For the past two years, I’ve been working with Estee Lauder developing a virtual make up application for people who are blind or low vision.  Just last month, Cosmopolitan Magazine featured this application and a few of the women who worked on the testing.  They share their reasons for spending time with the company developing the application. 

While many people would not consider applying makeup life changing, it is an important part of feeling confident and looking one’s best.  Perception is even more important to someone that cannot see themselves, and a tool like this can offer assurance that we are looking our best.

Estee Lauder’s development team took the application through several make up tasks, perfecting the virtual assistant in each phase.  They began with lipstick, and then moved on to foundation and eye makeup.  With each task, the virtual assistant had to be “taught” to spot areas that were either not covered with a product, or covered too heavily or lightly.  The virtual assistant would them be able to tell its user that they needed to put more lipstick on the upper or lower lip, even out the foundation in a particular quadrant of the face, and aid in identifying and applying eye shadow colors.  The application works with the smart phone camera, and the virtual assistant is able to see the user’s face and determine if the makeup has been applied correctly or not.  The virtual assistant verbally prompts the user to slowly turn her face as the camera analyzes the application.  Suggestions are then verbally given, the makeup is re-checked, and if it has been applied correctly, the virtual assistant will tell the user she is good to go. 

For women that live alone, or are working and want to check their makeup, this application has offered them an independence and renewal with makeup that has not been available before.  The application is free to smart phone users, and since the application launched, over 2,000 people in the US and UK  are using it. 

If you would like to read the article in Cosmopolitan, please see the link below.

Estée Lauder's Makeup App is the Tool for Blind People (cosmopolitan.com)

Susan Gray