Cosmetics Design readers may remember Mink from 2014, when Grace Choi debuted her beauty tech invention. (Read more here.) Now, nearly 5 years later, Choi and Mink Beauty co-founder Janet Kim have developed a compact printer that will put their 3D makeup printing tech into consumers hands.
“Consumers today have higher expectations on how and where the products they consume fit into their lifestyle,” Kim notes in this week’s media release about the Mink Printer. “Mink understands the shifting landscape for on-demand and flexibility, and beauty is no exception,” she says.
The Mink Printer promises to make on-screen beauty tangible in a whole new way. “We are excited to provide a new distribution platform for beauty as well as connecting to the different consumer touchpoints across physical, web and social….[Mink is] bridging images that inspire beauty and transforming them into makeup in a snap,” explains Kim.
What and why
The Mink Printer system is comprised of 4 components: the printer, an app, the brand’s proprietary makeup sheets (the paper that gets printed on), and a tri-color (ink) cartridge. According to a video promo, the Mink Printer can produce 16.7 million colors; and each makeup sheet takes only 15 seconds to print. Once printed, the entire image is a color cosmetics product that consumer can apply with a brush, finger, etc.
To Kim and Choi their beauty tech device is a logical next step forward in the digital age. The Mink Printer is not just about new media, information, or data; it’s about making the digital touchable. “Beauty content continues to move to digital and away from traditional TV and print. Users are turning to these images for inspiration, creating an opportunity to leverage image color data and transform them into physical makeup,” says Choi, explaining the idea behind her invention. “I am thrilled,” she says, “to finally be able to share the Mink experience with everyone, and excited for the road ahead.”
The 2.2-pound Mink Printer is priced for pre-order at $295 and will ship in fall of next year. The retail price will then be $395, according to the company’s media release.
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.