In recent years, Korean actors and K-pop stars have achieved unparalleled worldwide acclaim due to their exceptional talents and performances on both screens and stages. Concurrently, fans of Korean pop culture have been greatly influenced by these celebrities’ appearances, particularly their makeup styles, which emphasize achieving a youthful and healthy look through smooth and radiant complexions.
Individuals aspiring to emulate these stars often turn to online sources to discover and purchase Korean beauty products, and they eagerly adopt the skincare routines and makeup techniques used by their idols. Recognizing this trend, Zackdang Company, a Korean startup, developed the Zamface mobile application. Zamface not only provides video and text reviews of Korean beauty and cosmetic products but also employs artificial intelligence technology to help users determine their specific skin type or tone and receive personalized beauty recommendations.
Zackdang Company’s CEO, Yoon Jeong-ha, explained in an interview with Yonhap News Agency, “Traditionally, people would watch makeup tutorials or reviews on YouTube and then search for the featured products online. A few years ago, I noticed the absence of an all-in-one beauty app for these processes. While there were apps for product reviews and advice, I envisioned creating a platform tailored to the new generation that communicates through videos.”
The initial version of Zamface, launched in 2019, garnered attention with its innovative “time jump” feature, allowing users to skip to specific sections of YouTube videos where particular cosmetics were used. Utilizing AI technology, this function automatically identifies the cosmetics and timestamps in the video, simplifying users’ search for desired information without the need to watch the entire video.
Yoon noted, “Since its launch, this feature has accumulated over 3.6 million clicks from users. Building on this growing user base, we expanded the app to include user forums, beauty tutorials, and additional services.”
As a result, Zamface, with a predominantly youthful user base in their teens and 20s, introduced services for personal color and skin type analysis to cater to the increasing demand among youngsters. Personal color signifies an individual’s unique complexion and skin tone, aiding in choosing the most suitable clothing, makeup, and accessories.
To assess personal color with Zamface, users capture a photo of themselves and virtually experiment with a variety of lipstick shades to discover their ideal tone. The app classifies users into 24 categories, such as spring-warm-light or winter-cool-mute.
Yoon shared, “Developing personal color analysis on a mobile platform posed significant challenges. The key was to condense the color categories to 24 from the 64 recognized by dermatologists and clinical testing centers.”
Following the analysis, the app offers tailored recommendations for lipsticks, foundations, eye shadows, skincare products, and even suggests YouTube reviews and online influencers or streamers who share similar personal colors or preferences for specific cosmetics. Over 2 million individuals have already explored their personal colors using Zamface.
In its latest endeavor, Zamface has launched an online shopping mall, simplifying users’ ability to purchase the recommended cosmetics and favorite products directly from the app without the need to navigate to separate e-commerce platforms.
Yoon expressed her pride in Zamface’s role as an all-inclusive beauty platform, enabling users to understand their skin characteristics, connect with others who share similar skin types, and enjoy a seamless shopping experience. Looking ahead, she stated, “We have more plans in store. I aspire to expand our beauty services into the realm of men’s grooming. Additionally, as part of our global strategy, we will introduce a Vietnamese version in the first quarter of next year.”
(Source: Kim Boram | Yonhap News Agency | The Korea Herald)
