L'Oréal partners with Facebook to create AR makeup experiences

L'Oreal, the century-old beauty brand, announced Thursday that it's leveraging its recently-acquired AI business ModiFace to bring new AR experiences to Facebook.

Specifically, ModiFace and L'Oreal are enabling Facebook users to use AR to "try on" makeup from L'Oreal brands via Facebook Camera. Those brands include Maybelline, NYX Professional Makeup, Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Urban Decay and Shu Uemura. NYX Professional Makeup will launch the first Facebook AR experience at the end of August.

L'Oreal described its partnership with Facebook as a long-term collaboration.

"Facebook and L'Oréal share the vision that Augmented Reality is becoming key for product and brand discovery and purchase," L'Oreal's Chief Digital Officer Lubomira Rochet said in a statement. "We are at that magical moment when technologies have matured enough and consumer appetite for using them is growing everywhere."

The beauty industry has been a natural market for AR technologies, given the potential for enhancing customer interactions. Before L'Oreal acquired ModiFace earlier this year, the Canadian AR company built an AR experience for Sephora called Virtual Artist. Other major brands and retailers are also offering AR tools to "try on" makeup, including the shopping network QVC and Target.