YouTube's new AR Reality feature lets you apply makeup while watching a tutorial video.
Earlier this summer, YouTube announced its plans to create a new virtual makeover AR reality feature that works directly within the YouTube app. Now, the first official campaign has launched, featuring a "Beauty Try-On" feature that allows viewers to "try on" and buy lipsticks from MAC Cosmetics. The video tutorials were created by video blogger Roxette Arisa.
Makeup video tutorials are hugely popular on YouTube, so the combination of a tutorial and the opportunity to try it right away looks very attractive. The new AR feature is only available for mobile users, provided you have the latest version of the YouTube app installed. When watching a video, you'll see a button labeled "Try it on" that will launch the camera in split-screen mode. The video will continue to play as you scroll through the different shades of lipstick and try them on, choosing the one that suits you best. It should be noted that the developers did their best and the result is really natural looking, unlike a number of other similar applications.
So far, MAC Cosmetics has been the first company to take advantage of this opportunity. But it is to be expected that others will soon follow. After all, while some users may scoff at the very idea of virtual makeup, this market is huge. With millions watching YouTube makeup videos every day, YouTube has become the dominant source of referral traffic for beauty-related brands.
Google not the first company to offer a virtual makeover experience. Apart from the Instagram and Snapchat apps, there are also YouCam Makeup, Sephora Virtual Artist, Ulta GLAMLab, and a number of others.
