Though we don’t seem that similar at a glance, Allure and Snapchat have a lot more in common than you’d think. Whether you know it or not, the app is actually somewhat of a treasure trove when it comes to beauty content. There, you can find tutorials on eyeliner hacks, skin-care ASMR, unboxings, and so much more — and now, you can use it to try on some of Allure‘s most-loved beauty products before buying them.
This new feature is thanks to a new partnership between Allure and Snapchat (the first time we’ve ever teamed up, by the way). Together, we created a plethora of custom lenses that allow you to virtually try on 19 of our 2022 Best of Beauty Award winners in the eyes, lips, and base categories — just in time for the awards themselves to launch right here on Allure.
We could wax poetic about all the ways this type of augmented reality technology can benefit people who buy beauty products, but we think Allure editor in chief Jessica Cruel sums it up best. “Every year, we explore the best ways to make Best of Beauty more interactive and accessible to our audiences, which is why we’re so excited to integrate Snap’s AR technology,” she says. “This tool makes it easy for our readers to experience 19 award-winning makeup products just by using their phones.”
That’s right: without having to do so much as tap a few buttons on your next midnight scroll, you can catch a glimpse of yourself in a graphic cat eye courtesy of Stila Cosmetics’s Stay All Day Matte Liquid Eyeliner, revel in the high-octane pigment of Maybelline New York’s SuperStay Vinyl Ink in Royal, or experiment with a new blush shade you might not have bought otherwise, like One/Size’s Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio in Berry Gay.
Allure editors created the looks for each individual lens based on current trends and viral makeup moments like blush contouring, big and bold eyeliner, and gradient lipstick. The lenses are available to use in-app on Snapchat from September 13 until December 31, at which point you’ll be able to access the lenses by opening the front-facing camera within the app and clicking our Best of Beauty seal in the carousel of lenses at the bottom of your screen — but you can use the QR code in our October issue to get to them faster.
