Estée Lauder Proves the Business Value of Augmented Reality via CIO

The beauty company is well positioned for retail post-COVID thanks to an AR platform that lets consumers virtually ‘try on’ makeup and other products.

For years, enterprises have struggled to deliver on the promise of augmented reality (AR) in solving real-world business problems. But one organization that has embraced AR technology appears poised to buck the trend: The Estée Lauder Companies, which has deployed AR to better serve customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 75-year-old operator of more than 25 beauty brands has built a software platform to help it get AR services to market more quickly while enabling consumers to virtually “try on” makeup without a trip to the beauty counter. The Virtual Try On (VTO) AR platform helps consumers gauge the look of lipsticks, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, and other beauty products before they decide to purchase them.