Is This the Future of Beauty Retail Sampling?

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Amid retail store closures and in-store cosmetic sampling put on hold, Make It My Experience (MIME) has launched its foundation shade finder.

MIME is a global personalization platform for skin care and cosmetics. The tool reportedly provides accurate shade matches without a sample and can be used the user’s own home. Beauty retailers and brands can install the foundation shade finder on their website or mobile app.

According to MIME, the AI technology was built over the past two years by leading data scientists, color scientists and Ph.D. image researchers. The technology is reportedly accurate enough to know how a certain foundation color will change once absorbed into the skin—and even oxidizes. The adaptive light analysis allows customers to take photos under different lighting conditions from their mobile. The technology also provides feedback to the customer on how to take the best photo possible for accurate skin tone matches.

How it works:

  • Customers take a photo of their face
  • The shade finder tool returns the best shades for their unique skin tones
  • Customers can then filter by coverage, finish, undertone, brand, price point and more

Similarly, Vengo is launching its end-to-end contactless sampling solution.

The company’s programs are meant to provide solutions to both brands and consumers “in new ways that address preferences that promote wellness and safety.”

How it works:

  • The shopper enters the Vengo machine number into their smartphone.
  • On the phone’s browser, the shopper selects the item, which will launch an interactive brand experience.
  • Vengo verifies that the shopper is a real person.
  • The Vengo kiosk dispenses the sample with an end-to-end contactless experience.
  • The shopper can collect the sample from the machine.

Brands and retailers can get targeted consumer information from sample recipients who have opted in and are ready to share their preferences and try new products.

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