Brick-and-mortar retail is fighting for attention in a world where consumers can access interactive, personalized experiences on their phones. Traditional displays and store windows are no longer enough to stop shoppers. That’s the problem FFFACE.ME set out to solve. Innovation tech studio FFFACE.ME started out as smartphone filters and has evolved to include loook.ai, its plug-and-play augmented reality (AR) mirror software that is transforming physical retail spaces for global brands such as YSL, Burberry and Victoria’s Secret among others. Along this journey, a showcase at VivaTech helped accelerate the company’s global visibility and business momentum.
Turning Screens Into Experiences
FFFACE.ME’s technology looks like a regular digital screen…until you step in front of it. “We don’t compete with the advertising, but instead allow you to step into the experience,” says FFFACE.ME and loook.ai co-founder Polina Klekovkina. “In the beginning it looks quite static. But then when you step in, you can instantly see yourself wearing digital makeup.” Using a standard screen, a camera and loook.ai software, brands can add an invisible interactive layer that turns any display into an AR mirror. Shoppers can instantly try on makeup looks, skincare effects, accessories or fashion in real time. “We turn an existing screen into an immersive VR experience for retail by basically plug and play,” Klekovkina explains. “But we give it a second life to create personalized experiences. The whole idea is trying to capture consumers' attention in a different way.” FFFACE.ME created a new kind of retail touchpoint that is frictionless – no physical testers, no changing rooms, no wait times. Users often also take photos or videos of themselves with the AR looks, creating organic, user-generated content tied directly to the brand experience.
Shifting From Mobile Filters to Global Retail
When FFFACE.ME was founded in 2019, it was originally built for immersive AR experiences on mobile that allowed users to try on virtual makeup, glasses and outfits through their screens. But as AR filters became mainstream, the founders recognized a new opportunity. “Digital experiences on our smartphones like Instagram filters, Snapchat, we got used to all of that,” Klekovkina says. “We saw that people seek this kind of experience, but on a bigger scale.” This insight led to the development of loook.ai, the software backbone that allows screens from small in-store displays to giant shopping mall installations to become interactive AR mirrors. It’s a shift that opened doors across fashion, beauty and lifestyle retail. And while the FFFACE.ME experience feels fun and magical, the business case behind it is serious. Retailers see an increase in foot traffic, engagement and how much customers spend. “[For] our Kiehl's project for skincare, we placed it as a storefront experience in New York. The traffic increased by 20% straight away,” says Polina. The startup had strong creative and technical ideas, but the team was searching for the right stage to connect with global brands and decision-makers at scale. The kind of stage that VivaTech can provide.
VivaTech: A Global Stage for Immersive Retail
When FFFACE.ME brought its AR mirror to VivaTech in 2025, the response was immediate. “VivaTech was crazy,” Klekovkina recalls. “We had a constant queue in front of our mirror. It was just a nonstop experience of me pitching.” Attendees were stopping, engaging and sharing. The team printed photos for participants, creating a physical keepsake from a digital interaction and a steady crowd throughout the event. “Many people came from other parts of the pavilion. And they keep saying, ‘Oh my God, we've heard that you have crazy technology over here and pictures with AR. Can we also have one, please?” For a startup whose value lies in creating emotional, face-to-face engagement, VivaTech offered the perfect opportunity for large-scale user reaction. “The first thing that happens when someone looks in our mirror is that they smile,” Klekovkina says. “We keep observing how people interact with the mirrors, how native it is. And we always collect these tiny insights to make our technology better. So it was very exciting to see that amount of people in one day and really observe how people react in real time. It was fantastic.” Across four days at VivaTech, more than 2,000 people interacted with loook.ai smart mirrors, and FFFACE.ME showed brands that immersive retail can capture attention in seconds.
Visibility Converted into Real Business
In addition to the all public excitement, VivaTech provided the FFFACE.ME team with high-profile opportunities to connect with brand representatives and retail innovators firsthand. loook.ai was featured at the L’Oréal booth as one of the standout innovations shaping the future of retail – a major signal of trust from a leading global beauty group. At the same time, co-founder Dmytro Kornilov presented FFFACE.ME me on the Discovery Stage as part of a showcase of phygital (physical plus digital) fashion and beauty products. This live demo attracted press coverage and brand interest. And the team officially launched its loook.ai smart mirror platform to the world at VivaTech. As part of the launch the team demoed cases for Kiehl's, D&G Beauty, Thelios and more, and also installed an AR photo booth developed in collaboration with VivaTech. The impact went beyond buzz – it created real business. FFFACE.ME says the response was so strong that the team left VivaTech with dozens of upcoming projects already locked in with worldwide brands. That combination of visibility, real user validation and access to decision-makers is where FFFACE.ME really saw the impact of VivaTech’s ROI.
Eyes on an AR-Powered Future
Looking ahead, FFFACE.ME is thinking beyond individual installations. The long-term vision is a world where loook.ai AR mirrors become a new interface layer between people and products, everywhere they go. “I’m sure we’re all going to have a mirror like this at home,” Klekovkina says. “We’re also working really hard on scaling right now to outdoor advertisements. Our vision is that we are going to be surrounded by AR mirrors everywhere.” FFFACE.ME is betting that consumers will increasingly become more accustomed to blending digital convenience with physical presence. And as retail continues to evolve, technologies that make physical spaces more interactive, efficient and emotionally engaging will grow in importance.
VivaTech was more than an exhibition for FFFACE.ME, it was a moment of acceleration. This startup’s playful innovation found global visibility, and the queue in front of its mirror proved that the future of immersive retail is already here.
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