seymourpowell’s smart make-up printer allows users to recreate beauty trends in real time

leading design and innovation company seymourpowell has released élever, their latest concept exploring the desires of tomorrow’s beauty consumer. the intelligent handheld mirror reproduces the make-up looks found in online beauty content and digitally ‘prints’ the make-up on the user. the concept is premium and seamless, including an easily operated interface and its matching elegant gadget.

all images courtesy of seymourpowell

seymourpowell’s élever speaks to the beauty consumer’s desire to instantly reproduce what they see in media platforms. the service reflects the influencing nature of social media and consumer desire for immediacy. mariel brown, director of futures at seymourpowell, commented “social media has accelerated the speed at which beauty trends spread globally”, and with élever, the speed to apply the trends becomes even faster.

the design company found that users harvest social media for inspiration as the first step in their make-up regime. the nature of élever would effectively respond to the found style trends and apply them in real time in the physical world, bridging the world of digital beauty content and the physical world of make-up. with élever, consumers no longer need the skills or products to achieve the desired look because the product would directly print the makeup onto the user’s face.

the product itself reflects the service’s elegant and luxurious nature. its materials are soft and smooth to the touch, and its colors are pastel and easy on the eyes. the gentle lighting embedded into the device maintains the intimate and glamorous ritual of applying make-up, yet without the needed experience or tools. the device’s UI was designed to facilitate interactions with the user, maintaining the effortless essence of the entire concept. 

élever presents exciting opportunities for the future of the beauty industry. brands, influencers, make-up artists and magazines could seek to monetize their make-up looks and set up new brand and product partnerships centered around the device. the digital 3d technology and sophisticated facial recognition system create a one-of-a-kind luxury experience enabling make-up to be applied to a professional standard, seamlessly.

the design company imagines products such as élever to inspire beauty brands and other industries to embrace technology in make-up. robert cooper, designer at seymourpowell, commented, “élever helps us imagine possible futures in which make-up artists, cosmetics brands and beauty influencers are able to sell make-up looks online and either the social media channels on which their images are accessed become e-commerce platforms or new platforms are created specifically.”