When you think about consumer technology, you probably think about entertainment or tech you can use at home—smart sprinklers and streaming technology and lights that dim without you even pressing a button. But the thing about consumer technology is that it can be applied in almost any context of our daily lives. 

Today, our food, travel, entertainment, work, communication, homes, clothing—all of it—is impacted by the desire to create more powerful, intelligent, and efficient systems. And there’s no better place to see that than at CES in Las Vegas, an annual tech industry event where game-changing products and technologies have been introduced since 1967. 

This year at CES 2023, two products from L'Oréal caught our attention in particular. The beauty company debuted two new products: HAPTA and L'Oréal Brow Magic. Each creates a more inclusive, more effective, and more personalized relationship between users and their beauty routines. 

But if you’re anything like us, you’re probably asking: How did a beauty company end up at a tech trade show? The answer lies in its heritage in science, which began with its founding, by a chemist, in 1909.

“It was 2015 when we started to come to CES,” says Guive Balooch, Global Vice President of L'Oréal Technology Incubator. “There were no beauty companies in the consumer electronics show. And it was at a critical transition period when beauty was actually starting to intersect with technology. We wanted to first understand what conversations are happening and to then figure out how we will implement that for beauty.”

L'Oréal returned to CES in 2016 and in the years since has introduced technologies including L'Oréal Water Saver, in partnership with Gjosa, which reduces water use at salon washing stations, and Colorsonic, an award-winning handheld device that mixes hair color and applies it evenly for users at home.

This year, the company introduced two inclusive new technologies: HAPTA and Brow Magic.

HAPTA is the world's first handheld computerized makeup applicator and was created for users who experience limited hand or arm mobility. 50 million people globally experience limited mobility, which can impact daily routines or accomplishing tasks.

HAPTA utilizes an all-new application of foundational robotic technology developed by Verily that can stabilize utensils with a self-leveling makeup applicator. The attachments on HAPTA provide 360 degrees of rotation and 180 degrees of lateral flexion and allow users to lock their applicator into a customized position that works best for them. If the limitations in your mobility look different each day, the device is able to compensate for that.

“When we were developing HAPTA we invited models to come to our shoot who were never able to apply lipstick themselves,” says Shivya Bansal, L'Oréal's Global Program Manager of Beauty Tech. “When they held the device and they put it on themselves, the spark in their eyes, the joy on their face was the most beautiful part for us. And that's when we felt that, yes, we've done it.”

The ability to create custom experiences regardless of the user is a special power of L'Oréal’s other CES 2023 product debut: Brow Magic. It’s a first-of-its-kind custom eyebrow makeup applicator that can provide users with the best brows for their face shape in seconds, whether they currently have brow hair or not.

“With Brow Magic we need to be able to do three things: We need it to be able to understand the existing shape of the brow, let you see what you're going to create, and make sure that's achievable,” says Fred Orsita, Vice President of Innovation, L’Oréal Tech Incubator at L'Oréal Tech Incubator. “So we did research with thousands of users on what their brows look like, what they try to achieve every day with makeup, and what styles are their aspiration.”

Developed in partnership with Prinker—a pioneer in printed, non-permanent tattoos—L'Oréal’s Brow Magic uses an app equipped with Modiface AR technology and cosmetic-grade ink for printing. This tech scans the user’s face and makes recommendations for microblading, micro-shading, or filler effects, offering a selection of brow shapes, including an option to choose a shape inspired by trends you may have seen on social media. 

Before you select the brow look you want to try, Modiface allows you to see the effect of makeup on your face in augmented reality. Once you find the look that you want to print, the phones sends the device a file containing pictures of both brows cropped with a boundary, a coordinate system with a route to guide the device, and the target brow print. This route detection and guidance will even tell you if you’re holding the device in the wrong place, ensuring you end up with the look you’re hoping for.

Both HAPTA and Brow Magic were awarded the CES^® 2023 Innovation Award at this year’s show, proving to be tools that can provide a tremendous opportunity for self-expression through makeup for beauty lovers who may not be currently able to express themselves how they wish. 

Each product is a result of the intersection of tech and beauty, brought about by teams who see that crossroad as a way to improve the daily lives of millions. “I do what I do because I love building products that help people, bridging the gap between where they are and what they would like to do,” says Bansal.

*This story was produced by WIRED Brand Lab for Advertiser.*