Digital makeup: The new evolution of beauty?

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• January 23, 2022

Insight summary

Digital makeup has reshaped interactions with beauty products, offering personalization and convenience. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) during the COVID-19 pandemic helped beauty brands understand customer needs, leading to personalized product recommendations and improved customer experience. The merging of the gaming and beauty sectors, the development of virtual "try-on" apps, and the potential for 3D model applications indicate a future where digital makeup impacts not just beauty routines, but also revenue streams, labor markets, and environmental sustainability.

Digital makeup context

The concept of digital makeup has transformed the way individuals interact with beauty products. This technology allows individuals to apply makeup virtually using digital devices. This virtual application of makeup has become particularly popular during digital communication, such as video calls, social media interactions, and even in gaming environments. The shift towards digital makeup has been driven by a desire for personalization and convenience, allowing individuals to explore their beauty preferences in a new and engaging way.

During the pandemic, beauty brands turned to AI to better understand their customers' needs and beauty routines. By employing AI, these brands were able to analyze skin types and provide personalized product recommendations. The use of AI in the beauty industry has not only enhanced the customer experience but also provided valuable insights for brands to improve their product offerings.

In addition, companies have utilized digital makeup technology to digitally showcase their beauty products' features. Virtual "try-on" apps have been developed, providing customers with the opportunity to see how different beauty products would look on their faces using their phone or webcam. This feature has significantly improved customers' purchasing decisions, as they can now visualize the product on their skin before making a purchase. 

Disruptive impact

The intersection of the gaming sector and cosmetic companies has opened up new avenues for revenue generation. By creating virtual characters with digitally designed appearances, companies are incentivizing gamers to make purchases, a strategy that is also being mirrored in the physical cosmetic product market. This approach has proven to be a significant source of income for companies across both industries. Furthermore, individual brands have started to utilize digital makeup apps to enhance images used for branding on social media platforms like Instagram, providing a new level of engagement and interaction with their customer base.

Looking ahead, the beauty industry is poised to leverage technology to further enhance the customer experience. The potential to apply digital makeup on personalized 3D models using 3D scanning technology is on the horizon. This advancement will allow customers to see how makeup products will look on a three-dimensional representation of their own face, providing a highly personalized and immersive shopping experience. Additionally, facial scanning technology is being developed to apply and remove makeup virtually in a fraction of the time it takes to apply makeup manually.

The long-term impact of these trends extends beyond the beauty and gaming industries. For individuals, the integration of digital makeup into everyday technology offers a new level of personalization and convenience in their beauty routines. For companies, it presents an opportunity to engage with customers in novel ways and tap into new revenue streams. 

Implications of digital makeup

Wider implications of digital makeup tech may include:

• People using virtual makeup for video calls on apps like Zoom, Snapchat and Twitch. 


• Ecommerce companies adding filters to facial recognition systems for payment in e-commerce.  


• Media and advertising companies using this technology to alter or conceal the physical appearance of their actors or reporters during or after a media production, both for images and video.


• Individuals having freedom to experiment with their appearance in virtual spaces, fostering a more inclusive and diverse perception of beauty.


• New regulations to ensure the ethical use of facial recognition and scanning technologies, protecting consumer privacy and data security.


• The development of advanced technologies for digital makeup application, such as 3D scanning and facial recognition, driving technological advancements in other sectors, including healthcare and security.


• Reduced demand for traditional makeup artists while increased demand for tech professionals skilled in AI and 3D modeling.


• Reduced production and disposal of physical makeup products, leading to less waste and a smaller carbon footprint in the beauty industry.

Questions to consider

• What impact will digital makeup have on traditional makeup? 


• What other beauty trends will emerge as a result of digital makeup in the near future?