Smart mirrors like this model by HiMirror are bursting onto the scene, and stand to shake up the beauty industry. (Circa)
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the smartest of them all? The smart mirror is, of course.
Smart mirrors are busting onto the scene and you will never be able to shop for another face serum or mascara the same way again.
Let me put it to you this way: We tried a test version of the HiMirror Mini at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas at the beginning of the year, and after it snapped my picture, the smart beauty device determined that I’m developing a decent amount of fine lines. Once you see your reflection through HD eyes, you’ll be able to count every wrinkle and every pore, whether you want to or not. Talk about motivation.
At CES, smart beauty devices like the HiMirror, which is an internet-connected mirror that analyzes your skin, took a central spot in the retail front. Talk of tech-infused beauty products has spiked in recent months as brands like Kohler, CoverGirl, Sephora and Shiseido, to name a few, have turned to tech for help personalizing offerings. As the lines between online and offline dissolve in retail, beauty players are angling to boost sales by engaging consumers in more dynamic ways.
“Technology is enabling beauty brands to gauge their consumers… in a reality that has never been experienced,” Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, founder of Retail Minded, told Circa. “Brands who are embracing [tech] are finding that they can virtually transplant their customers from their own homes into their brand experiences, and therefore connect with them more easily.”
In addition to analyzing your skin, HiMirror helps you track your skincare goals and lets you see whether that really expensive face cream is actually working. It also gives you personalized recommendations on the types of products you should consider. Beyond skincare, users can also try on makeup virtually, watch makeup tutorials, check the weather and skim the news on HiMirror.
“You can use it as a regular mirror; it has really nice makeup lights, but most importantly, it’s a skin analyzer,” Phair Tsai, senior marketing manager for HiMirror, told Circa. She said that based on their research developing the device, they’ve found that “different brands are making different claims” about different products, “but there’s no scientific or quantitative facts to verify whether a product is working or not.” HiMirror’s goal is to give consumers product transparency, “so you can be the judge.”
Brushing up on beauty’s growth
The global beauty and cosmetics market is expected to topple $675 billion by 2020, up from $460 billion in 2014, according to a report by Research and Markets. Of the areas driving the sector’s growth, skin care leads the pack. Consumers’ shift to online shopping has also helped propel the market’s expansion.
