Microsoft to offer Maybelline make-up filters on Teams video calls

Microsoft paired up with Maybelline New York in order to provide AI-powered makeup filters to participants in video calls

Maybelline has listed the real life products it uses in its new Teams filters [File] | Photo Credit: Maybelline

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it had paired up with cosmetics company Maybelline New York to introduce AI-powered make-up filters for people participating in a Teams meeting.

In a company blog post, Microsoft announced that the new filters could be accessed through the Maybelline Beauty app in Microsoft Teams.

A mock-up shared on the blog showed twelve different make-up styles for callers of diverse skin shades and genders. There were options for plump, berry red lips as well as more subtle pink smiles that users could preview before selecting them.

“The Maybelline Beauty app in Teams uses AI-powered functionality enabled by Modiface, an augmented reality technology for the beauty industry owned by Maybelline parent company L’Oreal. Modiface AI identifies over 70 points of the users face to create a “virtual map” that enables the seamless application of the digital filters,” said Microsoft’s post.

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Maybelline’s own press release said that the real-life products featured in each filter were listed, so that users could try out the looks offline.

The rollout began on Wednesday and will first reach Microsoft Teams enterprise customers. The new filters can be found under the “More Video Effects” option when joining a call.

Teams offers options to obscure one’s background or replace it with both professional and quirky backdrops. There are also filters which add sparkles and similar effects to a user’s face.

Last week saw Microsoft admitting that China-backed threat actors gained access to user emails, including those associated with the U.S. federal government. A Chinese government spokesperson denied the claims.