YouTube's AR Beauty feature lets you try on lipstick by tapping ads
Previously you had to find a tutorial that was created by the company's FameBit production house.
After launching in a limited alpha earlier this year, YouTube is expanding the availability of its augmented reality (AR) Beauty Try-On feature. Moving forward, you'll be able to digitally try on lipstick from brands like MAC and NARS by tapping on so-called Masthead and TrueView Discovery ads throughout YouTube on iOS and Android.
Masthead ads are the autoplaying videos you see on YouTube when you first launch the mobile app. They appear at the top of the interface before YouTube's usual list of recommend videos. TrueView Discovery ads, meanwhile, show up at the top of search results and in the "Up next" section when you tap through to a video. Wherever they appear, both types of advertisements feature an "AD" label in yellow to distinguish them from other types of videos.
As before, using the tool will split YouTube's interface into two halves. At the top, the app will play the video you tapped on, while at the bottom YouTube will use your smartphone's front-facing camera and AR filters to allow you check out different shades of lipstick. A color selector along the bottom of the interface allows you to tap through different shades. If you like a particular one, you can purchase it directly through YouTube without leaving the app.
Beauty and fashion are big business for YouTube. Last month, the company launched a dedicated fashion homepage. So it's not surprising to see the company make a feature like the one above more widely available. It's likey, however, to face stiff competition from Instagram, which is also using augmented reality to allow people to try on and buy makeup directly within its app.
