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Will 2023 be the year of inclusivity in the cosmetics sector? This is not yet the case, but innovations are multiplying in the industry to make beauty accessible to as many people as possible. The latest? A voice-activated make-up assistant to make beauty easier for the visually impaired.
Ensure that people who do not fit into the boxes – boxes linked to stereotypes and diktats – benefit from the same ‘privileges’ as the others. This is called inclusivity, a concept that has become a marketing argument in recent years to meet the demand of the public, especially the younger generations, who are determined to change mores and social norms. So as not to be excluded in turn, brands are now committed to taking diversity into account to make minorities visible, and to offer products and services that are useful and accessible to all.
The body positive movement has helped change the game in the fashion and beauty industries, with collections more suited to the diversity of women’s bodies, but inclusivity doesn’t stop at pounds and body type. Skin color, gender, culture, origin, disease and other health problems, age, or disability must also be taken into account to make these industries truly inclusive.
Inclusiveness in the cosmetics sector
Used very little or not at all before the pandemic, the term ‘inclusivity’ is now legion in fashion and beauty – sometimes too much to the taste of some who see it more as a way to curry favor with consumers than a reality. rooted and lasting. It remains, it must be recognized, that this really makes it possible to make things happen. If it was initially a question of extending its offer in terms of sizes, cuts, and shades of foundation, or of creating mixed ranges, disability today seems to be at the center of attention. brands. The change is only in its infancy, but the largest minority in the world has for some time been offered clothing, equipment, and other services more suited to their daily lives.
We have seen it in fashion with the launch of collections designed for the use of a wheelchair, the wearing of prostheses, or reduced mobility, and more recently in the beauty industry with innovations intended to improve the routine of the people concerned. The latest was unveiled by Estée Lauder, and is entirely dedicated to blind and visually impaired people. Based on artificial intelligence and augmented reality, this new kind of application is able to analyze a user’s beauty treatment and give him voice instructions to help him make the necessary adjustments.
“The first of its kind, this innovative AI-powered app helps visually impaired beauty enthusiasts apply their foundation, eye shadow and lipstick, offering step-by-step instructions. and helping the visually impaired community to wear makeup more confidently and express themselves better.”specifies Estée Lauder on the British version of his Instagram account. A step forward synonymous with independence for blind or visually impaired people who until then had to rely on other senses, such as touch, or others to enjoy an optimal make-up routine.
The very first version of this application, called Voice-enabled Makeup Assistant, is available in the United Kingdom via the App Store and the platform esteelauder.co.uk. It will be enriched with new services and new functionalities in the weeks and months to come, then will be deployed in other countries and on Android. A service that could help no less than 2.2 billion people with visual impairment or blindness worldwide, according to WHO.
Include disability in beauty
The beauty industry has fallen behind in including people with some form of disability, but it looks like it’s now ready to catch up. At the last Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the L’Oréal group distinguished itself with the presentation of HAPTA, an intelligent make-up applicator developed to help people with reduced arm or hand mobility put on lipstick, mascara, or eyeliner, for example, but also to handle the packaging of their cosmetics more easily.
Under development, this innovation will be launched in the course of 2023 via one of the group’s flagship brands, Lancôme, in the form of a lipstick applicator. But it should be the subject of other make-up applications, such as mascara for example. Other brands have previously tried to launch tools and accessories of this type, but these are the two most successful innovations in the beauty sector for people with some form of disability. What’s more, with large-scale accessibility in view of the strike force of these two cosmetic giants.