women virtually test makeup effects. The technology is rolling out into 5,000 stores worldwide, including Sephora locations.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY At a MAC store in Manhattan, ModiFace’s augmented-reality mirror lets women virtually test makeup effects. The technology is rolling out into 5,000 stores worldwide, including Sephora locations.


Photo:

Juliana Sohn for The Wall Street Journal

By

Katie Linendoll

Jan. 25, 2018 12:15 p.m. ET


0 COMMENTS

Imagine if your vanity mirror suddenly sprung to life and declared that, although you are indeed among the fairest, an emphatic red lip could help you top the list.

Toronto-based tech company ModiFace has created a fairytale-like “mirror” that comes close. The brand launched in 2008 with addictively playful apps that let you virtually makeover selfies with exotic hairstyles, eye colors and more. Big beauty brands took notice when ModiFace moved their tech into an augmented reality experience, powered by high-tech cameras and backed by more than 30 patents, that lets you manipulate your look more ambitiously and subtly.

I recently virtually tested out an array of eye shadow, lipstick and blush effects at a MAC makeup store in Soho, New York. ModiFace’s interactive mirror/camera splits the screen into before and after views of your face. The looks I tried during a demo—including that crucial bold red lip—were for the most part detailed and convincing, not like a sticker or an obvious Snapchat filter harshly stamped onto your face. It was like I was on camera literally changing my makeup from moment to moment.

A MAC artist I talked to said the mirror has quickly drawn a crowd because it lets busy women try on a ton of items when they’re short on time. As someone who’s always in a hurry, I liked how quickly I could flip between items and colors, select a look and then text myself all the products needed to create it. Of course, everything you virtually try on is available in store.

Next for ModiFace is a tool that offers a 3D skin analysis and promises to identify the best products for you. The line starts behind me.

More in Gear & Gadgets