Smart Mirror: A Makeover With Makeup

Remember those mirrors in fairy tales that provide fashion feedback to the queen? Technology has not conquered vanity yet, but a new smart mirror from FaceCake Marketing Technologies promises to give women beauty options in the privacy of their home. The Calabasas company unveiled the mirror earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The product consists of a traditional vanity mirror with adjustable LED lights, and with the touch of a button the mirror transforms into augmented reality mode. A display in the corner shows cosmetics products and overlays them on the facial image in the mirror. The screen also shows purchase options. FaceCake already makes virtual reality systems for retailers and apps. Its Swivel system allows in-store customers to try on clothes virtually. The company’s GlamScout online app identifies makeup shades in photos from magazines or websites, and then matches them to items in its database of more than 100 cosmetics brands, allowing shoppers to copy the look of a supermodel or celebrity. Linda Smith, chief executive of FaceCake, said the smart mirror will be the company’s first product specifically designed for in-home use. “We all take for granted how easy it is to try on multiple outfits every day when deciding what to wear in the morning; trying on different makeup looks each day is not so easy – until now,” she said in an e-mail to the Business Journal. FaceCake has partnered with Element Electronics in Winnsboro, S.C. to manufacture and distribute the mirrors. Element makes flat screen televisions sold in Wal-mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. stores. The goal of the partnership is to market the mirrors at an affordable price. The companies expect the smart mirrors will reach store shelves this spring, but the price is still undetermined. “Virtually trying on products with the mirror is effortless and very natural,” Smith said. “Users simply turn it on, select products and makeup is instantly applied to their image. There is no initial scanning or user input required.” – Joel Russell