L’Oréal takes stake in inkjet innovator

Jo Francis Monday, January 9, 2023

Beauty giant L’Oréal has invested in a Korean start-up business that is using inkjet tech to print temporary tattoos.

The minority investment in Prinker Korea has been made via L’Oréal's strategic venture fund, Bold.

Prinker Korea was established in South Korea in 2015. The business has developed a handheld inkjet printer that can print tattoo designs direct-to-person, using either a design library or personalised designs.

It is described as "the world's first digital temporary tattoo device".

A special primer is applied to the skin first, and the print output is described as water-resistant, but also easy to remove with soap or make-up remover. The inks used have been approved by US and EU authorities, and are classified as cosmetic products.

Prinker's bestselling system is currently on offer priced from £230.99, with additional primer and ink sets at around £100.

The two companies have already been working together developing a new application for the Prinker technology – L’Oréal Brow Magic.

L'Oréal's Brow Magic system

This was described as "the first handheld, electronic brow make-up applicator to provide consumers with their most precise brow shape". It was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week and uses AR technology and patented AI-algorithms. The device scans the user's face and makes recommendations on the best brow shape "which is then printed in seconds automatically".