# 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.

- **Patent:** US 12073418
- **Original title:** System and method for adjusting custom topical agents
- **Owner:** Shiseido Co Ltd
- **Granted:** 2024
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 0
- **Field:** consumer_electronics, software

## What it does

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.

## 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.

## 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.

## Real-world examples

1. Personalized foundation matching apps
2. Smart beauty kiosks in retail stores
3. Direct-to-consumer custom makeup subscription services

## Why it matters

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.

## 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.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12073418/starship-cargo-configuration

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US12073418

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._