Whenever I come across a new drugstore makeup morsel, I follow a familiar routine.
With the prospective product in hand, I’ll track down a reflective surface in the store (like the edge of a nearby shelf), and hold the item up to my face to gauge how the color might look on my skin.
Admittedly, it’s a rather unscientific approach…
Since most drugstores don’t provide open testers for products, beauty shoppers are often left to guess based on how products appear through their unopened packages.
But the times, beauty lovers, are a-changin’! Drugstore retailers like Wal-Mart have begun testing new technology that could help.
The new EZface Inc. “virtual mirror” lets ladies (and gents) see how beauty products might look on their skin without actually having to try them on (kinda like Daily Makeover’s Makeover Studio in a box).
Customers stand in front of the computerized EZface kiosk, which has a built-in camera, touch screen, bar code scanner and printer, and have their picture taken.
Then, by simply scanning the bar code of any makeup you’re interested in, EZface generates a composite picture simulating what you might look like with it on. Also from the kiosk, you can print the image, email it or even send it straight to Facebook.
Pretty cool, yah?
I haven’t seen an EZface kiosk in person yet, but I’m dying to (let me know if you have!). So far they’ve been “deployed” in just 10 Wal-Mart stores across the U.S.
I’m curious… Do the machines also take into account fluorescent store lighting, skin tone and product texture/finish? Inquiring minds want to know! 🙂
If these EZface kiosks take off, they could become a trademark part of the drugstore shopping experience, like cheesy in-store muzak (Kenny G, anyone?).
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
It would be an interesting technology to have. Sometimes there will be things in the drugstore or grocery store that would catch my eye but they dont always have testers so I end up not getting them.
I hope they’re easy to use! From my experience whenever a touch screen is involved you’re usually in for a whole lotta hurt, LOL.
I am so hopeless at those too! Those Redbox thingies? Pure torture for me … so much so that I ended up renting some Van Damme movie innstead of what I really wanted (one of the Shreks, im thinking) … kinda embarassing! 😛
We designed the interface especialy for ease of use. the buttons are large and easy to handle and the touch screen is not some cheap piece of junk but a neat state of the art technology. You’ll love it!
What a cool idea! Although you think it would be easier (and less expensive) just to put testers
I know, right? From the sound of it drugstores want to add the kiosks to avoid losing money from returns and from people opening up the products in the store. I guess they’re banking on kiosks costing less than offering testers in stores.
this is disgusting but –
my best friend ussed tosteal testers. she said “it wasnt as bad as stealing the real thing”
i conveniently found this out AFTER we shared some makeup.
vommmmmmmmit.
There are many stores that don’t have testers at all (Walmart) and when you go to a store that has you find that some are gone (someone stole it…) and some are dirty…..
So they are using the kiosk to offer clean testers that is never missing and to save the losses when people break packages to try products.
Woww..it sounds awesome..but like you said what about lighting and the other factors?
We don’t have returns here..and I hate store lighting..the colours always look different later 🙁
it’s definitely interesting but i have a feeling i’d be too embarrassed to use it :p
I’m thinking you’d never be able to get within 10′ of one of these on a weekend, but I’d love to try one!
I have been on a total drugstore makeup kick lately… I think this is a great idea. =)
I’m not sure how well it would work. The lighting is notoriously bad in stores, so you’d almost have to have a booth or something. Neat concept but I’d have to see how the implementation turned out.
To overcome the lighting problem we are using a flash that illiminates the store’s light and takes your photo in a balanced illumination conditions.
I would try it, but I’m not sure it would work well. It makes me think of those makeover applications where you can add computer-generated makeup to your face and change your hairstyle. It never looks even remotely realistic.
Unlike other makeover applications, this one is a proffessional makeup simulation. Try it for yourself and see how you look. Go to http://www.ezface.com and try the online version. Its free!
What a cool idea! when i used to wear drugstore foundations i always wonder why my skin never looked its best. probably because i didnt know too much about makeup…. but also because i always got the wrong shade.
Well Megan, you’re not the only one. That’s why our system recommends you which foundation shade to use according to your skintone.
I don’t trust it! I honestly do not think the images will be adequate representations of the colors themselves. Some products show up differently on people due to their undertones, skin tone, etc. For example, NYX lipstick in perfect looks more pink on my sister than it does on me. I don’t think that will be accounted for either. Also, I wonder how they will be in updating the kiosk with new products that come out as well.
Wow Shannon. How skeptic can you be?
We spent tons of money and time to research our algorythm to do just that – showing how certain product looks differently on people. We do take into consideration undertones and many other veriables.
You can try it yourself. Go to http://www.ezface.com and try the online version on your own photo. its free!
In Belgium they set testers, even it is really unhygienic it sometimes comes handy
But this device could give a false presentation?
Do you have any idea which stores these are in already? If there are any around here I’d love to try it out!
If you are in the US you can go and see it at Walmart stores at:
LIVINGSTON, TX
DECATUR, TX
EMPORIA, KS
MARYVILLE,MO
PAYSON, AZ
SIOUX FALLS, SD
AMHERST, NH
FISHKILL, NY
PEMBROKE PINES, FL
HAMILTON, OH
I’m skeptical! I sincerely doubt that they would show poor payoff or chalky texture with any accuracy, and you sure couldn’t tell whether that “long-lasting” liner really is or not! I guess that would be where the return policy came in…
Sure, the system has its limits. However, the main issue is showing how will you look in terms of color, coverage and general look. So instead of trying actual products, you can use the system to mix and match colors. And it CAN show you effects like gloss and metalic. It can even show you difference between regular and lengthening mascaras!
This sounds cool!!! 🙂
i say just pop a few testers in there and problem solved! the higher end make up companies do it, why not drug stores? people open them up in the isles anyway so it’d be easier to do it before they do. . .
it sounds interesting, but I can’t help butt think it’s gonna have some holes. it’s not you trying the actual product, it’s just the simulation’s idea of what color it is. I don’t see how they can make it truly accurate, especially with lightings and how most not-so-good cameras don’t photograph colors accurately.
I’d be more happy if they just sat one of every shade for everyone to try.
Anita, we share the same concern. That’s why we installed a very high quality camera and use a flash to balance the lighting. We also developed a sophisticated way of measuring the products attributes (Yes, we try each and every shade) and we constantly test the simulation against “real world” models.
Yes, it is a simulation, but a damn good one!
There are no testers for make up products in drugstores in the U.S.?! *wow* Can’t imagine that! I live in Austria and there are testers for at least 80% of the products in every drugstore. Weird!
In my country all drugstores have testers for everything but nail polish.
While it sure is more hygienic to buy a product in extra packaging, it’s just waste and we already create too much of it. Besides, I like to know what smell something has, how will the magic screen give you that idea?
I find it stupid.
that sounds so cool!! It would help a lot, especially with things like foundation and concealer
Oh yeah. The system analyses your skin tone and recommends what foundation shade you should use – to match your skintone. Now, this is awesome!
I’m probably dating myself here, but I remember when Drug Stores DID have testers! LOL
They were always nasty and I never used them anyway, but they had ’em!
I hope this comes to Canada soon! 😀 We just recently got Hard Candy!!!
Check out the video on their site. It looks amazing!!
http://www.ezface.com/EZface/Press.aspx?autostart=true
You can also upload your photo and use the Virtual Mirror online FREE!!!!
It has real products from LOreal, Maybelline and CoverGirl.
I used to work in a walgreens (horrible experience btw) and it was always embarassing to me whenever women would come to buy makeup and ask me for testers, because we never had any. A very very few times the companies would send out testers (Loreal would for foundations) but if they didn’t we were out of luck. I remember a woman trying and returning a lipstick 7 times! The head manager of the store wouldn’t expense any for testing, and let us know that us breaking open a package would be considered stealing and get us fired. I always wondered how much $ he really thought he was saving the store–at the end of every day we’d have a small pile of makeup returns, plus I would have to pull all the packages that had been opened by customers.
I can see how the ezface *might* help, but someone who is fussy about scent and texture like me will probably still break open the package!
Mellisa, we already see that the rate of damaged packagas and products returns is dropping significantly. Of course, there will always be fussy people….
I like the idea, but I dont think that they would be a good idea here in Louisiana. Im not saying that people from Louisiana aren’t smart… but they had to remove self-check out lanes from walmart and winn dixie because people just… can’t figure it out. They’d always end up broken or something.
The Virtual Mirror’s interface is sooo simple. It also have on-screen instructions and even Help videos that shows you how to operate it.
The Louisianians will love it!
well i personally think it would be great! i am so excited! hope we get one around here sometime in the near future. 😀 im surprised more people arent excited about this…
I was suprised when I was in USA that you don’t have testers. In my country we have testers for everythink, even eyeshadows and mascara. They would sell more products if there were testers available.
omg, i just got back from the mall. and i went to my local ulta to find EVERYTHING re-arranged and they had finally put out testers of all drugstore-brand-name stuff. hahaha it was amazing, i was like FINALLY!
I haven’t seen these in person yet but at the Wal-Mart close by me… I was actually surprised to see testers for display!