Hair color manufacturer Clairol is leveraging mobile technology to bring CPG brands closer to the consumer by allowing users to virtually try on hair colors before purchasing.

Beauty fans can now test out hair colors to see what they look like before making the big commitment to dyeing their hair with Clairol’s new augmented reality application. Created by the technology developer behind Sephora’s augmented technology, the new MyShade app allows users to browse various colors from Clairol by integrating the hair colors onto their photos.

“The pioneer in hair color, Clairol brought hair color to the U.S., and made it available at retail back in the ‘50’s,” said said Heather Carruthers, vice president of Clairol Global and U.S. marketing. “We are using the technology of 2016 to make the deep knowledge of our Clairol color experts accessible to everyone.

“Choosing the right shade is the vital first step for at-home color success, and it’s the most challenging step for most,” she said. “This is the ultimate tool for consumers to color with confidence because it puts the expertise of our Clairol colorists in the palm of your hand with personalized product recommendations.”

Modeling mobile innovation
Clairol is solving a problem faced by many hair color manufacturers, consumers’ fear of what the product will look like on themselves. Many times consumers will not even purchase a product because they can not make a decision, since there is no way to test it out.

Makeup and clothing offer the ability for shoppers to try it on before they buy. But with hair dye, your choice is a little more permanent.

MyShade will allow users to try on their products before purchasing helping them decide on the big decision.

Users simply upload a photo that can be taken from their camera roll or take a new photo. Once the picture has been cropped, users can browse various hair colors that are real products from Clairol.

Clairol fans that see a product from the brand that is not including on the mobile app can scan the barcode, which the app will then congregate the color for users to virtually try on. Users can also scan other hair color brands’ bar codes to see who the color will look, so that Clairol can find one of their products that match.

MyShade can automatically connect consumers with questions or for a consultation to team members a part of a hotline. All users need to do is select call an expert, which will immediately connect them or they can email as well.

Augmenting beauty looks
Rimmel London similarly helped consumers make their style inspirations a reality with a new application that lets users take photos of styles they admire and suggests products that can help them recreate those looks.

The app, called Get the Look, enables users to snap photos of looks before showing them a list of products that will let them recreate it. The app also lets users virtually try on Rimmel products by projecting the makeup onto their faces via their mobile device’s camera (see more).

Also, Ardell, a supplier of eyelashes and eyebrow beauty products, brought eight Halloween-inspired looks to the augmented reality application YouCam Makeup.

The app allowed users to virtually try on themed makeup looks through photos. Consumers were then be taken directly to a page to purchase those looks if they like what they see (see more).