L’Oreal turns to Google as coronavirus spurs virtual make-up shift

Shoppers searching Google for cosmetics will be able to try them on virtually through a deal with L’Oreal, as the French group looks to make up for lost store sales caused by coronavirus lockdowns by expanding online.

Maybelline maker L’Oreal , which returned to comparable sales growth in the third quarter when coronavirus restrictions eased, has sped up some of its web initiatives as a result of the pandemic, its digital chief Lubomira Rochet said.

“There’s been an acceleration in all our partnerships due to Covid-19,” Rochet said in an online presentation.

The Google partnership relies on technology designed by ModiFace, a Canadian augmented reality specialist acquired by L’Oreal in 2018, and will also extend to…