Laura Mercier, Orveon and Obsess partner to reveal virtual “World of Beauty”

06 Dec 2022 --- Cosmetics brands Laura Mercier and Orveon have partnered with experiential e-commerce platform Obsess to create a virtual store called “The World of Laura Mercier” displaying three interactive Parisian-styled virtual rooms enabling an HD, 3D and 360-degree experience. The business move highlights the industry’s turn toward metaverse and digital experiences.

The “world of beauty” uses web virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to take the viewer on a tour of the brand and its history.

“The dynamic shopping experience provides consumers with the opportunity to play, discover, test and trial products while telling the rich story of this iconic brand,” explains Diane Kim, global brand president of Laura Mercier.

Digital technology has been spreading to the beauty and cosmetics industry not only via e-commerce but also through an expanding beauty metaverse powered by AI, AR and near-field communication NFC technologies.

Through the looking glass
According to Obsess, one in four consumers have shopped in a virtual store, and 70% purchased while shopping.

“Visitors can do everything from virtually trying on products to find the shades that are their own personal match to discovering gift ideas for everyone on their list in the interactive holiday gifting room,” says Neha Singh, founder and CEO of Obsess.Consumers can virtually try on products to find the shades that are their perfect match.

Founded by renowned makeup artist and pioneer of the Flawless Face, Laura Mercier, the virtual world was unveiled to shoppers with a narrative from herself, sharing her background about her artistry and how the brand came to be.

Mercier introduces her accredited “Flawless Face” technique in the first room by taking shoppers through the steps and products to achieve the iconic look alongside a virtual shade finder.

The second room is a shopping shortcut where the brand guides consumers to curated selections of products with a direct path to check-out. At the end, the “Wrapped with Love” holiday collection is brought to life and showcases an interactive 3D unboxing.

In a similar launch, Revieve collaborated with Magnet Beauty to develop a live, personalized service with licensed and brand-certified beauty advisors in cosmetics, skincare and hair care.

Meanwhile, Farfetch expanded into cosmetics and personal care by unveiling its virtual beauty segment, which includes previously acquired Browns and Off-White. This move sees the retailer moving into the fast-accelerating beauty market.

Gaming features
The platform offers an interactive hide-and-seek game that showcases gaming elements to users to encourage them to try beauty products. This is done through mini-product giveaways.

“Orveon does not sell products but offers experiences to serve our consumers. They crave digital experiences that provide them with resources to learn more about our heritage. This is an important milestone as we continue to digitize, grow revenue and drive foot traffic to e-commerce, all while reaching existing and new consumers,” says Pascal Houdayer, CEO at Orveon.

Industry developments
In other news, Perfect Corp, MAC Cosmetics and SoPost partnered to leverage artificial intelligence so consumers can match make-up shades online and then sample MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid Foundation physically at home.

In addition, Perfect Corp., a virtual try-on makeup and fashion provider, advanced personalization and hygiene by providing brands with opportunities to popularize its fine jewelry to be virtually tried. The 3D Augmented Reality virtual try-on solution for earrings allows consumers to experiment with earrings in 13 positions across the ear.

Edited by Inga de Jong

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