Incredible advances in technology have been seeping into the beauty industry for a while now Two years ago, Urban Decay launched a phone app that allowed users to test different colours from the brand’s Vice Lipstick range before purchasing. And last year, L’Oreal partnered up with Automat Technologies Inc to launch a series of beauty services on Facebook’s Messenger platform.

Now, Chanel has taken it up a notch by producing the first 3D-printed mascara brush marketed on an industrial scale. The Le Volume Révolution de Chanel mascara brush was created by printing successive layers of a polyamide powder with a laser beam.

But why all the fuss? Well, the technology has a few advantages. Firstly, the technique allows the brush to get carefully printed with micro-cavities that absorb the mascara to deliver the right dose with each swipe. Not only does this save you from constantly re-dipping your mascara wand back into the pot, it also minimises the chances of dreaded clumping.

What’s more, the brush has also been created with a granular texture to optimise lash adherence, meaning the formula locks in place.

To create the brush, Chanel teamed up with French 3D printing specialist Erpro 3D Factory – and it seems the collaboration could save the beauty brand a lot of time and money.

Mascara brush moulds are notoriously complicated and time-consuming to develop, as well as costly to make. This makes it harder for brands to trial different-shaped brushes in order to find the best shape for individual mascara formulas.

However, with 3D printing, brushes are created instantly. A production chain will be applied to six machines, which will create 50,000 brushes in 24 hours and 250,00 brushes per week. The quick turnaround allowed Chanel to rework the Le Volume Révolution de Chanel mascara brush over 100 times until they were happy with it.

Pascale Marciniak-Davoult, Packaging Innovation Manager for Chanel Parfums Beaute, says: “Together, we overcame numerous technological obstacles in order to push back the limits of 3D printing and create a revolutionary product.”

Want to get your hands on one? The Le Volume Révolution de Chanel mascara, £28, is available at Boots - with plans to roll it out globally soon.

Main image: Chanel