Fashion
Is Printing Makeup Onto Your Skin The Future of Beauty?
Welcome to the future: The world’s first handheld inkjet printer has arrived, and it is printing makeup directly onto your face.
Meet the Opte. It’s the size of a remote control that reminds me of an airbrush makeup device—but instead of coating your face in a layer of makeup, it has a built-in scanner, so it’s only dispersing the makeup where you need it. The concept is a dream for foundation haters like me (yes, you can be a beauty editor and not be into wearing foundation!). The brand claims it uses on average 97 percent less product than traditional foundation in a single application.
Is it skincare or makeup?
Both. The ingredients inside Opte’s serum make it both makeup and skincare hybrid. There’s skin-brightening niacinamide, hydrating propylene glycol, and covering mineral pigments, so you’re getting both a treatment (aka the discoloration will slowly get better with time) and will be camouflaged immediately.
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Right now there are only three serum shades on the market: Formula 1 for light skin tones (this is the one I used); Formula 2 for medium skin tones; and Formula 3 for deep skin tones. When asked about the shade range, Opte said that since the serum is meant to only cover spots of discoloration by lightening the tone of those areas, rather than color match a large swatch of skin like traditional foundation does. Hence why three serums work across skin tones.
How does the Opte work?
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Once you’ve booted the Opte up and the screen says “ready,” you’re good to go. Place the device on your skin and gently drag it across your face—the blue light sensor will detect any discoloration or hyperpigmentation—shooting out a serum in targeted micro-drops to cover only those exact spots. You’ll hear a soft clicking noise every time the device is working, giving you an idea of how much discoloration it senses. You can use it across your entire face or spot treat trouble areas. Once you’re finished, plug it back into the charging case.
What I thought of the Opte Device
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I skipped my tried-and-true tinted moisturizer for a week instead of using my Opte post-sunscreen. When my skin is completely bare, you can see I’ve got quite a bit of hyperpigmentation from too much frolicking in the sun this summer, along with acne scarring on my chin.
It took less than five minutes to apply a “whole face” of Opte serum. I started at the left side and slowly dragged it across the contours of my face (skipping places where I wouldn’t usually put foundation, like my eyes and lips). I was surprised by some areas where I heard a lot of clicking—aka the sides of my face. Guess I need to be more diligent about applying sunscreen there.
Overall, I looked like myself, which is exactly what I want from skin makeup. I love that the serum was utterly untraceable (while still covering up the discoloration, especially on my chin) and that it never settled—with foundation, there’s always a concern it might separate, oxidize, or settle weirdly on your skin.
And my week-long use barely made a dent in the cartridge, which means it’ll last me a super long time. The Opte is the perfect day-to-day makeup option for me and requires just a little bit of touching up without having to worry about blending or lighting. Plus, I love the long-term benefit of treating the discoloration, too.
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