Clairol launches hands-free beauty assistant tool for home hair coloring

The Coty-owned haircare brand has unveiled a Google Assistant tool for Google Home, that is designed to guide consumers through the at-home coloring process, from start to finish.

Dubbed the ‘Clairol Color Expert,' the tool offers hands-free, voice-activated help, beginning with advice on selecting the right shade of dye and taking users through the entire process of applying and reapplying the color, plus helping them through the aftercare requirements.

"In beauty, service is the new product, and for consumers, the real value of a product is not just what's in the box, but the expertise and service that comes with it," said Fred Gerantabee, Coty's Vice President, Digital Innovation, in a statement. "We worked with Google, who helped us identify insights around known category challenges combined with how (and where) beauty consumers are using voice assistants. By delivering Clairol expertise through the unique Google Assistant ecosystem we are able to transform the at-home hair color experience and truly help Clairol consumers feel confident that they will get better results with a lifeline and expert at every step of their journey."

Beauty assistants are fast becoming a major area of growth within the cosmetics industry. Last month, Google announced a collaboration with the beauty retailer Sephora, with the duo joining forces to make hands-free, voice-activated beauty tutorials possible on the tech giant's ‘Google Hub' device. Virtual reality technology also means that multiple brands belonging to conglomerates such as L'Oréal and Coty now offer beauty buffs the chance to test out products from eyeshadow to nail polish using just their screens.