Clarins Unveils In-Store AI Shade Finder
Beauty brand Clarins has launched an in-store “AI Shade Finder” service that uses generative AI for hyper-personalized foundation matching. The tool provides a model for how brands can integrate AI-powered personalization into physical retail customer experiences, creating new expectations for speed and relevance from creative teams.
- The Clarins AI Shade Finder was developed in partnership with IlluminateAI, a Silicon Valley startup that specializes in accurately measuring skin tone and undertone using a smartphone. This technology utilizes spectroscopy, the science of light, which has been researched for over 30 years, to analyze how light reflects on the skin. - The tool transforms a standard smartphone into a scientific instrument that captures a rapid series of images while altering the light from the phone's screen. This process allows it to precisely identify a person's unique skin tone and undertone in less than 60 seconds. - In a beta test across 20 stores in France and the U.K., the AI Shade Finder led to a 70% conversion rate and a doubling of basket size for Clarins. The tool is now being rolled out to over 200 locations in seven countries to support the launch of the new Double Serum Foundation. - The technology boasts a 96% match rate when compared to an experienced makeup artist, a new benchmark for accuracy in the industry. Beyond foundation matching, the analysis enables beauty advisors to recommend a complete, personalized makeup routine. - The global AI in beauty and cosmetics market was valued at $3.72 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $9.44 billion by 2029. This growth is driven by consumer demand for personalized beauty solutions. - A recent survey found that 76% of beauty consumers are open to using an AI-powered personal shopper, and 83% of active generative AI users rely heavily on AI-driven recommendations when forming product opinions. - This launch is part of a broader "Beauty Tech" strategy for Clarins, which has also recently introduced the "AI Skin Observer," a tool that analyzes up to 22 skin parameters using a combination of sensors and facial imaging. - The AI beauty trend extends beyond Clarins, with major companies like L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Procter & Gamble also investing heavily in AI-powered personalization and diagnostics. Perfect Corp., a provider of AI and AR beauty solutions, works with over 600 brands to offer virtual try-ons and AI skin analyses.
