How Apps Can Help You Tweak Your Custom Makeup Colors
A system that uses smartphone camera calibration and color-mapping software to let users adjust the formula of their custom cosmetic products.
Original patent title: “System and method for adjusting custom topical agents”
A system that uses smartphone camera calibration and color-mapping software to let users adjust the formula of their custom cosmetic products. Granted to Shiseido Co Ltd in 2024 with 13 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a method for creating and then modifying custom makeup products, such as foundation. It starts by using a smartphone app to calibrate the camera and scan the user's skin, creating a 'known search key' that maps the user's skin tone to a specific point on a complex color chart (the complexion color map). Once the user has an initial product, the app provides an interface where they can manually select a different location on that map to adjust the product's color or properties. The system then uses this new selection to generate updated manufacturing instructions for a modified version of the cosmetic.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover cosmetic products that are not based on a digital complexion color map.
- Does not cover manual, non-digital methods of mixing or adjusting cosmetic formulas.
- Does not cover general image processing that lacks the specific step of creating a 'modified search key' for manufacturing instructions.
- Does not cover skin analysis that is not linked to a specific, pre-defined search key for product manufacturing.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system treats a physical cosmetic product as a data-driven 'search key' that can be manipulated in a digital space, effectively turning a makeup bottle into a software variable that the user can tune.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Personalized foundation matching apps
Smart beauty kiosks in retail stores
Direct-to-consumer custom makeup subscription services
Why it matters
The bigger picture
As the beauty industry moves toward hyper-personalization, companies like Shiseido are looking for ways to bridge the gap between digital skin analysis and physical product fulfillment. This patent provides a framework for 'iterative' personalization, allowing a customer to refine their product after an initial purchase rather than starting the process from scratch.
Filed
April 14, 2023
Granted
August 27, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Shiseido is the primary assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, but this technology sits at the intersection of beauty tech and digital imaging. Companies like L'Oreal and various beauty-tech startups are actively developing similar digital-to-physical pipelines for personalized skincare and color cosmetics.
Market impact
This patent supports the shift toward 'on-demand' beauty manufacturing. By standardizing how skin data is mapped to product specifications, it helps companies reduce waste by producing only what is customized for the user, rather than relying on mass-market inventory.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a method for creating and then modifying custom makeup products, such as foundation. It starts by using a smartphone app to calibrate the camera and scan the user's skin, creating a 'known search key' that maps the user's skin tone to a specific point on a complex color chart (the complexion color map). Once the user has an initial product, the app provides an interface where they can manually select a different location on that map to adjust the product's color or properties. The system then uses this new selection to generate updated manufacturing instructions for a modified version of the cosmetic.
The clever bit
The system treats a physical cosmetic product as a data-driven 'search key' that can be manipulated in a digital space, effectively turning a makeup bottle into a software variable that the user can tune.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover cosmetic products that are not based on a digital complexion color map.
- Does not cover manual, non-digital methods of mixing or adjusting cosmetic formulas.
- Does not cover general image processing that lacks the specific step of creating a 'modified search key' for manufacturing instructions.
- Does not cover skin analysis that is not linked to a specific, pre-defined search key for product manufacturing.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
9/20
Moderate scope
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$36K – $115K
Midpoint $72K · 16.8 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
13 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Harvill, L. Y. (2024). How Apps Can Help You Tweak Your Custom Makeup Colors (U.S. Patent No. 12,073,418). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12073418/starship-cargo-configuration
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Apps Can Help You Tweak Your Custom Makeup Colors cover?
A system that uses smartphone camera calibration and color-mapping software to let users adjust the formula of their custom cosmetic products.
Who owns patent US 12073418?
Shiseido Co Ltd owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on August 27, 2044, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
As the beauty industry moves toward hyper-personalization, companies like Shiseido are looking for ways to bridge the gap between digital skin analysis and physical product fulfillment. This patent provides a framework for 'iterative' personalization, allowing a customer to refine their product after an initial purchase rather than starting the process from scratch.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover cosmetic products that are not based on a digital complexion color map.
Patent monitoring