The Technological Revolution of Beauty


In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about our over-obsession with beauty and vanity, but, let’s not forget Helen of Troy “the face that launched 1000 ships”. The story of the fiery Spartan princess may have been a myth. Yet, even back in 1200 AD women loved to be upheld as symbols of high standing female agency. So, even though the flattering selfie cameras the majority of us walk around with today may make it easier to capture beauty, that’s not to say it hasn’t been celebrated and held in high regard since the beginning of time. It’s just that women before had to depend on artists, musicians and sculptors to immortalise and capture beauty, and there were far fewer options when it came to accentuating beauty. Yet another interesting contrast to make is the connotations we draw from the word beauty. We think of cover girls, runway models and flawlessly striking beauty influencers. Thanks to our preconceived notions of beauty, our relationships we have with the term has become increasingly strained over the last few decades. Whilst the media and technology are undoubtedly to blame for our misconceptions around representations of beauty, it’s always interesting to look to the history of the term and the societal changes beauty has experienced. 


Beauty has always been part of our landscape, so we shouldn’t be all too surprised that beauty and the cosmetic industry are so dominant in the 21st century. A recent study by Statista stated that in December 2017 the cosmetic industry in the UK alone was worth 9.77 billion pounds. Whilst many people embrace the opportunity to enhance their own aesthetic, news of the market value hasn’t pleased everyone. There have even been multiple books published to documenting how our obsession with beauty is harmful to women and girls and we’ve become afflicted with ‘beauty sickness’, but you’ve got to ask, what’s the alternative? 

Beauty: What’s the Obsession? 
Everywhere we turn we are surrounded by cultural depictions of beauty. The songs we hear on the radio, the portrait paintings, the perfume ads. But it’s only when we capture and accentuate our own beauty or strive to a higher standard that a problem is perceived. But, it’s only natural in a society where beauty is worth it’s weight in gold that we will want to not only be surrounded by beauty, but to accentuate our own. If we take the Oxford English Dictionaries definition of beauty as “A combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight”. Beauty hardly seems like the common enemy to the population as it has been suggested, yet our relationships with the connotations of beauty have become toxic regardless. With more young women and girls suffering from body dysmorphia and eating disorders than ever before, it’s about time we got a healthier view of beauty. Yet, the new technologies which are being introduced every day may make that a little more difficult. 

The Technological Beauty Revolution
The high resolution, portrait-setting enabled cameras are only the beginning for the digitalisation of beauty. We are constantly moving closer to a world in which technology and beauty are inseparably entwined. Not only are we now getting to experience several game-changing new technologies, we are also seeing many other online and digital industries be inspired and accentuated by beauty. If you’ve been on Instagram or any other social network recently, you will have noted that there is a fair amount of people; mainly younger women and girls using apps such as Facetune. Facetune allows users to attain the airbrushed image which young women have been sold as a ‘beauty standard’ by the media for decades. Forgetting that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, users are able to remove their blemishes, whiten their teeth and even reshape their faces to achieve a professional editing finish. 


While some technological advancements are promoting unhealthy and unrealistic ideals upon young women and girls, there are plenty more apps which help beauty enthusiasts to engage with beauty brands. Unarguably the introduction of the technology by beauty brands was a bid to boost sales. Yet, that doesn’t mean users don’t get to have fun while interacting with the non-traditional channels which allow them to discover new and exciting products to boost their confidence. Augmented reality and artificial intelligence apps which allow you to test out make up before making a purchase are fun as well as informative. Online shoppers are now able to evaluate and buy products easily by only using their smartphone. Users will get to see how different beauty products will look with their complexion and skin tone by trying out different products from retailers. Whilst augmented reality may sound like something from a science fiction film, 75 of the top 100 beauty brands are now investing in the technology. Not wanting to be left behind in the digital revolution, brands such as Rimmel, Smashbox, Covergirl, Maybelline and many, many more are all keen to cash in on the novelty. 

So, whilst Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are helping to bring the beauty and cosmetic industry to a whole new level, we also see beauty influence in pretty up every digital aspect of our lives. Beauty has even come to influence Clover Casino. Whilst in the past traditional slot machines weren’t able to appeal to an individual’s aesthetic preferences, the evolution of the gaming industry ensures that players receive the visual experience we want. Online slot games such as Asian Beauty, Golden Goddess and Irish Eyes. Alongside the visual aspects of the beauty-inspired slots, you will also be able to immerse yourselves into different cultures along the way. With Asian Beauty, you get to sample the elegance and grace exhibited by the Emperor’s daughters as you’re transported to a whole new world. With Golden Goddess, players are able to lose themselves in the same way as they would reading a fantasy novel or watching their favourite Disney film. 

Who knows, maybe in the future we can look forward to a Helen of Troy-inspired slot game?