Can augmented reality technology help indecisive nail & beauty clients?

From avant-garde nails to colourful make-up shades or sophisticated styles, the nail and beauty sector is bursting with choice for clients and pros alike. How many times have you sat at the nail desk with a colour in mind, only to be tempted by new options and perhaps a little nail art? The decision-making process can be tricky, and cost valuable time during the appointment.

Save this precious time by finding solutions for indecisiveness to build trust and loyalty from your client base.

Welcome augmented reality-powered virtual try-on technology: apps that help clients to virtually try on nail and make-up shades and designs before they commit.

Alice Chang, CEO at beauty tech solutions provider, Perfect Corp, explains that augmented reality (AR) technology benefits clients by empowering them to feel more confident about how they’re spending their money.

It also allows nail brands to offer a more attractive consumer experience that benefits the nail techs using their products, as clients have a clearer idea of what they want and stay excited about the shades offered by their tech.

“Virtual try-on technology (VTO) has the potential to drive sales and engagement in the nail industry,” says Alice. “This technology can allow customers to explore which nail colours are best suited to their style and beauty preferences. It can also help customers plan their nail look prior to going to the nail salon or when purchasing a new nail colour.”

Offering ways for consumers to ‘try before they buy’ from the comfort of their own home is a digital strategy that some nail brands have already acknowledged can benefit them. Essie has a try-on section of its website, which allows you to use your mobile phone camera to view shades and nail art on your own hand.

It’s something that Alice expects to become the norm in future, as consumers shift to digital channels for beauty advice and inspiration.

“If there’s one thing the pandemic taught us, it is that beauty brands need to adopt technologies that will help to engage, excite and entertain customers,” she continues. “From digital beauty consultations to AI diagnostics and more, these technologies will continue to evolve to engage customers, solve consumer pain points and enable personalised experiences.

“With VTO technology, customers can access full shade portfolios, allowing for endless product discovery and inspiration.”

As well as entertaining customers, technology is crucial for addressing two key consumer concerns of the moment – firstly hygiene as contact is reduced, but also sustainability. Without the need for product testers or the opening of physical product packaging, product and plastic waste are reduced.

But is this technology accessible to all nail brands? The answer seems to be yes. Perfect Corp has partnered with both large and small brands to create engaging, hyper-realistic experiences, meaning that the opportunities are endless for the nail world.

Its try-on app YouCam Nail was its first foray into the nail space and the company has since expanded to offer artificial intelligence-powered hand mapping technology for nails, available to experience through a demo here.

“This advanced technology is set to revolutionise the nail polish shopping journey by providing AI-powered AR live try-on experiences for nail colour. This technology allows users to see an instant preview of nail polish colours on their hands in real time,” Alice tells us.

The customisable technology is available for brands to integrate online and in-app, as well as in physical spaces through the use of smart mirrors, and offers an infinite number of single-colour and multi-colour nail polish options, with finishes including cream, jelly, sheer and matte. More finishes are set to be released in future. With an aim to ‘supercharge nail art creativity’, the tech solution only takes a few seconds before clients can preview the selected nail colour/s on their hand, which can then be compared side by side with three other shade combinations.

As the nail industry catches onto the advantages of augmented reality for business, it is expected that more nail brands will implement this technology. By giving clients the opportunity to view and choose from your full range of shades, you can make the client experience less time-pressured and more interactive. And happy clients translate to a happy business!