Google’s new shopping feature will allow people to try on virtual makeup, the company announced in a blog post. Another feature shows the products on different models.
Only lipstick and eyeshadow are part of the feature. It’s also limited to a few brands, such as L’Oréal, MAC Cosmetics, Black Opal, and Charlotte Tilbury.
To try it out, you can search for the line you are looking at. If it’s a supported brand, you’ll see a new card with a model and the specific color they’re wearing.
To change the shade, use a list at the bottom; to change the model, use the list at the top. It seems like Google and their partners have added models with quite a wide variety of skin tones to make it easier for you to find someone who is right for you.
If you want to see what it would look like you, there is a button “Try it”. Clicking this will launch the camera and apply make-up digitally. As with the models, you can change the shades.
(It’s worth noting that my makeup skills are a bit rusty, but you can get a sense of how well the shade blends in in real life.)
The facial recognition works much the same as a Snapchat filter, which is to say pretty well, but not perfectly. For example:
This feature is rolled out when people hesitate to go to a brick-and-mortar store and use a common tester. I didn’t order the products so can’t say how true the AR is for real life, but at least it should give you a better idea of how the shade will work with whatever look you go for.
Google has some examples in their blog posts of what to try. Some of the most notable were the Stila Glitter and Glow and NYX Vivid Brights Creme Eyeshadows and the Revlon Lip Polish Vinyl Ultra HD Lipstick – talk about a name that appeals to tech enthusiasts.