As of today, you can chat directly with their new “Smashbot” simply by clicking on the ‘Send Message’ button on the Smashbox Cosmetics UK Facebook page. You’ll immediately be greeted by an effusive welcome message peppered with emojis, encouraging you to explore and try on the Smashbox range, get inspired, or find your nearest stockist. Oh, and you can also shop straight through the bot, adding items to your basket before being redirected to the Smashbox site to check out.

Our junior beauty writer Ava was one of the first to give the Smashbot a go. “At first, I assumed it would be just like any other chat bot – but I was definitely surprised at how much personality it had. It replied just as a millennial girl would, and I spent the better part of my morning playing around with it. It felt like a mini, automated beauty consultation.” 

So, how exactly does it work? Different buttons appear in the chat as a menu, and you can also directly ask for what you need by typing product names. A carousel of products and looks pops up for you to swipe through, with options to purchase, get more details, or try on for yourself. The bot encourages you to upload a selfie, then delivers back its own version of you wearing anything from a blue Always On liquid lipstick or any shade from their Cover Shot eye palettes – with an encouraging “YASS, you look (fire emoji)” for added measure. 

This is a first for not only the beauty industry, but for AI as a whole. Smashbox are the first brand in the UK to offer a bot service via Facebook Messenger, and we’re expecting other brands to jump on this as an exciting way to engage with customers and make the whole beauty shopping experience even more fun. Just imagine the future, where you can try on as many as 40 lipsticks in one go – no wipes necessary…  

Play around with the Smashbot over on the Smashbox Cosmetics UK Facebook page.

Images: Smashbox Cosmetics