Tag Archives: Beauty

JLab’s latest $20 earbuds are designed to complement your skin tone

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When it comes to blending in, nearly all true wireless earbuds fail miserably. That's mostly due to predominantly black and white color options, with a few brightly-hued variants tossed in along the way. Even if the buds are tiny, they're still highly visible due to their color. JLab is on a quest to remedy this and the audio company teamed up with nail care brand ORLY to develop a solution. With the Go Air Tones, the duo selected a collection of seven Pantone colors that are "flattering for people across a spectrum of skin tones." 

JLab says it worked with ORLY to select the final hues from an original collection of over 60 options. Given the beauty brand's experience with creating nude nail polishes, the seven colors "encompassed a variety of skin tones with a mix of warm, neutral and cool undertones. While the colors reflect actual skin tones, most users will find the colors "flattering" without an exact match, according to JLab. If you're having trouble selecting the best option, JLab offers an AR fitting room for a virtual try-on that might help you decide.

JLab Go Air Tones
JLab

The Go Air Tones are the same earbuds as the $20 Go Air Pop that JLab debuted back in August. This means you'll get on-board touch controls, the ability to use either bud on its own, a collection of EQ presets and IPX4 protection from moisture. There's also an enclosed case with built-in USB cable for charging. JLab says you can expect up to eight hours on the earbuds themselves with an additional three charges from the included case. The only difference between the Pop and the Tones are the available color options for each. 

The Go Air Tones are available for pre-order today for $20. They're scheduled to begin shipping in mid-January. 

JLab Go Air Tones
JLab

Circul+ packs an ECG sensor into its heart-tracking ring

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Bodimetrics is today announcing the second-generation of its Circul heart-rate monitoring smart ring, the Circul+. The updated wearable, co-branded with Prevention Magazine, is one of the first smart rings on the market that includes a built-in ECG within its small body. As well as the ECG, the device offers continuous heart-rate monitoring, finger temperature and blood oxygenation readings. Bodimetrics adds that it has worked to ensure that all skin tones will get accurate measurements while wearing the ring, as well.

Hewn from stainless steel, the Circul+ packs a 20mAh battery that the company says is good for 16 hours of service on a charge. And it’s clear that the device isn’t really as smart as some of the other devices that are designed to be worn as rings. Instead, it’s doubling down on giving you accurate cardio stats, with the app letting you decide if you want to track stats during an exercise session, or sleep.

Rather than a full ring, the Circul+ has a boxy section which is designed to be worn on the underside of your finger. When you want to take an ECG, you place the tip of a finger on the other hand on this section in order to complete the circuit.

The Circul+ will be available from WalMart priced at $299.

Pinterest launches hair pattern search with BIPOC users in mind

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Pinterest has launched a new search feature that could make it easier for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx and other POC users to find hair inspiration that would suit their hair types. The visual discovery website has introduced hair pattern search, it said, with BIPOC users in mind. This new feature uses computer vision-powered object detection to enable users to refine their searches by six different hair patterns: protective, coily, curly, wavy, straight and shaved/bald.

Now, after users search for broader terms like "summer hairstyles," "glam hair" or "short hair," they'll find new hair pattern buttons that will narrow down the results. The feature is now live in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on desktop, as well as on iOS and Android. It will roll out to more locations over the coming months.

Yes, there are different types of curls, not to mention different hair textures and porosities, and Pinterest said its technology detected hair patterns in over 500 million images on its platform. Being able to refine results could help POC users find styling inspiration more easily instead of having to wade through pages and pages of hair images that wouldn't work for their hair types. That said, it remains to be seen how accurate the feature is and if it's truly effective in sifting through images on the website.

According to the company, this feature builds on its first inclusive product that allows users to search for images based on the subjects' skin tones. It worked with BIPOC creators and popular Pinners like Naeemah LaFond to design the product.

Pinterest's Head of Inclusive Product Annie Ta said in a statement: 

"Our mission on the Inclusive Product team is to help everyone feel like Pinterest is a place for them. As a visual discovery platform, we have an opportunity and responsibility to do a better job of increasing representation in the products we build. That's why we built hair pattern search using computer vision technology to help identify hair patterns in images. By doing this, we hope we're able to use technology for good and make it easier for people, no matter who they are, to find hair inspiration for them on Pinterest."

Pinterest
Pinterest

Pinterest launches hair pattern search with BIPOC users in mind

Posted on by

Pinterest has launched a new search feature that could make it easier for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx and other POC users to find hair inspiration that would suit their hair types. The visual discovery website has introduced hair pattern search, it said, with BIPOC users in mind. This new feature uses computer vision-powered object detection to enable users to refine their searches by six different hair patterns: protective, coily, curly, wavy, straight and shaved/bald.

Now, after users search for broader terms like "summer hairstyles," "glam hair" or "short hair," they'll find new hair pattern buttons that will narrow down the results. The feature is now live in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on desktop, as well as on iOS and Android. It will roll out to more locations over the coming months.

Yes, there are different types of curls, not to mention different hair textures and porosities, and Pinterest said its technology detected hair patterns in over 500 million images on its platform. Being able to refine results could help POC users find styling inspiration more easily instead of having to wade through pages and pages of hair images that wouldn't work for their hair types. That said, it remains to be seen how accurate the feature is and if it's truly effective in sifting through images on the website.

According to the company, this feature builds on its first inclusive product that allows users to search for images based on the subjects' skin tones. It worked with BIPOC creators and popular Pinners like Naeemah LaFond to design the product.

Pinterest's Head of Inclusive Product Annie Ta said in a statement: 

"Our mission on the Inclusive Product team is to help everyone feel like Pinterest is a place for them. As a visual discovery platform, we have an opportunity and responsibility to do a better job of increasing representation in the products we build. That's why we built hair pattern search using computer vision technology to help identify hair patterns in images. By doing this, we hope we're able to use technology for good and make it easier for people, no matter who they are, to find hair inspiration for them on Pinterest."

Pinterest
Pinterest

Star Wars Beauty Face Masks: Use the Moisturizer, Luke!

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If you’ve spent any time over in Japan, you know that those stick-on beauty masks are everywhere. They come in all kinds of designs, from panda bears to Hello Kitty. Now, Star Wars fans can get in on the moisturizing goodness too!

Beauty product maker Isshin Do is making face masks that make you look like some of your favorite Star Wars characters.

Yes, now you can walk around the house looking like the Dark Lord of the Sith while at the same time improving your complexion. Each single-use face pack contains a mix of water, glycerin, water-soluble collagen, Vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, which sounds like a skin-melting chemical developed by the Empire to make Rebel scum talk.

In addition to Darth Vader, the masks come in Chewbacca, Stormtrooper, Darth Maul, and C-3PO designs, so you can stomp around in your slippers and quote the odds that your mask will come off in one piece.

If you live in Japan, you should be able to find them at a variety of retailers for about ¥438 each (~$4 USD). Overseas, you can order them from the Japan Trend Shop, where they’re going for $31 for a 3-pack.

Pinterest lets users virtually try on makeup

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Pinterest is joining the AR makeup game. From today, Pinners will be able to virtually try on lipstick from brands such as Sephora, Urban Decay, NYX and Lancôme before they buy, using a new Try On feature, powered by Lens. Just open the Lens ca...