We all probably know better by now not to assume what “the future” will look like. Just a few decades ago we all assumed that floating cars would be a thing by 2021 and yet here we are, still using wheels like basic peasants. The future of beauty, specifically, is a little easier to predict, though, and that’s unfortunately thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. In the wake of the rapidly spreading virus, in-store product testing became more-or-less extinct as retailers tried to create safer shopping environments.
“Primary transmission for COVID-19 is through respiratory droplets, but they are very susceptible to gravity,” Cassandra M. Pierre, a physician specializing in infectious diseases and the medical director of public health programs at Boston Medical Center, previously explained to Allure. “You’re talking and droplets are emitted and they fall … on something that you’re sampling. That can carry that infection particle to the next person who uses it.” Technology quickly swooped in with a solution: augmented reality try-on features, which many believe are about to become a rather commonplace online shopping function. With apps like YouCam and certain features on Snapchat, users can now see what they’d look like wearing a specific eye shadow or lipstick — and then buy said eye shadow or lipstick — without even getting out of bed. This month, Essie is the latest brand to introduce this type of technology, but in a way that has yet to be done.
Together, the brand and AR company ModiFace [both are owned by L’Orèal Group] spent two years creating a tool that allows you to virtually “try on” varying Essie nail polishes shades called Essie On Hand. Starting February 18, you can go to Essie’s website on your computer or phone to use this feature. It’ll access either your web camera or the camera on the backside of your phone (not the one you use to take selfies). You can also take a photo of your own hand in advance, upload it to the site, and see Essie polishes on yourself that way instead. Once you find a shade (or two, or three) that you like, you can instantly add it to your cart and buy it directly from Essie — everything happens in just a few clicks.
The whole intention of creating this tool, as Essie president Alanna McDonald tells Allure, is to provide a pandemic-friendly alternative to nail polish swatching that’s far easier to use than similar tools already out there. The first of its kind, Esse On Hand doesn’t require you to download any apps, period. “All that someone needs to do is go to essie.com and they can immediately interact with [the feature] rather than putting one more potential friction point in the user experience by requiring an app download,” she explains. “It was really about making it as seamless as possible for consumers.”