Ulta Beauty Harnesses AI to Revolutionize Hairstyle Try-Ons
Ulta Beauty, the largest specialty beauty retailer in the United States, has introduced an innovative AI application that allows shoppers to virtually try on new hairstyles. The app, named GLAMlab Hair Try On, uses selfies to generate highly realistic previews of desired hairstyles, according to NVIDIA's blog.
Revolutionary Virtual Try-On Experience
The GLAMlab Hair Try On experience is available on both the Ulta Beauty website and mobile app. It enables users to upload a photo or use a model's image to experiment with different hair colors and styles. This digital innovation is powered by NVIDIA's StyleGAN2, a generative AI model that uses selfies to create near-instant previews.
Thousands of users engage with the app daily, and Ulta Beauty reports that those utilizing the virtual tool are more likely to purchase products than those who do not. The app features links to Ulta Beauty products, allowing customers to achieve their chosen look in real life.
Integration of StyleGAN2 Technology
Ulta Beauty's digital innovation team developed this application by leveraging NVIDIA's StyleGAN2, a well-regarded model within the tech community. The AI model was customized to ensure it modifies only hair-related pixels without distorting facial features. This customization involved licensing the model for commercial use and implementing specific guardrails.
The hairstyle and color try-ons utilize NVIDIA Tensor Core GPUs in the cloud to perform AI inference, taking approximately five seconds for the initial style computation and about a second for subsequent styles. This rapid processing time enhances user experience, making it a practical tool for digital retail environments.
Future Endeavors and Customer Engagement
Looking forward, Ulta Beauty plans to expand virtual trials to include additional hair categories, such as wigs, and explore connections to in-store styling services. This integration could allow stylists to provide customers with visualizations of potential hairstyles, offering more confidence in their styling choices.
These AI-powered try-ons not only enhance customer interaction with Ulta Beauty's products but also provide a creative platform for users to explore new styles. As Juan Cardelino, Ulta Beauty's director of computer vision and digital innovation, stated, "Hair and makeup are playful categories. Virtual try-ons allow customers to explore options that might be outside their comfort zones without committing to a physical change."
This innovative step by Ulta Beauty underscores the growing importance of AI in enhancing retail experiences, offering a glimpse into the future of personalized shopping.