L’Oréal Is Launching Motorized Makeup Gadgets For People With Mobility Issues

A classic red lip could be all it takes to make you feel powerful for the day. This technique of self-expression, however, isn’t so easily accessible to everyone—people with limited hand and arm mobility are often locked out of the experience of putting on makeup and honoring their individuality.

L’Oréal is now addressing the beauty needs of the wider community with HAPTA, an ultra-precise, handheld computerized makeup applicator optimized for people with mobility challenges. HAPTA was one of two beauty innovations that the conglomerate introduced at CES 2023; the other, Brow Magic, is a unique printer promising to create professional-quality eyebrows within seconds.

Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of the L’Oréal Groupe, says the future of beauty is inclusive, and that this inclusive future will be “made more accessible by technology,” as quoted in a statement published by Forbes.

HAPTA was developed in conjunction with health tech firm and Google sister company Verily, and it’s built on the technology of an electronic spoon Verily invented for users who struggle to feed themselves due to mobility or motor difficulties. The motorized tablewire senses when a user’s arm or hand is shaky and adjusts to steadily transport food into their mouths in real time.

Verily says customers rejoiced at the fact that they could now eat in comfort, but they also saw the tool’s potential in helping them fulfill other tasks, like applying makeup independently.

The pair then teamed up to make the beauty version of the kitchen utensil, with the first iteration dedicated to applying lipstick.

HAPTA features built-in smart motion controls that track its user’s movements, as well as a magnetic attachment with 360° of rotation and 180° of flexion for easy ergonomic adjustment.

A clicking mechanism enables the user to lock the slender appliance in place during use, and this preferred position can be remembered for future applications. HAPTA’s battery can run for up to three hours on a full charge.

The device can also help consumers unwrap difficult-to-open packaging.

L’Oréal envisions that the beauty tool, which it bills as a “world-first” for computerized applicators, will benefit the 50 million people worldwide who suffer from movement limitations in their arms, hands, or fingers.

Users who may find HAPTA helpful include those who have cerebral palsy, suffer from tremors, or have had a stroke. 

HAPTA will first be piloted as a lipstick applicator for L’Oréal’s prestige Lancôme brand in 2023, with an expected retail price of US$199. Although L’Oréal stresses that this is a one-time investment, it says it’s also looking at ways to make the tool more accessible over time.

The goal is for all beauty lovers to “feel confident, independent, and empowered to enjoy the self-expressive power of beauty,” L’Oréal describes on its website.

Lipstick is only the first of a whole array of beauty products to receive this inclusive treatment. The company intends to roll out a new motorized applicator every year, and it’s already working on one for mascara.

There are opportunities to adapt this gadget for eyeshadow, foundation, blush, and beyond. L’Oréal notes that it will spend the next couple of years experimenting with the technology to bring improved versions to market.

Guive Balooch, L’Oréal Global Head of Research and Innovation’s Tech Incubator, explains that when beauty, technology, and creativity unite to enhance people’s lives, it’s a win in the brand’s books.

[via Forbes and Evening Standard, images via L’Oréal]