7 beauty brands that offer virtual makeovers


“Try before you buy” has a whole new meaning in 2020

When was the last time you swatched lipstick shades on the back of your hand? With the undeniable hard impact of the pandemic on our shopping experiences, many beauty lovers are delighted that the shift to virtual color swatch tests is now being fast tracked.  

Right now, most of us have little choice with stores offering, including limited hours while others aren’t comfortable just yet with leisure shopping. Good thing, you can test out most of the latest lipstick and eyeshadow products from the comfort of your home. So, take breaks, have fun in between work-from-home, and try these seven virtual makeover tools.

Matte Lipstick Filter

Get that selfie on point even without a trip to the powder room. This Instagram filter allows you to virtually try on some of Ever Bilena’s popular matte lipsticks—Siennas, Dusk, Port, and Glam Red, to name a few.

Try it here.

Virtual Makeover

Photo courtesy of Avon

Your local Avon lady is being assisted by AR (augmented reality) eye, lipstick, and face testers. If you miss arm-swatching the brand’s pigmented lip colors, the virtual experience will help keep FOMO (fear of missing out) at bay.

Try it here.

Virtual Try On

Photo courtesy of Maybelline

Maybelline has the most built-out AR offerings we’ve seen so far. The brand has five different tools that allow for virtual makeup testing, foundation shade matching, and more. Try a bold new look with its brow studio, too!

Try it here.

Magic Mirror

Photo courtesy of Lazada Philippines

If you’ve always wondered whether you could pull off rainbow-hued eyeshadow or wear a bold red lip, the L’Oréal Paris’ virtual makeup tool in their flagship store in Lazada promises answers. You can also take a picture and share it with your friends!

Try it here.

Brow Experience

Photo courtesy of Benefit

On those days when you’re missing a brow day, look to Benefit for the next best thing. So before you make an appointment with your tweezers during the lockdown, choose from the brand’s roster of eyebrow shapes and sizes to find the look that works best for you.

Try it here.

Swatch and Try On

Photo courtesy of M.A.C Cosmetics

Beauty enthusiasts might find their fidelity to Velvet Teddy questioned with the brand’s virtual try-on functionality that offers up over 200 lipstick shades for online swatching. When browsing the official website, keep an eye out for the ‘try it on’ widget that allows you to swatch shades directly through a live camera, on an uploaded photo or—if you’re not in the mood to face the lens—on an online model.

Try it here.

Makeup Portal

Photo courtesy of Chanel

Even the French couture house is getting into the AR game. For now, the testing pool includes Chanel eye and lip products. Heads up that the try-on feature is only available on Great Britain’s version of the site, which can work just fine from our living room.

Try it here.