Prestige precision: L’Oréal Perso lipstick device debuts under YSL

21-Jan-2021 - Last updated on 21-Jan-2021 at 16:42 GMT

The AI-powered at-home personalised lipstick device can blend thousands of different bespoke shades and distribute product on-demand into a detachable palette (Image: YSL Beauty)

L’Oréal has officially launched the beta version of its AI at-home personalised cosmetics device as a lipstick variant under its prestige Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) brand.

L’Oréal unveiled the launch of ‘Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Sur Mesure by Perso’ at last week’s Consumer Technology Association (CEW) 2021 tradeshow – held virtually due to COVID-19. Launched as a limited pre-sale item and priced at €243 ($299), consumers were required to register to receive the YSL Perso device in Spring 2021.

L’Oréal said a full global product launch would follow by the end of the year.

The Perso concept was initially unveiled back in January 2020 and Guive Balooch, head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator, recently told CosmeicsDesign-Europe that there should only be a short time between the beta version and full global rollout.

‘Bespoke shades’ of YSL lipstick formulations

Perso used artificial intelligence (AI) and a patented motorised system to blend and dispense personalised formulas based on real-time data and trend analysis. Linked up to a consumer app, the device had been developed to make on-demand skin care formulas like moisturisers, serums and under-eye creams, and coloured cosmetics including lipsticks and foundation.

The YSL Perso lipstick device offered four unique colour cartridge sets from YSL’s “iconic universes” of reds, nudes, oranges or pinks, L’Oréal said, enabling consumers to blend thousands of “bespoke shades”. Final lipstick formulations were distributed as YSL’s velvet cream matte finish.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Sur Mesure by Perso could blend from four different colour bundles (Image: L'Oréal/Yves Saint Laurent)

Importantly, these final blends could be designed to match apparel or fashion accessories, or simply align with on-trend shades in colour cosmetics, via the accompanying YSL Rouge Sur Mesure app. Consumers were then able to select and store ‘favourites’, track trending colours amongst other app users and even obtain stylist recommendations via the Shade Wheel, Shade Match and Shade Stylist functions.

Beauty 4.0 - a smart future for lipstick?

CosmeticsDesign-Europe recently spoke to UK branding and design agency 1HQ who had designed a concept for a digital lipstick that operated as a smart 3D colour-printing machine; completely overturning the humble lipstick design.

Mike Webster, director of 3D structure and experience at 1HQ, said there was “an enormous amount of potential” to advance lipstick designs so they were more robust, sustainable, and smart. Although Webster said a true lipstick revolution was some way off yet, with 1HQ’s design concept likely to be at least ten years off any market launch potential.