Technology is everywhere, even in fashion and beauty, but a new product from French beauty giant L’Oreal, which uses software and hardware to give hope to those who have limited mobility, is truly groundbreaking. I have always wondered what to do if I became too old and feeble to apply lipstick and do my brows with my own hands. I know it’s not that important in the larger scheme of things, but it’s a question I always ask myself. If I become too old to apply lipstick on my own, it is part of the natural order of things. For a 21-year-old who wants to wear makeup but is hindered by physical challenges they were born with, it is a real challenge.
So at CES 2023, L’Oreal unveiled HAPTA, the first handheld, ultra-precise computerized makeup applicator designed to advance the beauty needs of people with limited hand and arm mobility. The HAPTA leveling device will be piloted with L’Oréal-owned Lancôme in 2023, first with a lipstick applicator followed by additional makeup applications in the future. It will be priced at $149-$199.
L’Oreal created HAPTA for an estimated 50 million people globally who live with limited fine motor skills that make so many daily gestures, like applying makeup, incredibly challenging. Under development by L’Oréal scientists and engineers, HAPTA gives them the ability to steadily apply lipstick at home. HAPTA will incorporate technology originally created by Verily to stabilize and level utensils to give people with limited hand and arm mobility the ability to eat with confidence and independence.
The device uses a combination of built-in smart motion controls plus customizable attachments to 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.
A magnetic attachment is what HAPTA is equipped with that allows for easy ergonomic use enabling for 360 degrees of rotation and 180 degrees of flexion. A “clicking” feature lets the user intuitively set the intended position, stay in position during use, so the user can lock in customized setting for future use. It also comes with a built-in battery (three hours to fully charge) and device charging which results in one-hour of continuous use (approximately 10+ applications).
“Inclusivity is at the heart of our innovation and beauty tech strategy,” said Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO in charge of Research, Innovation and Technology at L’Oréal, in a press release. “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.”
The second beauty-related device is L’Oréal Brow Magic, a brow applicator which helps people achieve a personalized 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 helps users achieve professional-like results possible at home. The device uses 2,400 tiny nozzles and printing technology with up to 1,200 drops per inch (dpi) printing resolution.
Prinker is Korean temporary tattoo start-up. Last year, L’Oreal acquired a minority stake in the company probably for this reason and many other future innovations. Prinker was established in 2015 by three former Samsung employees to “inspire consumers and offer new tools for self expression.” Prinker’s temporary tattoo products have won multiple CES Best of Innovation awards and the prestigious global iF Design award. In 2020, Prinker already presented the tattoo printer Prinker S, a wearable device that prints a temporary tattoo on the skin. “We are thrilled to enter this new phase of partnership with L’Oréal, which aligns with our mission of empowering consumers with versatile and customizable tech to express themselves,” said Luke Yun, co-founder and CEO, Prinker Korea Inc., in a press release. “Their century-long heritage of beauty, research and development, and sharp focus on beauty technology will allow us to reach more consumers than ever before. Their investment will enable us to create innovations that will have the best solutions for people worldwide, and we are elated to work together to reach this goal.”
The eyebrow look created by L’Oréal Brow Magic can be removed with a standard makeup remover. The devide is expected to launch this year, too. 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.
The device connects to a smartphone app that uses L’Oréal’s Modiface AR technology to scan the user’s face and make brow suggestions, according to L’Oreal. Users can select their desired shape, thickness, and overall brow effect via the app before sweeping the Brow Magic across the brow.
How to use the device:
- Open the L’Oréal Brow Magic app and scan face with the Modiface brow reader.
- Select desired shape, thickness and effect.
- Brush the L’Oréal Brow Magic primer through brows.
- Move the printer across the eyebrow in a single, sweeping motion.
- Apply a topcoat finish to lock in the look.
Image credits: L’Oreal