Snapchat and NYX launch new beauty filter that’s also a stealth shopping tool

Snapchat just launched a new AR makeup filter that links to products that users can buy to recreate their looks in the real world. It’s a partnership with cosmetics brand NYX Professional Makeup that they’re calling it Beauty Bestie.

AR beauty filters are nothing new, but Snapchat and NYX have turned this filter into a marketing tool for products consumers would typically find in a local pharmacy. With struggling pharmacy chains shutting down a lot of locations lately, this is one way NYX might be able to nab more customers online.

Users can find the filter by searching ‘NYX Beauty Bestie’ or visiting the makeup brand’s public profile on Snapchat. They’ll find daily ‘looks’ created by NYX makeup artists that users can personalize based on their own preferences. “The more you interact, the more it learns what you like, making it that much more personal over time,” according to an email from Snapchat.

The filter also suggests products for users to buy. A “more” button will pop up that links to products for sale on the NYX website. Sometime this winter, NYX plans to launch another feature within the app that allows users to scan a NYX product they have in real life using their phone camera that will offer up tutorial videos for using the product.

From virtually doing your makeup to painting your nails, there are plenty of beauty-focused AR filters these days, and increasingly companies are seeking ways to monetize them. Earlier this year, Snapchat launched a new business unit called AR Enterprise Services (ARES) to allow brands and their customers to use AR to virtually try on products and shop online.