App-solutely beautiful on the go
VIRTUAL MAKEOVERS, aging analyses and UV checkers are now available on your phone
“Apps in the skin care category are just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”
DANIEL JOSEPH, APP BUSINESS FOUNDER
Can an iPhone make you more beautiful?
Many people with the device are accustomed to using the camera’s “narcissism” setting to apply makeup or freshen up their looks while on the go.
But it turns out this is just the beginning of what your phone (or tablet) can do for your face. Thanks to apps, these gadgets now also function as colour and hairstyle consultants, spa finders and skin-care specialists.
From Aveda to Yves Saint Laurent, almost every cosmetics company offers a free app. Some advise, or let you chat with experts. Others make product recommendations or show how you will look after applying the items you’re thinking of buying.
The L’Oréal Paris Colour Genius helps users co-ordinate makeup with outfits. In the magazine world, the In-Style Hairstyle Try-On lets you satisfy your curiosity about how you would look with Heidi Klum’s or Jennifer Aniston’s tresses.
Such options help to narrow the distance between person and product, said Hillary Sica, associate director of partnerships for ModiFace, a virtual makeover technology provider based in Toronto, with an office in New York City. “People are more comfortable choosing from model options that look like them,” she said.
Many of these apps are purely commercial, like that of the chain Sephora, which entices shoppers with tips, coupons and samples; allows them to try on nail colours; keeps their purchase histories and shopping lists; and scans their bar codes.
But others are edging into public health territory. The Coppertone MyUVAlert, for example, supplies consumers with localized, real-time UVA and UVB information, sunscreen reapplication reminders and sun-protection tips (most involving Copper- tone products, of course).
“Apps in the skin care category are just scratching the surface of what’s possible,” said Daniel Joseph, a founder of the App Business, a London-based software company. “It’s not surprising the majority of apps are still gimmicks shooting for shortterm attention.”
That might be changing. If the Yellow Pages put health care specialists at your fingertips, apps are putting them in your lap.
MyChelle Dermaceuticals, a skin care company in Louisville, Colo., provides app users with a free, 30-minute consultation with a licensed esthetician via Skype, iChat or FaceTime. Introduced last year, the app has been down- loaded 3,500 times, says the company.
Have a mole you’re concerned about? SpotCheck, developed last year by Bobby Buka, one of several board- certified der matologists available to review your photos, responds within 24 hours to tell you if your mole looks atypical. (The app is free to download. Submitting a photo for review costs $4.99.) Of the 6,000 downloads, 4,000 photos were submitted. Seventy per cent were atypical, or precancerous, and needed a second look, says the company.
The app as a diagnostic tool is not evolving without scrutiny. Last year, AcneApp, created by dermatologist Greg Pearson claimed it could improve acne and wrinkles by exuding a blue or red light when pressed up against your skin. The app was removed from iTunes after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission became involved, citing health-related claims without scientific evidence. The app had been downloaded more than 11,600 times. Acne Pwner, a similar app avail- able for the Android, was also eliminated.
The two companies settled the complaints without admitting any violation of the law.
Own, a three-year-old skin care company based in San Francisco, took a more playful approach when introducing its free app, My Own App, this month. Using facial-recognition technology to track 50 points on your face, the app assesses signs of aging by the number of fine lines, deep-set wrinkles, percentage of pigment and number of age spots. Those numbers are then compared to others in your age group.
Users take a photo of their faces, answer a few questions and indicate skin type and date of birth. Within two minutes of submitting this data, they receive an analysis of their complexion.
Or you can just have fun with your face, thanks to apps like Beauty Booth, which erases acne, scars and dark circles and enlarges your eyes on a photo you submit; and Makeup Touch, which lets you “paint” your face or add silly accessories like gemstones, sunglasses, bunny ears or a Santa hat.
And for those who believe beauty comes from within? Try Beauty Quotes f rom sages like Coco Chanel, Sharon Stone and Tyra Banks.