Cisco and others have developed virtual dressing room technology, though it has not been widely adopted. A competitor,, which was recently purchased by the eyewear giant Luxottica, has an app that creates a 3-D model of shoppers’ faces for virtual try-ons and lets them adjust the glasses on their faces by touching the screen. Warby Parker, the online glasses retailer, has a try-on function that lets consumers upload a picture of themselves to see what various frames look like on their faces. It also holds the possibility of a substantial savings boon for all those companies shouldering expensive rapid shipping and returns costs. The notion of being able to see what the dress or sunglasses or sandals you are about to order really would look like on you - not the willowy model shot at just the perfect angle with who knows how much retouching - seems to be the ultimate in consumer convenience and empowerment.

Most efforts to date, he said, have not been truly successful.

McQuivey, an analyst at Forrester Research, who wrote about the idea of a “magic mirror” and says he has been contacted by many health and beauty companies since then. “There is some good history on this one,” said James L. But it also is a notable advancement toward the concept of an “interactive mirror” that has long fascinated some in the beauty and fashion industries. The app is yet another manifestation of a race among businesses to be connected to the consumer on every device, a competition that has left cosmetic companies far back in the pack. The app, called Makeup Genius, was developed in partnership with Image Metrics, a company known for its facial mapping in movies and video games.

Facetune makeup