← Lead With AI
Lead With AI
This AI Beauty Bestie Knows Your Face Better Than Any Makeup Counter Ever Will
This AI Beauty Bestie Knows Your Face Better Than Any Makeup Counter Ever Will
Loading summary
Transcript82 lines
- [00:00]
A
Imagine an AI that looks at your face, not to judge it, but to understand it. Your undertones, your features, your shade. And that's exactly what mirror does. It's an AI tool that finally ends the beauty guessing game, matching you with products that actually work for your skin. This is the future of beauty. Personal, inclusive, and powered by AI. Let's get into it.
- [00:28]
B
Welcome to Lead with AI. I'm Dr. Tamara Nall. In each episode, we will take you behind the scenes with visionary leaders shaping the future of AI across public and private sectors. Join us as we explore groundbreaking projects and innovations that are transforming industries and making a real impact on on people's lives. Let's dive in.
- [00:57]
A
So, hi, everyone. Welcome again to lead with AI. I'm your host, Dr. T. And so happy to be here. As you all know, we hit number one in Apple tech on Apple podcasts, so we're excited about that. And then last week we found out that we are a gold winner in the W3 awards. And so we're proud of, of the work that we're doing. But we could not be as good as we are if we didn't have wonderful grass like the one we have today. And I'm excited about talking about Mira. So I wanted to say hello to Sophie Au Young. How are you?
- [01:32]
C
I'm Good, thank you, Dr. T. And wow, your podcast has done amazing. Congratulations on all these amazing things you and the podcast have achieved. Thank you.
- [01:43]
A
Thank you so much. Now, when we got on, you said that it's night where you are, so tell us, where are you?
- [01:48]
C
I'm in Sydney, Australia right now and.
- [01:50]
A
It'S nearly 12:00am okay, that's dedication, everybody. So you gotta tune in and listen to this one and it'll definitely be worth it. I love Sydney. So my nephew and I went there two years ago. We absolutely loved it.
- [02:06]
C
Okay, well, you better come back soon so I can take you around to all my favorite spots.
- [02:11]
A
Absolutely. I'm going to take you up on that. We absolutely love Australia and we went to New Zealand too. We like both. But yeah, we're going to come and you can show us around.
- [02:19]
C
Definitely.
- [02:21]
A
Awesome. So let's get into it. I'm so excited about talking about Mira. And for the record, very clever play on the word M Y R R A R Mira and it directly relates to your product. So let's get into you. First, tell us who Sophie is. Who would you at your core and how did your core values and your passion lead you to founding Mirror Look?
- [02:48]
C
To my core, I would say I am Just an entrepreneur who is trying to solve a really deep rooted personal problem. Growing up, growing up, I always grew up in a, I guess, predominantly white area where a lot of the makeup recommendations and reviews and the social media influence were not people that looked like me. And so I always struggled with makeup. I always didn't feel very secure in my own skin. And to the core, I'm just a girl who's still blindly experimenting with makeup and also being a little nervous about makeup, which is why I want to build Mirror.
- [03:30]
A
That is amazing. That's amazing. And talk to us about some of those childhood memories that you have in terms of, like, makeup and that because I have a similar situation, because you go there and you just can't get the right shade. I often find that when I go in there or even if I use a makeup artist before an event, I look in the mirror and I'm like, okay, well, I mean, the eyes look great, but the foundation, everything is clunky and it's just not or is a different color from my neck. I mean, I've had some really nightmare situations. And so it sounds like you two have had similar situations.
- [04:08]
C
Oh, my God, it is endless. All the way from me experimenting with my makeup, especially being Asian eye makeup is really tough. And especially, you know, usually makeup artists either make me look completely different to how I look or. Or they just don't know how. How to do my makeup and completely butcher it. So there have been times where I've taken photos of myself and I am like, oh, my God, this is horrendous. This looks nothing like me.
- [04:44]
A
Right? Exactly. So before we get into holy smokes moment, tell us exactly what Mira does. And I know that it's still in the development stage and not released yet, but tell us, what is it? What does it do? Because I know you're talking to consumers and customers and beta testers.
- [05:02]
C
I would say Mirror is your personalized AI bestie. So what it does is you have the option to either scan your face to find products or makeup techniques that suit your face, or you can go in store and you can scan products to see if this product works for you.
- [05:24]
A
And. Oh, wow.
- [05:25]
C
Why I say it's like your AI makeup, beauty bestie slash advisor is because there is a messaging function where you get to text on the Mirror app and it feels like you're speaking to your best friend. So. Oh, yeah.
- [05:42]
A
That is amazing. That's amazing. Well, we actually have a question that's later, but let's go into that because now our guests are Very curious people. So, you know, you can take pictures of yourself, you can scan products or can give you some regimen or makeup products that work for you. But if we were to, like, lift up the hood and look at the brain of mirror, how does it work? Like, how does it know what's best for me?
- [06:07]
C
I. Wow. The brain of mirror. I would say a lot is happening in that brain because it's balancing how to be a beauty advisor to you, but also how to be your bestie. So I would say it acts like you're like, your beauty expert, so it pulls information and recommends it to you while also conversing to you and recommending to you, like how you would with a girlfriend.
- [06:37]
A
Okay, got it. And so will it. Tell me. Oh, that doesn't look good on you. Pretty much. We will.
- [06:44]
C
I'll tell you a little sneak peek. We will be having a function where you get to choose and adjust how sassy you want Mira to be.
- [06:54]
A
I love that. I love that. Yeah. Because I'm thinking about my best friends who, I mean, to this day, they'll say, nope, nope, no. And we laugh. I still wear the outfit anyway because it's what I want. But yeah, I love that. And I love the fact that you can really tailor it to be your best friend. Now, is it just talking about, is it just makeup or is it anything related to your face?
- [07:16]
C
I would say we are tackling makeup to start with.
- [07:21]
A
Okay.
- [07:22]
C
Because that is the niche I want to be.
- [07:26]
A
Yeah.
- [07:26]
C
Really good at. And gradually, we want to go into hair, we want to go into skin care. And.
- [07:33]
A
Yeah, but I love the fact that you're really laser focused on makeup, you know, driven by your experiences with makeup. And that's good because I sometimes find that founders, they want to be everything to everybody, at least in the beginning, when it's always helpful to, like, have your niche, you know, get that together, make that solid, and then expand as you learn more about your customers so that it can be customized to them. So great strategy. Great strategy, Sophie. I love that.
- [08:01]
C
Thank you.
- [08:02]
A
Okay, good. So now let's get into the Holy smokes. Tell us about a time when where there was some moment that one of your customers experienced what Mira can do in your conversations with them. And walk us through that store. Take us there. We want to be there sitting in that room when that happened.
- [08:19]
C
So I would say last month, when speaking to users, a lot of users were just so wowed by the idea of having a personalized tool that really knows your face and your unique facial features. To provide recommendations only catered for the user specifically.
- [08:41]
A
That's amazing. And what were, what were some of their expressions? I'm assuming, I don't know if it was in person, if it was in zoom, but like, give us some of the words that they were using. I mean, and I guess they were. Some of their stories were similar to what you've been through as well.
- [08:57]
C
I would say the main words used were actually Relief.
- [09:04]
A
Wow. Wow, that's amazing. And you know what? You know why that's so amazing? Because when I think about relief, I think about this level of anxiety that people have. When you're thinking about makeup, is it the right one? Maybe you're going out on a date, maybe you're going to an event where you're receiving an award, maybe you have, you know, some blemishes or whatever that you don't like and there is a level of anxiety and we don't need any. Everything that's going on in the world right now, we don't need. Need anything else to stress us out. And so the fact that you can use Mira to at least give that relief and to take away from that anxiety for one component of our lives is absolutely phenomenal. So that is a great story. Thank you for that. Now, as founders, I feel like sometimes we have to sit back and celebrate ourselves. So give us an example now of where you were talking to your customers and. And they experienced Mirror and it gave you chills. You as the founder of Mirror, where you're like, oh my God, this is like amazing. Like I'm really doing something here that's changing the world.
- [10:11]
C
I would say understanding truly how big the problem is and how desperately people actually need Mira for their beauty routines. Beauty on a societal level sounds like such a trivial, shallow aspect of a woman's life. But hearing these women, women tell me how they don't feel beautiful in their own skin because of how mainstream media always pushes the same Eurocentric or same archetype of women and just not feeling represented by the beauty industry actually gave me the chills. Because going into developing Mirror, I always knew the problem was big, but I didn't really know how deep the problem really is.
- [11:00]
A
And isn't that interesting how we go through life that way? Like, there are so many things we go through life by ourselves or with others and we don't talk about, particularly for women, the issues that we go through that are relatable to so many other women. And so not only are you providing an AI powered solution and makeup options for, for For. For women, you're also actually opening up the conversation about the issues that we have and how makeup, you know, how Mira is helping with our makeup routines, and that's lovely. So congratulations on this global conversation that you are forging based on Mira and how deep, like you said, the issue is.
- [11:43]
C
Thank you. Yeah, it really is a conversation and a movement. We need to keep pushing. We need to keep pushing for more diversity and inclusive inclusivity in especially the beauty industry. Because if we don't keep these conversations going, if we don't keep having these movements being pushed forward, we're going to keep breeding more and more generations of young women who don't feel comfortable in their own skin. And we don't want that. We want to break generational curse.
- [12:13]
A
Right. Are having models of a standard that should be different because of. Of their texture of their skin or their complexion or whatever. Okay, that's amazing. Now, AI is so powerful across many different sectors, from healthcare to transportation to beauty. And so my question is, how are you in terms of building the company? How are you thinking about ethics and this ethical crossroad that involves so much data about consumers?
- [12:46]
C
I would say the biggest ethical crossroad Mira is facing would be the issue with privacy. Many users have spoken to me being worried about privacy, and they're worried about downloading certain apps or using any certain tech products because of the way the data is collected, stored, and used. Which is why I have made it a really conscious effort to, in messaging, in the actual app itself, the marketing that we are as transparent as possible and constantly communicating and having these open discussions with our users on how the data is collected, stored, and used.
- [13:31]
A
Amazing. And the fact that you thought of this and you're using it from the onset in the development stages, Amira, really speaks volumes to your leadership. So from consumers like me, who would definitely be using Mirror when it comes out, thank you for keeping that in my privacy and my data first of mine. So I love that. Okay, let's talk about the big future. Now, I used to say, oh, what is Mirror going to be like? What's the future hold in five years? But, gosh, with AI, the future could be in an hour.
- [14:02]
C
Literally.
- [14:03]
A
Literally. So using whatever time you want to use, talk to us about what does the future powered by Mirror look like to the everyday person?
- [14:15]
C
Honestly, I believe Mirror will completely revolutionize the way we shop for beauty. I believe with Mirror, young women of color and underrepresented women will have a safe space to explore makeup and really get to know themselves and their Face. And I believe we'll constantly be pushing this movement of inclusivity and diversity in the beauty industry. And I feel like women by 2030 will be able to get to experiment and play with makeup, not blindly like I did.
- [14:55]
A
Yes, exactly. You know, and one of my best friends, she has daughters, 1 11, 1 9, and, and they're already. Now she, she does watch, like, it can only be glossy. It can't be like, you know, all kind of stuff. But I mean, they're people. Little girls are getting started so early, like single digits and getting dolled up to go to school and stuff like that. And so I'm sure that, you know, the stuff that you're doing in terms of ethics and community will be helpful as we have younger and younger consumers who love makeup primarily because of what they see on tv, etc. So that's good. I love that future that you have now. If people want to, like, try it out, test it out, get to know more about it, what's the best way to do that? If they want to do something this week, what's the best way to do that?
- [15:46]
C
Oh, that's a great question. I would say I would ask people to consciously think about who and why they trust beauty advice. I think in order to really get a taste of mirror, I think it is important to really think about in today's day and age where we're getting product recommendations from. Is it from social media influencers, TikTok superstars? And most importantly, would you say you trust your friends and family or even your bestie the most when it comes to getting beauty recommendations?
- [16:25]
A
Okay, awesome, that's good. So our next section of the discussion is what I call from one genius to another. So always have a previous guest send you a question. And your question, which I so love, can't wait to hear what you have to say, is, if AI could think like you for one day, what would you teach it?
- [16:46]
C
First, I would teach AI how to think like an entrepreneur.
- [16:51]
A
Okay.
- [16:52]
C
Yes. I think I would really want to teach AI how to think creatively and think outside the box because I believe being an entrepreneur requires a lot of creativity. And I would love to be able to teach AI how to think creatively and how to think outside the box.
- [17:11]
A
Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, that's so critical these days. I'm always in conversations with people about AI, given the things that I'm working on, the research that I'm funding, and even these conversations and they're like, well, AI is going to make it where people don't think Particularly young people don't think. And I'm like, well, AI isn't always 100% accurate. It doesn't always get it. And so therefore, you have to, like, you know, train your thinking to say, that wasn't right. Maybe I need to prompt something different. Maybe I need to do outside research to kind of, like, help it, so. Absolutely. And it won't get it. All right. Because with entrepreneurship, because Lord knows, those of. Those of us who are entrepreneurs need our own extra badges that. That we wear. So. Mm. Yep. No, that's great. All right, so let's move to bonus rapid fire. So I'm gonna quickly give you four questions. You're gonna give me the answer, and we just can't wait to hear what you have to say. The first is, what's the most overrated tech trend?
- [18:12]
C
I would say my opinion is very controversial, but I think the most overrated tech trend is people starting AI tech businesses without actually having a problem they res. Really care to solve.
- [18:25]
A
Oh, wow, that's a good one. I haven't heard that. You're right, because there's so many companies out there starting, and it's like, okay, well, where's the sustainability if you're not passionate about it? Or even worse. Which is what you said is it's not even solving a problem.
- [18:41]
C
I've seen too many.
- [18:43]
A
Yeah, okay. If you're out there starting a company, it's not solving a problem. Rethink it.
- [18:50]
C
Okay.
- [18:51]
A
Most under hyped AI trend.
- [18:53]
C
I'm going to link this back to the beauty tech industry, but I feel like something that's not talked enough is using AI to improve the research and development process in beauty products.
- [19:07]
A
Oh, I love that. So there's so many areas of improvement and customization, and you feel that AI is. Is a great tool for that.
- [19:18]
C
100%.
- [19:20]
A
Awesome. Awesome. And mirrors at the forefront of that. So we love that. Okay, what about a book we should.
- [19:27]
C
All read and why I would say Playing to Win House Strategy really works. It's a book written by the former CEO of Procter and Gamble, and he really goes very deep into what actually a strategy is.
- [19:44]
A
Oh, oh, and what's the name of the book again?
- [19:46]
C
Playing to Win How Strategy. Really?
- [19:49]
A
Okay, got it, Got it. Got. Okay, I'll have to look that up and definitely read it, because real strategy, because, you know, we. Some of us feel like we're great strategists, but hopefully we get some insights on how to be a real strategist. Okay. And then P and G, a great consumer you know, company. So got to be some insights from that. Awesome. Okay, now I love this question too. What is your biggest, boldest Scarus AI prediction?
- [20:19]
C
I would say I would link it back to the previous question, which is I believe AI eventually will be able to think freely like an entrepreneur or just like a human.
- [20:32]
A
Yeah, yeah. I've gone to some conferences and people are hoping to get there, even to have some kind of humans and sentiments there. So. So we shall see. And we'll have to invite you back when we're there so I can say, Sophie, you were right. We're here, so that's good. So I've so enjoyed this conversation and, I mean, I can't wait for Mirror to be released. Do you have a time range for when it might be released?
- [20:59]
C
I am hoping sometime next year.
- [21:02]
A
Okay, got it. So look out for it for 2026 now, if we want to get in contact with you, if we want to learn more about Mira, if we want to sign up to be on your communication list or your waitlist so that when it's released, we can be the first to support and use it. Tell us all the goodies. How do we get all that information?
- [21:21]
C
Follow Mira on TikTok, follow Mira on Instagram and follow Mira on LinkedIn.
- [21:29]
A
Awesome. And Mira is for everybody. My rrar.
- [21:35]
C
Yes.
- [21:36]
A
And is that how they find it? Is it mirror something else or it's just at mirror.
- [21:39]
C
So it's just mirror. And actually, I wanted to quickly talk about why it's spelled that way.
- [21:46]
A
Please, please. Yes.
- [21:48]
C
So it's spelled that way because it actually stands for my realistic, reliable, augmented reality mirror.
- [21:58]
A
Oh, my goodness. That makes it even more clever. Sophie, that's amazing. I mean, I love you because everybody, at the beginning I said, so how do you pronounce it? She was like, mira. I'm like, okay, yeah, I see. That's good. And the fact that it does have have thought around it makes it even more fabulous. Sophie, I'm so glad that I found you, everyone. I found her scrolling through TikTok and reached out to her and here we are in, you know, living color, talking about makeup, and I'm just so thrilled, you know, when I started Lee with AI is so that people can know companies like Mira, companies that you started, Sophie, that can really just help us solve everyday challenges. And I'm excited about where Mira is now, and I'm excited about where it's going to be and I'm excited about all the lives that you're going to change. So thank you for the company. Thank you for Mira and thank you for helping those of us who need help with our makeup.
- [23:00]
C
Well, thank you, Dr. T, for having me on your podcast.
- [23:04]
A
Absolutely. Absolutely. And we're going to stay tuned and we're going to follow you. So best wishes and everything.
- [23:09]
C
Thank you.
- [23:10]
A
Absolutely. All right, everyone, until our next episode, Lee with AI Bye.
- [23:16]
B
Thanks for tuning in to Lee with AI I'll see you next time as we continue exploring the cutting edge innovations shaping AI across the public and private sectors. Until then, keep leading with AI.