In the last seven years, augmented reality (AR) tools have gone mainstream in beauty, most often seen as virtual filters that allow brands to connect more directly with consumers via virtual try-ons or novel digital experiences.
In fact, in its 2024 beauty trend forecast, Mintel noted, "technology will play a vital role in [beauty’s NeuroGlow] trend, with artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications personalizing beauty experiences, tracking well-being metrics and offering virtual wellness consultations.”
Maquillar is an AR specialist focused on meeting the marketing goals of beauty, fashion brands and music artists. When done right, the company argues that AR can help brands drive loyalty and reach, as well as “transformative” growth.
To learn more, Global Cosmetic Industry spoke with Sofi Chernyak, founder and creative director of Maquillar.
To begin with, can you tell us about Maquillar and its mission?
Chernyak: We are digital beauty innovation artists. Put simply, we make Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat AR effects and ads for beauty brands.
MaquillAR's Maybelline Lifter Plump AR effect.MaquillAR
We saw an immense horizon of opportunities. It was not just about digital make-up. When we started working with artists such as Val Garland or Erin Parsons, all art mediums were already at our digital fingertips: what we could do with a face did not need to follow the rules of gravity, could take any 3D shape, or broke the boundaries of imaginative realism.
Nowadays, we get to build digital fantasies to be even bigger. Our clients, such as Maybelline, come to us for unique ideas that redefine spaces and product experiences; they look for concepts that can take brand narratives to the next innovation level.
For example, in the case of the Lifter Plump release, which was amplified by a gamified virtual-try-on effect, or in the case of Firework Mascara, where we built a custom NYC-inspired world for them. Think gaming, AR metaverses, digital layers in retail spaces, and personalized conceptual experiences that immerse effect users into brands' worlds. Every project of this kind that we make is unique and focuses on the specific strategic needs of every client.
In what ways can brands deploy AR?
Chernyak: If complex story-telling projects are outside your ambition scope, there are more direct approaches that focus on brand or product awareness, direct sales, and community engagement.
Features such as AR ads on Instagram and Snapchat or Branded Effects on TikTok are redefining the way people shop. Ads of the modern day are not abstract images on magazine pages; today, advertising makes you the scene's main character, lets you interact with a product creatively, and purchase it through a website at the click of a button.
Or suppose you are a fan of technology that focuses on utility. In that case, you can now create virtual try-on effects that can be simultaneously found on social media, integrated into the website, and advertised with a focus on sales conversion. For example, our multi-channel virtual try-on project for a DIY lashes brand, Lilac St., surpassed all expectations, keeping the attention of its users for over two minutes on average, leading to a 6.9% sales increase.
What are the common errors you see brands making when engaging in creating AR filters or AR tech generally?
Chernyak: The biggest error one can make is not to consider experimenting with innovative tools. Having spoken to many marketing executives, I see a good percentage of them shying away from the technology.
Their lack of belief in its viability is entirely understandable and more common than one may think. There is even a term for it—future shock. It is when one becomes overwhelmed with innovations and the speed of world transformation and eventually closes oneself off to the new.
Luckily, the solution to feeling unable to keep up lies in the problem itself. In a faster-paced environment, you are almost guaranteed to have a new opportunity arise very soon, so the best strategy is to “dive in” and not worry about being too late.
Some people I know have lost faith in AR because their first experiments were unsuccessful. Yet often, it happened when they were simply “testing” it by making an AR filter without a clear strategy or use of promotion tools such as paid advertising or influencer campaigns focused on creating organic interest.
If I were to give one advice, I would say, “Approach technology fearlessly, but find a trusted adviser who has a deep understanding of your industry and knows how to build strategies that will work for you today.”
What kind of results can brands expect if they deploy AR correctly?
Chernyak: If approached correctly, augmented reality projects can be very impactful. Let’s say you are interested in getting virality through organic UGC content. In this case, it would be important to have a user-focused design and strong influencer support to achieve an impactful result.
For example, our project for a famous YouTube creator, Safiya Nygaard, has gotten over 60 million impressions and 235K videos created by users organically, thanks to the involvement of her community. However, even one strong video of a micro-influencer has the power to bring the project to 2.5 million views as it happened with our experimental effect inspired by the Euphoria Show.
When it comes to effects promoted through paid advertising, the results will correlate with the scale of the investment and the quality of the design strategy tailored to immediate conversion. My key advice for this format is to make creative, out-of-the-box effects with product placement or useful virtual try-ons. For example, I have seen branded effects on TikTok reaching up to 80 billion impressions.
Where do you think AR will go next? What are the white space opportunities?
Chernyak: Thinking of the future, of course, I would want to say that you should watch out for AI opportunities. But I would find it more useful to make a closer prediction.
I think we are about to enter into an AR renaissance era, the moment when brands will start feeling the real value of digital interactive products. Therefore, I think we are in a moment where we should expect many more complex and imaginative projects to be made by the beauty and fashion industry.
Now, we know that this creativity will be nurtured by the brands’ reassurance in the project’s outstanding performance.
