beauTECHfication – Experiment Week DTNS 5085

0:00This episode is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI. They already deployed one. It's called Chat Concierge and it's simplifying car shopping. Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks, it doesn't just help buyers find a car they love. It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing, and estimate trade in value. Advanced, intuitive, and deployed. That's how they stack. That's technology at Capital One. One second, you're enjoying your day off. The next, your phone buzzes. A window's been broken at home.

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1:27This episode is sponsored by Morning Brew Daily. If you're anything like me, you want to stay informed about what's happening in business and finance, but you also don't have an hour every morning to sift through headlines. Morning Brew Daily is the go-to business news podcast for millions of people. It's a daily business news podcast that's a quick, fun, and easy way to start your day. Whether it's the latest in tech, markets, or the trends shaping the economy, the show breaks it all down in a way that's clear, engaging, and actually enjoyable to listen to. Hosts Neil Freiman and Toby Howell make the show feel like you're catching up with two friends, while giving you the context you need to feel smarter and more confident throughout your day.

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2:13Nica Montford: Welcome to DTNS Experiment Week. Yes, it is back again all this week. We are preempting our regular programming to try out some new show ideas, explore cross-show opportunities, give you some exclusive content we wouldn't do at other times of the year. So after you listen, please let us know what you think. Feedback at DailyTechNewsShow.com. On with today's experiment.

2:43Welcome to B-Tech-ification. Decoding beauty, one feature at a time. I'm your host, Nika Monford, aka Tech Savvy Diva. In this podcast, we discuss the tech behind the beauty sector's products and services and their impact on the ever-changing culture behind traditional beauty, while also paying homage to the pioneers who got us here. The beauty tech industry is a rapidly growing sector that combines both technology and the beauty industry. This industry is experiencing significant growth with revenue projections reaching over$170 billion by the year 2030. The beauty tech industry includes more sectors than one may think.

3:33It's just more than just makeup. It includes skin care, hair care, fragrance, personal hygiene, and toiletry products. And let's not forget its service sectors, such as hair and body treatments. The increasing integration of tech and digital tools are designed to improve skincare, makeup application, overall beauty routines. We're talking personalized cosmetics and smart devices. by encompassing the use of technologies like AR, VR, data science, AI and machine learning, also app development, and also biotechnology material science. And you cannot forget about the internet of things. All of these things are used to enhance beauty experiences.

4:26I mean, it truly runs the gamut of technology. Let's say that the mass adoption of tech in the beauty space is for real, for real. Time to dive in. For today's episode, we're going to start with BOS, where it's no filters, just pure tech. About a month ago, while doing some research for a side quest that I was working on in this very space, I came across Boldhue. Boldhue is a technology company founded in 2020 by Rachel Wilson and Karen Layton. They created a groundbreaking device that formulates personalized foundation on demand. Their primary product is a tech-enabled kit that includes a device that can scan your skin and then mix a custom shade of foundation based on the readings in just one minute.

5:27With this product, the guesswork in selecting a foundation in a store or online, it gives you or the customer their own custom mix. I talked about Bold Hue on DTNS, but I became intrigued behind the tech that powers it. And it deserves to me a bit of a deeper dive into the technical aspects. One of the unique aspects of Bold Hue is that it combines both hardware and software. As someone whose educational and professional experience has lived at that cross-section, I wanted to see more. While obviously I don't know the specifics behind the tools and technology that Bold Hue uses, But based on the hardware app, I have some educated guesses on what might go into something like this.

6:27The tech kit includes the BoldHue device, which includes a detachable scanning wand and the foundation pigment cartridges. So how does it work? The magic wand is held against a user's face in three different locations to get an aggregate of the skin tone. It is then returned to the main BoldHue device where the software just takes over. A custom mix foundation is created from six onboard cartridges and dispenses into a glass pod with enough to hold just about a week worth of product. Let's break down the type of technology that could be included in a product like this. Now, before we get started, like I said, I don't know what goes into this particular Bold Who product.

7:23But for something like this, I think we can, you know, like I said, guess what would go into this. Again, that's where we'll start. To me, the scanning tool is the star of the show. There are several key technologies that would likely be used in a facial scanning product that would be optical scanners and cameras, image processing hardware, software algorithms, and some calibration components. Let's break those down. When we think about optical scanners, optical sensors, and cameras, I would think what would go into this would be one, high resolution digital cameras with good color accuracy, multispectral or hyperspectral imaging sensors that capture light beyond what's visible to the naked eye.

8:23Also LED arrays that provide controlled, consistent lighting across different wavelengths. Onto the actual image processing hardware. I would think that there would be a dedicated image signal processor or ISP to handle just the raw sensor data, just the raw data that comes from the scan. Also on that hardware processing, likely some color processing chips for accurate color space conversions. And in instances like this, sometimes specialized AI accelerator chips for real time analysis are included. And if you think about this, most of the scans are real time for a product like this. Hi all, this is Kim and Penn Holderness from Laugh Line.

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9:48Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI. They already deployed one. It's called Chat Concierge and it's simplifying car shopping. Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks, it doesn't just help buyers find a car they love. It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing, and estimate trade in value. Advanced, intuitive, and deployed. That's how they stack. That's technology at Capital One. There are moments that reveal who we are and who we're meant to become. For those born to lead, such moments call for a vehicle of equal distinction.

10:24Dynamic by design, uncompromising in execution, the Range Rover Sport was engineered for those rare individuals who demand the world and possess the conviction to claim it. When your time to lead arrives, you need a vehicle that rises to meet it. The Range Rover Sport. Exclusive offers available now. Explore further at RangeRover.com. One second, you're enjoying your day off. The next, your phone buzzes. A window's been broken at home. You're miles away. In one second, everything can change. That's why ADT's security systems can monitor your home 24-7. They're backed by the most company-operated monitoring centers in the industry, so you're always supported during an emergency.

11:04When every second counts, count on ADT. Visit ADT.com to learn more. Hey guys, it's Drew Afualo from the comment section. Listen, it's time to stop settling for hair products that just don't work. With all the prestige brands at Sephora, upgrading your routine is easy. If your hair needs repair, they've got the K18 Leave-In molecular repair hair mask. If you're trying to level up your wash day, the Kerastase Elixir All-Time Hair Oil leaves your hair looking ridiculously shiny without feeling heavy. And if you're into that glossy, healthy hair vibe, the Gisu Honey-infused Hair Oil is a must-have.

11:40Also, Sephora makes it super convenient with free shipping and same-day delivery. Shop hair at Sephora and give your hair the upgrade it's been waiting for. Once you account for the sensors and the hardware processing, think about calibration. Something like this would have to be fine-tuned and calibrated, not just initially, but likely multiple times within the process of using it. So in that calibration space, I would think color reference standards are charts that can be used for standardization for the calibration process. Also, white balance sensors to adjust for different lighting environments because we've seen that the different types of light that a person can be in has the ability to change what the skin actually looks like.

12:32Additionally, different filters to reduce glare and improve the measurement accuracy. Finally, we can't forget about AI and software algorithms. So this is where we get to the part where it gets a bit important. So I would think computer vision algorithms for face detection and segmentation, likely some neural networks for pattern recognition and the different types of skin characteristics, regression models to predict optimal foundation formulas, Classification algorithms for the different skin types, undertones, and coverage needs. Also, color analysis algorithms that map the standard RGB values.

13:22This allows for the translation and the standardization of skin tones scales across the board because there will be different types of skin tones, skin types, and everything in between. Also, you want to make sure that there is some calibration software included in this to account for different types of ambient light conditions. Finally, machine learning models trained on diverse data sets that accurately classify skin tones across different ethnicities. I said this before and I'll say it again. You can have the best models in the world, but if you start with the bad data set, you're already behind.

14:11You can't outmaneuver bad data, even with the best algorithms. The second most important aspect, I think, of this product or a product like this is taking in all that data that the scanning tool captured and porting it back into the actual device that is going to do the custom blend. so that it integrates back with the full hardware kit so that that blend is accurate to what was scanned. So this would likely entail technology based on digital color matching, automated mixing systems, some quality control technology. Also, we can't forget about database management and optimization as well as hardware integrations.

15:06So let's start with the digital color matching. So in this space, I would think you would have to have data analysis to translate the different skin measurements into actual pigment ratios. I would think that you would need some color prediction algorithms that account for how pigments blend and interact. Because, again, there are six different color cartridges that are used to mix this custom foundation. Also, opacity and coverage modeling to determine base formula leads. So create some base formulas. And then as you get the different types of skin tones, the different types of skin characteristics, you can build upon that.

15:53When we get to the mixing, it is an automated mixing process. So you would think that there would need to be precision dosing based on what is actually the pigmentation that's needed, making sure that those dumps of the different types of colors are dispensed accurately. Also systems for controlled ingredient combinations, real-time mixing with feedback sensors to verify that the color is actually accurate. So not waiting until the very end to verify it, but do it as you go along so that you can reduce the amount of error. Finally, some sort of technology to inform that the blend is uniform and consistent.

16:42Okay, on the quality control side of things, we wanna make sure that the mix matches the specifications. That's one in the quality control too. You wanna make sure that you include sensors for proper texture. And finally, because these are skin-related components that are actually going on human skin, you wanna make sure that the pH monitoring for stability and skin compatibility is accounted for. Now, we talked before about having these base formulas to build upon. So this is where we come into thinking about the database and the optimization because these formulas have to be housed somewhere.

17:26So we want to make sure that all of these formulas are stored properly in a database and also that the formula optimization algorithms that balance the color match with the performance characteristics is included as well. Finally, on the hardware integration side, with this particular product that we mentioned at the top, it has a scanning tool that detaches and then it goes back onto the kit. you want to make sure that the Internet of Things, the IoT, the connectivity for cloud-based processing, continuous learning, this allows for the different pieces of the hardware to talk to each other, as well as for an app that initiates and manages the process and also includes the capability to update the hardware's firmware, as well as time goes on, because when you buy typically one product, you keep it, but there are updates and continuous changes to it as well.

18:25Now, there's likely much, much more that goes into an undertaking like this. Just off the top of my head, I can think of the biotechnology and material sciences space. This informs the formulation of the foundation pigment cartridges. But I think this analysis provides us a good look at what type of technology goes in to bringing a custom foundation. Now, you may say, why is something like this even necessary when you can go into stores like a Sephora or Ulta or even your favorite department store to pick up some foundation? Let's discuss it further in Culture Debug, where beauty culture gets a code review.

19:19Traditionally, foundation matching has been extremely complicated, especially, especially for Black women and women of color. There wasn't always an importance placed on having a diverse range of products for people with melanated skin. Historically, there were about two to four shades available for darker skins in most beauty brands. I remember seeing this shift when Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty back in 2017 with 40 different shades of foundation. Now it's over 50 shades, but this included a significant amount of diverse shades. with the success and acclaim for her brand, many other legacy brands launched their own, quote, 40 shades of products.

20:20Now, while there were a few brands like Makeup Forever and MAC Cosmetics who did have at least a 40 shade range, Fenty Beauty seemed to supercharge those other brands who shortly after launched similar ranges of products. While most of the conversation has been around the inclusivity of darker shades, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the other spectrum. There are approximately 1 in 17 ,000 people who have albinism and approximately one to one half percent of the global population that has vitiligo. Having brands that have a wider range of shades be inclusive also benefits people who have conditions when the extremes include lack of melanin.

21:19The positive of all of this is that now we have brands that have 50 or even 60 shades of foundation, which highlights the importance of products being available for all instead of a few. With the inclusion and prevalence of technology, one can hope that it only gets better from here and that all people are fully being serviced and considered. Before the app, before the algorithm, there are pioneers creating beauty innovations that, you know, let's say were analog. And the glow up will meet an ancestor that helped pave the way for how we use tech today. Mixing makeup to get the perfect shade is definitely not new, and in the past, individual solutions were once necessary.

22:22Eunice W. Johnson and her husband, along with her husband, created, among other things, Ebony Magazine. The Ebony Fashion Fair tour, which was a fundraising event under the brand. This tour was a pioneer in itself because it used Black models on the runway and helped highlight Black designers. Exhausted by the burden of mixing colors to achieve the right skin tone for her models, Johnson created Fashion Fair Cosmetics in 1973. Her brand of cosmetics created products crafted to cater to Black women's various complexions and undertones. Fashion Fair became the first prestige cosmetic line that Black women could purchase in major department stores.

23:25Before we wrap up the show, a quick shout out to Tom, Sarah, Rob, Roger, and the entire DTNS crew for putting this experiment run into the DTNS live feed. Again, this is a pilot and experiment run for potentially a longer show. I would love to hear your feedback, whether through the official DTNest channels or directly through me on social media at Tech Savvy Diva on all platforms or via email. I am at Tech Savvy Diva. Through this podcast, I'm so excited to dive into all things that make up the unique business that is beauty tech. And I hope that you will join me on this journey. And with that, this is the tech vacation, beauty and tech perfectly compiled.

24:28This episode is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One's tech team isn't just talking about multi-agentic AI. They already deployed one. It's called Chat Concierge and it's simplifying car shopping. Using self-reflection and layered reasoning with live API checks, it doesn't just help buyers find a car they love. It helps schedule a test drive, get pre-approved for financing, and estimate trade in value. Advanced, intuitive, and deployed. That's how they stack. That's technology at Capital One. There are moments that reveal who we are and who we're meant to become. For those born to lead, such moments call for a vehicle of equal distinction.

25:07Dynamic by design, uncompromising in execution, the Range Rover Sport was engineered for those rare individuals who demand the world and possess the conviction to claim it. When your time to lead arrives, you need a vehicle that rises to meet it. The Range Rover Sport. Exclusive offers available now. Explore further at RangeRover.com. Thank you.