Battington Lashes is the latest beauty brand to get in on the app game.
The Indie line, which sells faux lashes handmade from silk, has teamed with FaceCake to launch an augmented-reality-powered app, designed to help customers choose the best set of lashes for them.
“When you try on the lashes [in the app], you can see how they’re really looking on you,” said Sirine Swed, founder and chief executive officer of Battington. “I’ve used beauty apps in the past with other brands and I feel like the apps don’t always reflect what you would really look like [with the product on].”
Battington’s assortment consists of six styles of lashes, priced from $22 to $28 per set. Swed, a former pharmaceutical sales representative who started the business in 2016, designed the lashes to be easy to use and long-lasting — each set can last up to 25 applications. She said many customers — the line is sold in independent boutiques, on Revolve and in Anthropologie — are first-time users.
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“I felt there was a need in the market for better-quality lashes that were comfortable,” said Swed. “Before, MAC was my go-to and I’d be able to get a couple of wears, but lashes made of mink or synthetic tend to get hard and brittle and you can’t reuse them.”
Battington’s appliqué bands are made of a soft cotton material, making them more flexible than traditional bands, said Swed.
“The line was created for women who haven’t used lashes in the past and have been scared to wear lashes. I wanted to make something super easy to apply,” said Swed.
With the new app, customers will be able to try on lashes and even purchase them through the app. There is also a video tutorial on how to apply lashes, and a filter that can be applied before posting from the app to social media.
Linda Smith noted that for this launch, FaceCake utilized for the first time its proprietary technology made specifically for lashes — the technology even recognizes eye shape and adjusts the lash style accordingly. “We wanted to make sure we have photo-realistic lashes and you can see the difference between lash types,” said Smith. “Like you would in real life trying them on.”
Swed said Battington is also branching out into tools for applying lashes.