Google Dolls Up With Interactive Beauty Ads That Let You Test New Looks At Home

Image via Google

Google Search’s advertisements get a glow-up with official lipstick and foundation swatches, as well as eye and hair colors, from some of your favorite beauty brands.

Shopping for makeup can be rather finicky. The same product can look vastly different on different skin tones and types, which means you’d be taking a risk if you just eyeball it. Things get trickier when you’re browsing online, of course. In the past years, largely as a knee-jerk reaction to the lockdown, cosmetics companies have adopted augmented-reality tools to help customers decide on the perfect shade without having to step out of the door.

Google, whose foray into AR beauty tools began three years ago, noted that visitors not only lingered longer on brand websites when virtual try-on technology was available, but they were also more inclined to explore or double down on a purchase. Beauty product engagement jumps by 10% with AR features, the company found. From big names like Dior Beauty and Fenty Beauty to indie newcomers, over 50 beauty brands have integrated AR try-ons via Google in the recent half-year.

Now, the tech giant is allowing beauty companies to bake the interactive experience into advertisements in Search. These sponsored listings ditch the standard product image, opting instead for a lively try-on process teamed with vital product details.

Image via Google

Foundation shopping gets a fresh facelift too. Before, users could preview base makeup shades on a diverse range of 148 models, but they can now opt to have the foundation virtually applied on their skin as well. A simple product search, a tap on “try on,” and voilà.

Image via Google

With that, Google has also introduced a brand-new AR beauty category: hair color. You can now experiment with shades from L’Oreal’s dyes without the commitment, with names like Splat and Revlon soon to join the party.

Image via Google

Furthermore, Google says it’s extending the ability to virtually try on beauty products to mobile browsers in the US too, aside from the Google app, allowing customers to play with hair colors and foundation swatches on the go. AR lip and eye makeup tools will be rolling out on mobile web platforms in the near future.

[via TechCrunch, Glossy, Google, images via Google]