L’Oréal’s Makeup Genius app, released free on iPhone and iPad on June 18, 2014, turned the front camera into a live makeup mirror, and the technology behind it has since grown into ModiFace, the L’Oréal unit that says it has run more than 1 billion virtual try-on sessions. This is where the app came from, what it did and where virtual makeup try-on stands in 2026.
Makeup Genius and its successors at a glance
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Makeup Genius launches on iOS, free, in the US, France and China first; an Android version was planned for 2015 |
| 2018 | L’Oréal acquires ModiFace, the Toronto AR beauty developer |
| 2026 | ModiFace says its try-on is coming to ChatGPT; L’Oréal Paris runs Beauty Genius, an AI beauty assistant with virtual try-on |
How the original app worked
The app used the front-facing camera on an iPhone or iPad as a mirror and tracked the face so that the makeup moved with it. It was built by L’Oréal’s own Connected Beauty Incubator, and press coverage at launch said it worked in more than 400 different lighting conditions.
You could pick products from the app, build a list of favorites, watch tutorial videos or scan a product barcode in a store to see the shade on your face. The app was free, and it did not sell products inside the app.
What replaced Makeup Genius
L’Oréal bought ModiFace in 2018. ModiFace was founded in 2007 out of research at the University of Toronto, and it now describes its tools as makeup and hair colour try-on, AI skin analysis and personalized recommendations. L’Oréal Paris also runs a separate chat assistant, Beauty Genius.
Beauty Genius runs on the L’Oréal Paris website and WhatsApp. It offers skin and skin-tone diagnostics, product and routine suggestions and augmented-reality try-on. L’Oréal Paris says the try-on was checked by makeup artists on more than 10,000 products across 50 countries. We could not confirm whether the original Makeup Genius app is still sold under that name.
Where virtual try-on goes next
ModiFace says on its own site that it will power a virtual try-on inside ChatGPT, announced for summer 2026. That moves try-on from a standalone app into the place where shoppers already ask questions. The same site cites more than 1 billion virtual try-on sessions to date.
Our view: the 2014 pitch, that you should be able to test a shade before you buy it, won. What changed is that the try-on now lives inside shopping and chat tools instead of a single brand app.
FAQ
What is the L’Oréal Makeup Genius app?
It was a free iPhone and iPad app released on June 18, 2014. It used the front camera to show makeup on your face in real time.
Is Makeup Genius still available?
We could not confirm whether it is still sold under that name. L’Oréal’s current virtual try-on runs through ModiFace technology and tools such as Beauty Genius.
What is ModiFace?
ModiFace is a Toronto-founded augmented-reality beauty company that L’Oréal acquired in 2018. It makes makeup and hair colour try-on and skin analysis tools.
What is L’Oréal Paris Beauty Genius?
It is an AI beauty assistant on the L’Oréal Paris website and WhatsApp. It offers skin diagnostics, product recommendations and virtual try-on.
How many virtual try-on sessions has ModiFace run?
ModiFace says on its own site that it has run more than 1 billion sessions.
Last updated: October 2026.
