“Click To Print” Powders, Creams, Lipsticks, & More
Grace Choi wants to level the playing field when it comes to the $80 billion cosmetic industry. According to Choi, 85% of cosmetics are purchased in big retail stores like Walmart, where in order to provide affordable cosmetics, women are given a very limited choice of colors, textures, etc. Unusual colors don’t pay, so huge retailers don’t sell them.
To date, if a woman wanted an unusual color she would have to go to a high-end store and spend a lot of money. Now, using a Mink printer, women will be able to buy cosmetics at about the same price as at big retailers, but with the largest number of colors available from any retailer on the planet.
Mink Printer Technology & Business Model
Choi, who attended Harvard Business School, has developed a 3D Printer that will retail for $300 and is expected to be available in early 2015. The new 3D printer will use the same technology found in normal 3D printers and will include FDA compliant makeup substrates and inks to produce the end product. Users will now be able use existing programs, such as Photoshop, to turn a color from a smart phone picture, or any image, into any kind of makeup.
The business model for “Mink” is to cut out the middleman and pass savings on to customers, all while allowing a customer to create makeup at home. Women will now be able to match makeup with clothing to match their taste or mood. Choi unveiled her new product at Techcrunch Disrupt and created pink eyeshadow on stage with the Mink printer and Colorzilla software.
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References and related content:
- The Future of Beauty: 3-D Print Your Own Makeup at Home: Daily Beauty Reporter: Daily Beauty Reporter: allure.com
- Hue’s the boss: Device lets you 3-D print your own makeup – Style – TODAY.com
- Grace Choi makes a Mink 3d printer by hacking a Desktop Inkjet printer. – Smart printing
