CES: Makeup for limited mobility

L’Oréal is unveiling two makeup technology prototypes at the CES 2023 tech expo in Las Vegas this week.

HAPTA is the first handheld, ultra-precise computerised makeup applicator designed to advance the beauty needs of people with limited hand and arm mobility.

L’Oréal Brow Magic is the first at-home electronic eyebrow makeup applicator that provides users with customised brow looks in seconds.

“For L’Oréal, the future of beauty is inclusive,” says Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of the L’Oréal Groupe. “And this future will be made more accessible by technology. 

“The two consumer technologies we are unveiling this year at CES represent the true purpose of our company: to create the beauty that moves the world.”

Introducing HAPTA

An estimated 50 million people globally live with limited fine motor skills. This makes some daily gestures, like applying makeup, challenging. Under development by L’Oréal scientists and engineers, It is a handheld, ultra-precise smart makeup applicator for users with limited hand and arm mobility, offering them the ability to steadily apply lipstick at home. It will incorporate technology originally created by Verily to stabilise and level utensils to give people with limited hand and arm mobility the ability to eat with confidence and independence.

The key to HAPTA is its combination of built-in smart motion controls plus customisable attachments that give the user an improved range of motion, increased ease of use for difficult-to-open packaging, and precision application that is otherwise hard to achieve—to help individuals feel confident, independent, and empowered to enjoy the self-expressive power of beauty.

Barbara Lavernos, deputy CEO in charge of research, innovation and technology at L’Oréal, says: “Inclusivity is at the heart of our innovation and beauty tech strategy. 

“We are dedicated and passionate to bring new technologies powering beauty services that augment and reach every individual’s ultimate desires, expectations, and unmet needs.”

HAPTA is equipped with a magnetic attachment that allows for easy ergonomic use enabling 360 degrees of rotation and 180 degrees of flexion. A “clicking” feature allows the user to intuitively set the intended position, stay in position during use, and allow for the user to lock in a customised setting for future use. It comes with a built-in battery (three hours to full charge) and device charging which results in one-hour continuous use (approximately 10+ applications).

Its  levelling device will be piloted with L’Oréal-owned Lancôme in 2023, first with a lipstick applicator followed by additional makeup applications in the future.

Françoise Lehmann, Lancôme Global Brand president, says: “For years, Lancôme has sought to provide every woman with beauty solutions adapted to their needs. Beauty tech has enabled us to fulfil this mission in an even more powerful way, revolutionising the way we develop beauty products and services and enabling greater personalisation. 

“With HAPTA we are going one step further by making beauty more accessible to use, because everyone should have equal access to it.”

Introducing L’Oréal Brow Magic

Historically, achieving a desired eyebrow look can take several products, time and expertise—with precise results requiring expensive professional services like microblading. With L’Oréal Brow Magic, people can achieve a personalised eyebrow look at home based on their natural brow and facial features.

Developed by L’Oréal in partnership with the tech company Prinker, a pioneer in printed, non-permanent tattoos, L’Oréal Brow Magic makes professional-like results accessible at home. Using 2,400 tiny nozzles and printing technology with up to 1,200 drops per inch (dpi) printing resolution, L’Oréal Brow Magic is the first handheld, lightweight, electronic brow makeup applicator to provide consumers with their most precise brow shape in seconds.

Using L’Oréal’s Modiface AR technology, L’Oréal Brow Magic scans the user’s face and makes recommendations for microblading, micro-shading, or filler effects.

Guive Balooch, L’Oréal global head of research and innovation, says: “The strength of L’Oréal’s beauty tech program is supported through the quality of our partnerships. 

“Often, we find a brilliant technology that is being applied to something outside the beauty realm. Combining L’Oréal’s heritage of beauty with these advanced technologies allows us to create entirely new beauty gestures—reimagining the original technology, and the traditional beauty experience, in the process.”