Cosmetic company Coty is changing what it means to sample makeup with its new augmented reality Magic Mirror. Does it tell you who’s the fairest of them all? Not really, but it does allow you to try on different lipstick colors virtually.

Available in the company’s Bourjois boutique in Paris, users stand in front of a screen which changes their lip color to match the physical lipstick they pick from the display. They can also add complementary eye makeup and blush. The customer can take a picture with the display and print in-store or email it to themselves or a friend.

The mirror is part of the promotion for their new “Velvet” line of lipstick. It has the potential to solve a lot of the problems that occur when trying on makeup – testers not being available in the color you want, stained lips keeping you from trying on other colors, and of course, germ concerns.

Elodie Levy, Coty’s global digital innovation senior director, remarked:

As part of our desire to reinvent the retail experience through purposeful and personalized innovation, the Bourjois Magic Mirror represents the most extensive integration of physical products and digital content in the beauty industry.

Most women intuitively prefer to play with a lipstick rather than touch a screen, as there is an inherent sensual aspect in cosmetics packaging that no technology can replace, and our new Magic Mirror provides this desired experience to shoppers.

Will virtual reality mirrors become the new normal in cosmetics? Let us know what you think!