E-Make-Up?

Video 1. Print Your Own Makeup With Mink | Disrupt NY 2014

E- make-up?

As I was searching for information about 3d printing I ran across this :  The Mink printer

Ladies..we don’t have to run to the store to get make up. We will now be able to make your own make up straight from your printer. A Harvard student by the name of   Ms.  Choi, has develop a printer that will print out any shade of color. Color that is wearable due to 3d printing. Her argument is that manufactures are selling a lot “bullshit”. She believes that women should be able to establish what beauty is to themselves and the mink printer will help expand this idea. According to Choi,  mass manufactures only sell make up that are high volume which limits the selection for women. If a women would want a niche make up brand then you have to go to a high priced vendor such as Sephora which also limits the choices for women. This also drives the prices of niche colors up to where it would be considered prestige to even buy that particular make up.     Her target audience are girls ranging from ages 13-21 because she wants to develop a new culture for buying make up. She believes that this age group is way beyond ready to print their own make-up. It would be just be in their nature to click and print.

The hardware itself is  just the same as a regular inkjet printer. You would not have to buy any special software to make the make- up.  You would have to buy the program which is gracemink.com.   You actually will be able to pick a picture, take the color hex code from a color picker and print from any software  You have to buy ink which is FDA approved. In the demo she literally pulled an eye shadow from a printer.  She is basically selling the idea of providing your own pigment to our own raw materials to make your own make-up.

The concept appears to be doable but it brings a lot of questions to mind. For example, the raw materials, where will a thirteen year old girl get these materials? The ink in the printer is assumed to be FDA approved but with added functional attributes will the make -up cause allergies or skin conditions?

I think if it is not marketed correctly, it can be just another “easy bake oven” put on the side that doesn’t decompose. I don’t know what approach to use that would make this product become a household name that everyone would use every day. I do agree with Ms. Choi that manufacturers and niche markets do try to possess the control of the make- up market. It would be a way to empower our young and older women but it would it just be just another revolutionary fad? We experienced the same thing with Green became the new black. It would be kind of difficult to convince a single mom that has to rely on Wally world’s sale on Cover girl and Revlon, to invest in a three hundred dollar machine in which you will still have to buy additional supplies to make your own make up.

Convenience is another reason that may be positive or a negative. Making your own make-up at home seems to be ideal but what if you don’t have the additional supplies and the time how would that work. I do have to say I was impress when I saw the demo, she made eye shadow in less than six minutes. But really who has the time to print anything now, isn’t that  why we now have e-coupons now.

I love the fact that Ms. Choi wants to disrupt the whole make-up world.  Any idea that brings about change does deserve a moment of consideration.  I don’t wear make-up on a daily basis but I have spent a few more dollars on products that Ms. Choi would consider prestige. Well, it’s because it makes me feel pretty… maybe Ms. Choi’s Mink printer will change how we see beauty.

CC: video: http://youtu.be/cBZHFUQiP8Q


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