5 best virtual makeup try-on solutions and how to choose the right one for your brand

• 17 Apr, 2023
• by Ivona Androic

The beauty industry is constantly evolving, and virtual makeup try-on solutions have become a must-have for any brand looking to offer personalized and engaging shopping experiences and attract new customers. 

However, with so many virtual makeup try-on solutions available in the market, it can be a bit overwhelming and difficult to know which one to choose. 

So, in this article, we’ll discuss the best virtual makeup try-on providers and provide some tips on how to choose the right one for your brand. Make sure to read on!

What is beauty AR?

Beauty AR, or beauty augmented reality, is a technology that uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to apply makeup virtually to a user’s face. This technology allows users to try on different beauty products in real time, giving them an accurate representation of how the makeup will look on their faces.

Beauty AR can also provide personalized recommendations based on a user’s facial features, skin tone, preferences, age, gender, and more. This beauty technology has become increasingly popular in recent years as consumers look for ways to make informed purchasing decisions without having to visit a physical store.

Where and how can you implement beauty AR for your beauty brand?

Beauty AR and virtual try-ons can be implemented on your brand’s website, social media channels, mobile applications, and even in physical stores in the form of smart mirrors. 

But first, you must choose the best virtual makeup try-on provider for your needs. And together, you will then work to integrate the technology into your desired platforms and solutions.

By providing a virtual try-on experience, you can give customers a more accurate representation of their favorite products and help them to make more informed purchasing decisions.

And when it comes to your brand, this will help you not only to increase engagement with your customers and improve customer satisfaction but also to drive sales.

Best virtual makeup try-on solutions – an overview

1. Arbelle by Visage Technologies

Since this article was first published, Visage Technologies’ beauty offering has evolved into Arbelle, a dedicated beauty AI platform for cosmetic brands.

Built on Visage Technologies’ 20+ years of expertise in face tracking, computer vision, and facial AI, Arbelle helps beauty brands create more realistic, personalized, and data-driven shopping experiences across online and in-store channels.

The platform includes Virtual Makeup Try-On, AI Foundation Shade Finder, beauty analytics, and custom beauty AI solutions. This makes Arbelle especially relevant for brands looking for more than a standalone AR feature. Shoppers can try products virtually, receive personalized shade recommendations, and move through the buying journey with more confidence.

For brands, Arbelle also turns digital beauty interactions into useful first-party insights. Try-on behavior, shade interactions, and product engagement data can help teams better understand customer preferences, product demand, and friction points in the shopping journey.

Arbelle is best suited for cosmetic brands looking for realistic virtual makeup try-on, complexion-focused personalization, flexible deployment across web, app, and in-store experiences, and actionable beauty data from one connected platform.

➥ Colors and finishes 

Arbelle’s virtual makeup try-on technology is designed to represent real product shades, finishes, and application styles as accurately as possible. For beauty brands, this matters because a lipstick is rarely just “red,” and a foundation is never just “beige.” Small differences in undertone, intensity, texture, and finish can change how confident a shopper feels before buying.

With Arbelle, brands can showcase product-specific details such as matte, glossy, shimmer, metallic, satin, ombré, full-lip, or other application styles, helping shoppers get a more realistic view of how products may look before they purchase.

➥ Lighting

Lighting can significantly affect how makeup colors appear on-screen. Arbelle’s virtual try-on technology accounts for different lighting conditions to help brands present shades more realistically and give shoppers a clearer idea of how a product may look in real life.

➥ Tracking and rendering

Accurate AR makeup placement is critical for a realistic virtual try-on experience. The technology behind Arbelle uses real-time facial tracking to detect facial points, follow movement, and keep virtual makeup stable on the face. This helps reduce jitter and creates a smoother, more natural try-on experience across products such as lipstick, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, concealer, and more.

Moreover, Arbelle supports a wide range of beauty AR features, including foundation, concealer, blush, highlighter, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, brows, lipstick, lip gloss, and lip liner. It also supports different finishes and textures, helping brands create more realistic and product-specific virtual try-on experiences across web, mobile, app, and in-store touchpoints.

2. ModiFace

ModiFace is another popular virtual makeup try-on provider that offers a suite of AR-powered beauty solutions. It was acquired by L’Oréal as a startup and is now the creator of virtual makeover apps for L’Oréal’s subsidiary brands. It also offers a range of makeup features, including products for lips, eyes, cheeks, face, and brows.

3. Banuba

Banuba’s virtual makeup try-on is called TINT. It is another solution that uses augmented reality to present makeup products virtually. In addition to makeup, they also provide face filters and 3D mask solutions.

4. Perfect Corp.

Perfect Corp. has a virtual makeup try-on solution called YouCam Makeup. It offers a wide library of makeup products and styles, as well as finishes and textures. In addition to that, they also provide hair color and jewelry try-ons.

5. Revieve

With Revieve’s virtual try-on platform, you can also try on various products, shades, and textures. It contains products such as lipsticks, eyeshadows, blushes, and allows users to create and experiment with different styles of makeup.

How to choose the best virtual makeup try-on solution for your brand

Now that you’ve seen some of the best virtual makeup try-on solutions, the next question is simple: which one is the right fit for your brand?

When comparing providers, look beyond the demo. A good virtual try-on experience should not only look impressive. It should help shoppers make better product decisions and help your brand create a more confident, personalized beauty journey.

Key factors to consider include:

• Accuracy: Realistic virtual try-on depends on precise face tracking, stable product placement, and true-to-life color rendering. Look for technology that can track facial points in real time and display makeup products naturally across different face shapes, movements, and lighting conditions.

• Range of products/features: Choose a provider that offers a wide range of feature customization and shades that are as realistic as possible. This will provide users with a greater variety of options to try on. Arbelle’s solutions, for example, include a wide range of AR beauty features (foundation, highlighter, concealer, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow, lipstick, lip gloss, and lip liner), as well as unique finishes, such as glossy, matte, metallic, satin, shimmer, glitter, etc.

• Customizable solutions: Look for a provider that offers customizable solutions for brands and can adapt the experience to your product catalog, website, app, e-commerce flow, or in-store environment.

• User experience: Consider the user experience when choosing a virtual makeup try-on provider. Look for a provider that offers a user-friendly interface and a seamless experience for users. Just take a look at our makeup demo to see how easy, useful, and convenient it would be to have it within your own webshop or app.

• Support: Determine whether the software provider extends customer support to ensure timely assistance or prompt resolution of any technical difficulties that may arise with their product. At both Arbelle and Visage Technologies, you can count on a completely customer-centric approach. We are here to help you with anything you need regarding the product and its integration.

Get your best virtual makeup try-on today

In the sea of options, the best choice will ultimately fall on the provider that can meet your business needs and goals. And this is where Arbelle stands out. 

With us, you can count on top quality, customized solutions that will fit you to a T, complete reliability – serving you on any platform or device of your choice, and a customer experience unlike any other – as true to life as possible!

So, get in touch with us, explore our makeup demo, and let us help you take your business to the next level!