Deep consumer insights and research was conducted to inform the build of the Magic Mirror. 2 key insights drove the user experience design of the project. 1) 72% of consumers surveyed said they want an in-store beauty experience to be a mixture of both physical and digital elements in order to make it feel more ‘real’ and ‘believable’. 2) Virtual product try-on solves the issue of testers not always being available, hygiene concerns and shoppers’ lips becoming tainted after only a few lipstick try ons. Most women intuitively prefer to play with a lipstick rather than touch a screen as there is a sensual aspect in cosmetic packaging that technology is unable to replace. Therefore, The Bourjois Mixed Reality magic mirror was the perfect solve to this as it represents the most extensive integration of physical products and digital content delivering on the sought after consumer beauty experience.

The Bourjois Connected mirror features the Bourjois Rouge Velvet Lipstick collection. Once a shopper picks up a lipstick from the tray and sees it applied on her through the mirror, he / she can then complete his/her digital looks with onscreen eye makeup and blush, which is matched to each shopper’s individual skin tone. This experience is tailored to offer both individual products and bespoke beauty combinations. In addition to product discovery, the Magic Mirror has a selfie function which is equipped with three playful filter effects and provides all the details of the products shoppers try on. The image can be printed in-store or emailed, with links for purchase on the Bourjois e-commerce site.

The Magic Mirror was developed by Coty in collaboration with Holition, a specialty AR tech provider and PERCH, an agency specializing in connected shelf space. Behind the form and function of the mirror is a composite of PERCH Interactive’s technology, and Holition’s augmented reality SDK, FACE by Holition™. Holition harnessed Perch’s smart camera, which monitors a defined area for activity, as a trigger for the virtual makeup experience.

The Bourjois Magic Mirror has been in market for two weeks with limited results. However, the launch of the flagship store with this interactive mirror garnered massive press coverage, We have received requests from additional markets and brands under the COTY umbrella to localize this project, as well as partnership requests from retailers to help innovate and modernize the makeup try on experience in store for mass cosmetics. COTY already has plans to roll this out across brands and regions. Market expansion would include China and the Middle East, while cross brand expansion would include Clairol, Covergirl, and Max Factor.