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    Chinese Whispers: Selfie App Meitu Unveils AI Portrait Feature, and More

    The Hong Kong-listed Chinese technology company Meitu revealed an AI-powered feature to its core selfie-enhancing product on September 29.
    Courtesy photo.
    Yiling PanAuthor
      Published   in News

    In “Chinese Whispers,” we share the biggest news stories about the luxury industry in China that haven’t yet made it into the English language.

    In this week’s edition, we discuss:

    • Meitu's AI selfie-enhancing feature,
    • Mikimoto's epic marketing mistake on Weibo, and
    • Helena Rubinstein's push in China.

    1. Meitu applies AI technology to its selfie-enhancing product - Meitu#

    The Hong Kong-listed Chinese technology company Meitu, which is best known for its photo-editing and beautifying app, revealed an AI-powered feature to its core selfie-enhancing product on September 29. AI technology can help recover the ideal ambient light in low lighting contexts, reduce image blurring, and restore the appearance of the skin’s natural texture. The technology company said the application of this new technology is in response to a natural beauty revolution that is emerging among Chinese consumers.

    2. Japanese pearl brand Mikimoto misspelled "pearl" in Chinese Weibo ads - Daily Fashion News#

    The Japanese jewelry brand Mikimoto has recently stepped up its marketing efforts in the mainland China market. After appointing Chinese actress Dilraba Dilmurat to be the regional brand ambassador earlier this month, Mikimoto has placed many ads on the country's mainstream social media channels, including Weibo. However, the Weibo ads misspelled the word "pearl" as "preal," leading to a wave of discussions and criticism from Chinese consumers.

    Photo: Shutterstock
    Photo: Shutterstock

    3. Prestige beauty label Helena Rubinstein expands into China - luxe.co#

    In an exclusive interview with fashion media outlet luxe.co, Ivy Liu, General Manager of Helena Rubinstein China, revealed the expansion plan of this L'Oreal-owned American beauty brand in the Chinese market. The brand plans to focus on marketing its signature products such as Powercell Skinmunity series to its core consumers, who are female shoppers between 30 and 40 years old. Liu said they would also release some makeup items like foundations and lip products to capture the growing demand of Chinese beauty consumers.

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