3D Printed Makeup

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The Future of Cosmetics – 3D Printed Makeup

Imagine falling in love with a shade of blush you saw on Instagram and then being able to have it in your hands, ready to apply, in a matter of seconds! 

Or how about a world where you don’t need to spend hours hunting for a primer that matches your skin tone because you can scan your skin and create your own makeup that is an exact match. 

That reality is here with the futuristic new world of 3D printed makeup.

3D printing is about to revolutionize the world of beauty with the launch of several products that allow you to print personalized makeup in the comfort of your own home. 

Each device works in a slightly different way, from printing bespoke powder makeup on to a special paper to applying a full face of makeup directly to your face in a few seconds. 

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing is a new technology, known as additive manufacturing, that is revolutionizing the world of fashion and art as well as manufacturing and architecture. It is centered around a device called a 3D printer, which makes objects by building them up, layer by layer.

3D printers can print plastic, metal, or even concrete. In the case of makeup printers, they print using specially formulated makeup and dyes, all of which are FDA approved.

Mink Makeup Printer

The Mink was the first portable makeup printer, unveiled by its inventor, Grace Choi, in 2014, it is now available to pre-order with units shipping in Fall of 2020. 

The process for using the Mink printer is very straightforward and a lot of fun. 

Firstly you choose an image from the web, social media, or your own camera roll. This image could be a photo of your favorite celeb or even an object whose color you want to replicate. You upload the image to Mink using the smartphone app and Mink sets to work printing your image. 

Within fifteen seconds you’ll have a square mink makeup sheet printed with your image in ready to apply powder. It’s like having your ultimate eyeshadow palette but on a thin sheet of paper. 

The Mink can print 16.7 million colors which means you can print every possible shade of every color and you can choose between matt or shimmery tones. Who knows, in the future, we might be swapping our favorite lip gloss hex code!

Each makeup square will keep for up to two weeks, and of course, it’s super easy to print another. The inks used in the printer are FDA approved. 

You can pre-order the Mink makeup printer on minkbeauty.com for a special price of $295 for shipping in Fall 2020. Once launched, the Mink will retail for $395. 

MODA by Foreo

Foreo is well known for its LUNA face cleanser brush and ISSA toothbrush, so you can be sure their latest innovation will be just as revolutionary.

The MODA takes 3D printed makeup a step further by using facial scanning which allows it to apply primer, foundation, lipstick, and eye-shadow directly to your face, all within thirty seconds! 

The process of using the MODA is similar to the Mink. Firstly, you choose an image from the MODA smartphone app or upload your own image.

You then you position your face in the MODA printer, allowing its biometric lens to scan your face for color and contour.

It then uses its nine thousand fine nozzles to spray successive layers of primer, foundation, and eye, cheek, and lip color onto your face. Amazingly, this all happens in about thirty seconds. 

Although the MODA can look a little intimidating, the sensation of its makeup application is said to feel a little like a gentle facial mist spray. 

If you hate the fact you have to spend so much of your morning applying makeup then the MODA is the perfect answer. 

Procter & Gamble Opté

The Opté is a 3D printing anti-aging solution for the 21st century. It looks and operates like an advanced makeup pen. The end contains a blue light, a high-resolution scanner, and a highly accurate printer head. 

As you run the wand over your face it detects the slightest blemishes in your skin and prepares and prints a serum of exactly the correct tone to cover it. 

The printer head contains 120 nozzles, each smaller than the thickness of a human hair, to apply the blemish covering serum with incredible accuracy. 

The serum also contains anti-aging ingredients, so the blemish reduction is not just short-term. 

Procter & Gamble plans to launch the Opté at the end of 2019. 

Verdict

Who doesn’t want to save time and money on their makeup while also making it look perfect?

With all these new makeup devices hitting stores in the near future, there’s no doubt that 3D printing is about to revolutionize the beauty industry and the way we apply our makeup.

All of the 3D printers here have been designed to be so simple to use that you don’t need to be very tech-savvy to use them.

Each device has its own advantages and disadvantages, but you can be sure they will all help you spend less time applying makeup, and less money in the beauty aisle.

At the moment, most makeup companies are less than keen to see their customers gain the ability to 3d print makeup in their own home. But it won’t be long before the biggest beauty brands get on board and start marketing their own makeup 3d printers and special makeup powders to use in them.

In our age of instant gratification and concerns about excess cosmetic packaging, 3d printed makeup might just be the solution we are after.

Erin Miller

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