This year is no exception. L’Oréal once again combines technology and beauty in its two latest innovations dedicated, this time, to make-up aids.
An applicator intended for people with reduced mobility
First, L’Oréal unveils Hapta. This automated applicator is designed to help people with reduced arm or hand mobility to apply makeup without difficulty.
To facilitate handling, a large handle is provided. The user can grasp it and correctly tilt the applicator. Once the desired position has been obtained, it can be locked using a dedicated control. For maximum adaptability, the tool is equipped with a magnetic attachment that rotates 360° and offers 180° flexibility. According to Johan Aubert, digital director for L’Oréal’s R&D, this is a “an intelligent system with artificial intelligence and robotics features that amplify or compensate for certain movements”.
L’Oreal Hapta © L’Oreal
To carry out its mission, Hapta integrates a process designed by Verily, a subsidiary of Alphabet (parent company of Google). Initially, this technology was developed in the form of an intelligent spoon, allowing people with reduced dexterity to use their cutlery more serenely.
Hapta should be launched in 2023 by Lancôme to give birth to a lipstick applicator, before being extended to all types of makeup.
A smart printer to draw your eyebrows to perfection
The second make-up innovation from the French giant concerns the eyebrows. To put an end to brushes, gel and pencil, L’Oréal offers the Bow Magic to draw eyebrows like a professional.
You have to go through a smartphone application to define the desired shape and color for your eyebrow.
Via a smartphone application, the user’s face is first scanned using augmented reality, before he is offered recommendations according to his morphology. The shape of the eyebrow as well as its coloring vary from one user to another; everything is customizable at will.
Once the parameters have been determined, the user must move the printer over the eyebrow with a sweeping motion. The 2400 nozzles, combined with a resolution of 3000 drops of product per centimeter, should offer an accurate result. Optical and friction sensors would also equip the Brow Magic to perfect the make-up. To achieve this technology, L’Oréal has teamed up with Prinker, a Korean company specializing in semi-permanent tattoos.
The Brow Magic automatically makes up the eyebrows according to the chosen model. © L’Oreal
The Brow Magic must be positioned correctly, then the ink is released according to the speed of movement. No odds should be made. If this is the case, do not panic, the makeup can be erased immediately after the accident. This is why a finishing coat is necessary to fix the product a few days after application.
Pilots should be launched by the end of the year with a view to marketing in early 2024.