Pinterest’s new AR tech lets you try on makeup before you buy

Millions of people come to Pinterest every month to find beauty inspiration that fits their style and taste. Starting today, we’re taking what makes searching for beauty ideas on Pinterest great — like skin tone ranges, shopping from Pins and visual style recommendations — and enhancing it through augmented reality (AR) so Pinners can try on different lipstick shades for their skin tone, save for later shopping, or buy through the retailer’s site. 

We’re launching Try On, powered by Lens, live today in the mobile app. Simply open the Pinterest camera in search, click “Try on” to find different shades and swipe up to shop from brands like Estée Lauder, Sephora, bareMinerals, Neutrogena, and L’Oreal brands NYX Professional Makeup, YSL Beauté, Lancôme, and Urban Decay. A “try on” button will also appear on select products, as well as in search with related terms like “matte lipstick” or “red lips”.

As we focus on building inclusive products, we've integrated Try On with our skin tone range feature, so Pinners can see similar lip shades on skin tones that match their own. And with Try On, you won’t find skin smoothing or image altering effects that make you look less like you (as you might see on some other AR technologies). We believe in celebrating you, and so our AR won’t be augmenting your reality, but rather helping you to make happy and real purchases for your life. 

As you try new lip shades, you can also snap a pic of your try and save it as a Pin to come back and shop later.

Want to explore different looks with similar  lip shades? Below Try On, browse “more like this” to see select Pins with related looks. Also, if you see someone wearing a lip colour you like in a Pin, you’ll be able to try on a similar shade using Try on. 

We heard from Pinners who wanted a way to try on new looks for happier purchases they won’t want to return while mobile shopping. They also wanted ways to explore looks without the anxiety that may come with trying something new at a store or buying a new product online they haven’t tried. 

This is our latest feature to help Pinners explore their style and shop on Pinterest. With 42% of our global audience having seen or engaged with a Beauty pin in the last month, Pinterest is the place where Pinners go to discover and shop the latest beauty products. 

Try On for lipstick is currently only available in the U.S. on iOS and Android, and will be rolled out globally in the future.