Author: Amanda Giasson

Rimmel London’s Get the Look beauty app is bound to be a hit with makeup lovers.

The augmented reality app designed for mobile allows users to “steal” a makeup look from friends and even celebrities in magazines. Dubbed the “Shazam of beauty”, Rimmel’s newly launched 3D augmented reality (AR) application uses technology that enables consumers to digitally try out makeup styles. The AR tech identifies makeup on images and people, letting consumers match this makeup with Rimmel products that can be purchased online or in stores.

Mirror technology allows app users to virtually try on Rimmel makeup before buying.

The new app called Get the Look is based on Rimmel’s Get the Look Technology. It also uses the patent-pending FACE technology created by Holition. The AR tool utilizes advanced real-time tracking to detect makeup on the scanned subject. It can detect everything, including mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner, lipstick, lip liner, foundation, blusher and bronzer. It also identifies skin textures and face shapes. If the app is used to scan makeup from one of the company’s competitors, the technology will automatically pair the consumer with similar Rimmel products.

The face-tracking technology within the app also tracks the movements of users. They can smile, turn and talk and the virtual makeup remains in place just as if they were looking in a real mirror.

The augmented reality app also lets users customize different colors and shades in real-time.

Users can easily capture looks from the street with their smartphones. They can then replicate the look on themselves via the app using Rimmel products. This interactive experience helps consumers to mix and match and find the look that they want.

“Make-up consumption has increased, and one of the main drivers of the market’s growth is that women have access to tutorials,” said Montse Passolas, Vice President of global marketing at Rimmel and Manhatten. “You used to need a make-up artist to know how to do contouring, and now you don’t, you go online, it’s so accessible,” added Passolas.

Rimmel’s augmented reality app provides a similar makeup artist experience. The cosmetic brand’s Get the Look app lets users still try on makeup before buying it online. The app is currently available for both iOS and Android and is free to download.

Walmart mobile payments roll out in 19 new states.

Walmart Pay is available in approximately 3,700 of its stores across the United States. Although it failed to reach its initial goal of launching the payment service to every store by the end of June, it added close to 1,300 stores in 19 new states throughout last week. Now, the total number of states where the mobile payments service is available has reached 37 and also includes Washington D.C., reported Chain Store Age.

The digital wallet service rollout started back in May 2016.

The service was officially announced by the monster retailer back in December of 2015. Texas and Arkansas were the first states to receive the service. Walmart’s payment solution – which works via the retailer’s mobile shopping app – launched at 600 stores across both states back in May.

The 19 new states where Walmart Pay is now live include: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, Ohio , Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island.

Walmart Pay has a massive built-in potential customer base.

Currently, Walmart’s mobile app has 22 million active users. With such a huge consumer base, Walmart Pay has plenty of potential for success.

The mobile payments service from Walmart is easy to use and is one of the options on the retailer’s mobile app. Consumer with the app can choose the payment option at checkout, which activates their smartphone camera. With their camera they scan the code displayed at the register. The scanned code will connect them to Walmart Pay. Once the transaction is complete, an e-recipe is sent to the app. Customer can view this e-receipt whenever they want.

In addition to their own digital wallet service, the American multinational retail corporation also intends to accept other forms of digital and mobile payments within its stores.

While certainly not the first to launch it s own mobile payments solution, Walmart’s decision to rollout Walmart Pay could prove advantageous for the company. Although consumers aren’t likely to obtain many merchant-specific payment apps, it is the largest Tier I retailers – like Walmart – that have the highest potential to experience the most success with these services.