Yesterday, according to report, L’Oréal Paris is doubling down on its beauty-tech ambitions with the expansion of its proprietary AI tool, Beauty Genius, through a new partnership with WhatsApp. Set to launch in early 2026, the collaboration will make the generative AI-powered assistant accessible to WhatsApp’s nearly 3 billion monthly users, bringing personalized beauty support directly into the chat app many people already use every day.
The move is a significant step in L’Oréal Paris’ goal to redefine how consumers engage with beauty advice, shifting the conversation away from generic AI platforms like ChatGPT to a tool built with L’Oréal Group’s century-long expertise in beauty science. Beauty Genius provides tailored product regimen recommendations, ingredient education, and answers to both simple and complex beauty questions — all with a conversational ease.
“You will be able to message with Beauty Genius the way you would with a friend,” said Thomas Vince, chief digital and marketing officer at L’Oréal Paris.
First introduced in beta via the brand’s website in October 2024 and spotlighted at CES by CEO of L’Oreal Group Nicolas Hieronimus, Beauty Genius has already powered over 480,000 user conversations. Most queries so far have focused on cosmetics and skincare, followed by haircare and hair color, reflecting both casual interest and deeper beauty knowledge from users. “The questions span from, ‘How do I apply eyeshadow?’ to highly detailed ingredient breakdowns,” said Vince.
The tool’s expansion into WhatsApp answers a growing demand for conversational commerce — a space where consumers expect utility, personalization, and on-demand access. “We see a need for more conversational commerce, and that is what we are hoping to answer with Beauty Genius,” said Laura Branik, president of L’Oréal Paris USA.
Beauty Genius not only provides product guidance across the brand’s vast 750+ item portfolio but also fills the expertise gap in the mass retail environment, where beauty advisors are often unavailable. Importantly, users who interact with the tool show significantly higher conversion rates and average order values, though L’Oréal hasn’t disclosed exact figures.
