Pinterest's new makeup feature lets you try on over 4,000 different eyeshadows - and it's amazing!

Virtual reality just got cool.

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Fiona Embleton
By Fiona Embleton
last updated

Virtual makeup try-on features are becoming the norm but Pinterest's new makeup feature takes the virtual beauty experience to a whole new level of cool. 

And the launch couldn't be more timely. With strict 'no-touching' rules in place at Sephora and Ulta as part of their Covid-19 safety policies, trying on makeup - from the best eyeshadow palettes and lipstick to the best non-comedogenic foundations (opens in new tab) - simply hasn't been possible. And yet we've all got more time on our hands, so what better way to spend it than using an augmented reality tool and experimenting with some all-new looks?

Enter Pinterest's new eyeshadow AR filter feature, which allows you to try on 4,000 shoppable shades of eyeshadow by big-name brands like YSL, Urban Decay and Pat McGrath Labs before committing to buying.

This is the latest update since Pinterest launched a (opens in new tab)Try On feature for lipsticks (opens in new tab) last year, which allowed users to try before they buy and also to search for popular terms like 'red lipstick' to streamline their search. 

Perhaps as a result of wearing masks, Pinterest searches for eyeshadow have spiked. Hence, the expansion of the makeup feature. Either way, according to the brand, 83% of weekly Pinners have made a purchase based on products they've seen on Pinterest so it makes good business sense. 

To try the feature yourself, download the latest version of the app. From there, hit the search tool (FYI the magnifying glass at the bottom) and tap the camera icon in the top right. Your AR Try On tool should immediately be visible once you switch to the front-facing camera, and allows you to toggle back and forth between eyeshadow and lipstick. 

Pretty clever, no?

Fiona Embleton
Fiona Embleton

Fiona Embleton is a multi-award-winning beauty editor who has tested over 10,000 products in her 10 years +  of writing and shooting beauty stories. For the past four years, she was the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, having previously worked in the role of Beauty Editor at both Stylist and Cosmopolitan. She has recently gone freelance and alongside My Imperfect Life, she has written for titles including ELLE UK, ELLE Canada, Buro 247, Harper's Bazaar Arabia, Vogue Scandinavia, and ES Magazine. Beauty journalism allowed her to marry up her first-class degree in English Literature and Language (she’s a stickler for grammar and a self-confessed ingredients geek) with a passion for make-up and skincare, photography, and catwalk trends. She loves jumping on the latest internet-breaking beauty news, dissecting the best red carpet looks, and having the crème de la crème of dermatologists, make-up artists, and hairstylists on speed dial so she can tap them for the best advice. She’s a discerning beauty shopper and knows it can be confusing trying to navigate what’s hype and what really works. So if she really likes something, you can trust that she has reached that opinion by vetting it against everything else she’s ever tried. Her career highs? Interviewing Cate Blanchett and winning a Jasmine Award for the deeply personal feature Cancer Stole My Mother’s Scent.   

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