Sally Beauty shoppers can now test out new hair colors virtually

Sally Beauty is the latest big name to invest in virtual hair color testing.

The retailer has teamed up with the beauty tech provider Perfect Corp to launch ‘ColorView,' a virtual hair color try-on experience powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technology. The service, which is available both in store and via the Sally Beauty app, lets shoppers try on different hair colors from brands including Ion, Arctic Fox, Wella, Ardell and COL-LAB, and also suggests product categories and shades for users.

"This unique in-store integration is changing the way beauty lovers shop for hair color by creating a personalized tool for customers to feel confident in their purchase decision through true-to-life, try-before-you-buy beauty AI technology," Perfect Corp. founder and CEO, Alice Chang, said in a statement.

AR and AI technologies have become increasingly popular with haircare brands over the past year, as a way to offer shoppers a more personal beauty purchasing experience. Aveda rolled out a similar service in November, giving customers the chance to play around with 90 shades of hair dye across its range, while Garnier and Modiface unveiled a ‘Virtual Shade Selector' tool that uses personalized technology to recommend different shades to consumers in just one minute earlier this year.