Barry M partners with Perfect Corp for ‘hyper-realistic’ virtual try-ons

Barry M Cosmetics had now rolled out Perfect Corp’s interactive and personalised Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) powered virtual try-on tool YouCam for Web across its site. The tie-up, which had been in the planning for a little over a year, marked Barry M’s first foray into the booming movement of beauty virtual try-ons (VTOs).

Technology and virtual try-ons are ‘leading the charge’ in beauty​

“As a business, we want to be at the forefront of the rapid change in today’s beauty industry,”​ said Dean Mero, CEO of Barry M Cosmetics.

“Technology and virtual try-ons are leading that charge currently, so it’s natural that we should offer our customers a more seamless way to try on their favourite Barry M beauty products via our website,”​ Mero told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.

Consumers in the UK were now able to virtually try on more than 180 SKUs across Barry M’s portfolio of eyeshadows, lip paints, bronzers and foundations using their mobile camera or desktop webcam. The try-on technology could also be used in-store by scanning QR codes, according to Mero.

Post-pandemic beauty – sustainable and hygienic testing​

Importantly, the tech offered consumers a “hyper-realistic virtual beauty experience”,​ he said, that was particularly relevant in today’s post-pandemic market.

“As no physical product is needed to test a specific shade, virtual try-on also provides a sustainable and hygienic beauty testing experience, which is top of mind for many consumers following the pandemic and removal of product testers in-store.”​

Asked if digital beauty tech was the future for cosmetics innovation in such a market environment, Mero said: “Tech will be at the heart of almost every future. The post-pandemic consumer is demanding more personalisation, and AI and AR will clearly play an important role in that.”​

Beauty brands, including Barry M, now had the chance to “reimagine”​ e-commerce shopping experiences, he said, especially through use of virtual try-on tools. And the tech used under the Perfect Corp partnership, he said, provided consumers with “true-to-life results”​ in a “convenient”​ and “sustainable”​ way.

Alice Chang, founder and CEO of Perfect Corp, agreed: “Advanced technology is fast becoming a crucial element of any beauty brand’s digital transformation strategy. Our AI and AR solutions are a key differentiator that sets brands apart by enhancing the customer experience through our sophisticated and personalised virtual try-on solution.”​

Barry M virtual try-on expansion beyond UK on the cards​

Moving forward, Mero said as Barry M continued expansion into new territories worldwide and the demand for virtual experiences continued to grow, the company would “certainly consider introducing localised versions”​ of the VTO technology. The company would also continue to look for other strategies to “heighten”​ consumer experience, he said.

CosmeticsDesign-Europe recently spoke to Perfect Corp’s senior vice president about the future of beauty tech​ in our latest Beauty 4.0 podcast series. In the episode – accessible here​ – Wayne Liu said AI-driven personalisation was the “biggest opportunity”​ in beauty today.

Beyond opportunities to plug this online, Liu said integrated technologies in hybrid retail models would be an important part of future growth in beauty.