The year may have started like any other, but a global health crisis compelled beauty stores to lower their shutters in March. With in-store product swatching put on ice following hygiene concerns, its virtual counterpart has now assumed its place under the mainstream spotlight. While online makeup try-on tools have been pedalling through the beauty-verse for a while now, the cutting-edge facial mapping technology of today serves as a far cry from the artificial, super-imposed experiences you tried for laughs at sleepovers.

A closer look at the record books offers definitive proof that virtual realitys presence on the beauty landscape is nothing newL'Oral famously inked a deal with ModiFace, a Toronto-based beauty tech company, in 2018 to acquire access to its numerous patents within the world of augmented reality. The onset of the pandemic afforded further momentum, with brands like Ulta Beauty recording a spike in virtual apps as a safer alternative to in-store testing. To ensure our guests safety, product testers are on display only to offer guests a truer sense of colours and textures. We know the discovery inherent to the beauty shopping experience includes swatching. Virtual try-on experiences serve as a safe alternative to product testers for guests who seek to continue colour swatching and testing products, says a spokesperson from the brand. If youre looking to give yourself a virtual makeover before opting for a real one in the salon chair, here are the hair, makeup and nail brands that youll want to bookmark.

If youve always wondered whether you could pull off rainbow-hued eyeshadow or go mother-of-dragons platinum blonde, the L'Oral virtual makeup try-on hub promises answers. Fuelled with ModiFace technology under the hood, the tool allows users to dabble with the brands full range of colour cosmetics and hair colour options.

Beauty enthusiasts might find their fidelity to Ruby Woo questioned with the brands virtual try-on functionality that offers up over 200 shades for online swatching. When browsing the official website, keep an eye out for the try it on widget that allows you to swatch shades directly through live camera, on an uploaded photo orif youre not in the mood to face the lenson an online model.

Eyebrow hair is notorious as the trickiest facial component to render artificially, and the brow experts looked to ModiFace for a transformation technology that replicates every unique strand. Before you make an appointment with your tweezers during the lockdown, choose from the brands roster of eyebrow shapes and sizes to find the look that works best for you.

The French couture house makes its way to the augmented reality scene with a virtual try-on experience available on its UK website. If youve been on the hunt for your next investment buy, sample the labels lip shade offerings from your desktop or mobile without ever having to move off the couch.

Even before you get your hands on the brands newest drops, you can test-drive the products with the virtual try-on functionalities available on its official website. If your weekend plans involve a virtual makeover, the brand offers access to its entire range of colour cosmetics along with advanced capabilities that include a foundation finder and brow studio.

If youd rather not have any surprises while youre hunched over the sink, it pays to do your homework beforehand on the hair colours that work for you. Schwarzkopf allows you to do a dry run in advance with its colour advice tool imbued with split-screen technology, so you can compare your dream hair colour against your current shade and make an informed decision.

As the host to the latest and the greatest in the world of beauty, Sephora Virtual Artist goes beyond the usual swatching gig to serve up step-by-step tutorials that take the guesswork out of where precisely you should be applying products on your face.

If you miss arm-swatching the brands pigmented lip colours, the virtual experience will help keep FOMO at bay. Like its counterparts in the industry, the tool employs facial mapping to offer a true-to-life makeover through the live camera, your favourite selfie or a model.

On those days when youre missing a mani appointment, look to OPI Nail Studio for the next best thing. Since its launch over a decade ago, the virtual try-on studio has been offering beauty enthusiasts the chance to find the perfect manicure by adjusting the skin colour and nail length on a virtual hand before playing around with nail polish shades.

In light of the pandemic, the American e-tailer has been positioning its interactive virtual experience as an alternative to in-store product swatching. Spanning a wide range of products, from eye and lip makeup to lesser-known candidates, such as false eyelashes, GLAMlab serves as an easy way to dabble with colours to find your perfect match.

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10 beauty brands that let you try before you buy with virtual swatching tools - VOGUE India