14 DAY TRIAL // Actually going to a shop to purchase something is often not an option nowadays, especially as alternative means of buying products have appeared. HP is now working on a technology which will make it possible to buy cosmetics without having to receive fact-to-face professional advices.
Sending an image of the customer over to the shop assistants might very well do the job, only that lighting and camera performances have high chances of getting in the way of providing a precise image. Colors might not match and this results in disastrous results, as the trick behind a great make-up is that of perfectly matching the right shades of colors.
HP has thought of a system which offers advice for choosing the right color on the foundation that people should use for their make-up, as this is one of the most important aspects about a good cosmetic appearance. All that people have to do is to take a picture of themselves with a camera phone and then send it by MMS to a backend computer system.
The consumer's face is then located within the image and color and lighting discrepancies are then corrected. The image is introduced in an existing database with images of people with different types of skin tones. Then, a message is sent back to the one who sent this image, recommending on the shade of foundation which best matches her complexion.
"It takes expertise in imaging, backend processing and mobility to make this work, all of which we have here. This is one of those things that really only HP is equipped to do on a truly commercial scale", says Nina Bhatti, who leads the research team for this concept.
HP's technology also takes into account several cosmetologists' secrets for providing the right advice for make-up solutions. At this moment, there is no plan for making this service available for the public, but this could be possible in time.