You'll Soon Try On Maybelline Inside ChatGPT: L'Oréal and OpenAI Strike a Beauty-AI Deal
At VivaTech 2026, L'Oréal and OpenAI announced a sweeping partnership: Maybelline virtual try-on inside ChatGPT, AI-native ads for CeraVe and Garnier, and an OpenAI science model to study skin's microbiome for La Roche-Posay.
TL;DR — On June 17, 2026, L'Oréal — the world's biggest beauty company — and OpenAI announced a wide-ranging partnership. Soon you'll try on Maybelline makeup inside ChatGPT, and La Roche-Posay will use an OpenAI science model to study the skin's microbiome. The beauty counter is moving into the chatbot.
The place you discover and buy makeup is shifting from the store shelf and the search bar to the chat window — and the industry's biggest player just made that official. At VivaTech in Paris on June 17, 2026, L'Oréal and OpenAI unveiled a partnership spanning shopping, advertising and research.
Who gets what
| L'Oréal brand | What the OpenAI partnership brings | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Maybelline New York | Virtual makeup try-on inside ChatGPT (via ModiFace) | Commerce |
| Lancôme · Kérastase | Enhanced product discovery in ChatGPT (US) | Discovery |
| SkinCeuticals · CeraVe · Garnier | ChatGPT AI-native advertising pilot | Advertising |
| La Roche-Posay | Skin-microbiome research via OpenAI's GPT-Rosalind | R&D |
The headline feature: Maybelline New York's virtual makeup try-on — powered by L'Oréal's ModiFace technology — will run directly inside ChatGPT, launching later in summer 2026. Lancôme and Kérastase get enhanced product discovery in ChatGPT in the US; SkinCeuticals, CeraVe and Garnier join an AI-native advertising pilot; and La Roche-Posay will tap OpenAI's life-sciences model, GPT-Rosalind, to map the skin microbiome for product research, per L'Oréal and WWD.
Why it matters: scale on both sides
The logic is reach. ChatGPT now has more than 900 million weekly active users, per L'Oréal — a storefront the size of a search engine. L'Oréal, whose 2025 group sales hit €44.05 billion, says it has already trained 73,000 employees in generative AI.
"At L'Oréal, we believe we can be more demanding of AI to augment our beauty consumers, our metiers such as Marketing and Research and our employees," said Asmita Dubey, L'Oréal's Chief Digital and Marketing Officer. OpenAI's EMEA managing director Emmanuel Marill added: "L'Oréal has long combined science, creativity and technology to shape the future of beauty."
The bigger shift
This is "agentic commerce" arriving in beauty: instead of searching, you ask a chatbot, see a shade on your own face, and buy — all in one thread. It also signals where ad budgets may flow, as brands test placements inside AI assistants rather than traditional search.
FAQ
What did L'Oréal and OpenAI announce?
A partnership (June 17, 2026, at VivaTech) covering consumer commerce, advertising and R&D — including Maybelline virtual try-on inside ChatGPT and skin-microbiome research using OpenAI's GPT-Rosalind model.
Can I try on makeup in ChatGPT now?
Not yet — Maybelline's virtual try-on inside ChatGPT (via L'Oréal's ModiFace tech) is slated to launch later in summer 2026.
How many people use ChatGPT?
More than 900 million weekly active users, according to L'Oréal's announcement — a big part of why the deal matters for beauty discovery and sales.
Which brands are involved?
Maybelline, Lancôme, Kérastase, SkinCeuticals, CeraVe, Garnier and La Roche-Posay, across commerce, advertising and research.
What is GPT-Rosalind?
An OpenAI life-sciences model that L'Oréal's La Roche-Posay will use to study the skin microbiome for product research.
Sources: L'Oréal Finance (Jun 17 2026), WWD, Cosmetics Business.
Image: Jubair Bin Iqbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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