It's Monday morning. You have a video call in ten minutes, and the mirror is looking at you with great, great pity. You could run to the bathroom, find your foundation, try to look presentable. Or you could just open Google Meet and let artificial intelligence take care of it. Google just introduced virtual makeup powered by Gemini AI: twelve presets ranging from "subtle professional" to "ready for post-work happy hour." The system applies virtual foundation, lipstick, and eyeliner that adapt to your facial movements in real time. Drink coffee? Your makeup stays put. Touch your cheek? No smudge. The illusion holds. And maybe that's the point: it's not makeup anymore. It's about total control over your digital image.
Twelve styles, one algorithm, zero brushes: Google Meet now "has the trick"
Google Meet launched the feature on October 8, 2025, expanding the “Touch-up” tool introduced last year. The difference? Before, you could only soften your skin. Now AI actually applies makeup. Foundation that adapts to your skin tone, lipstick that doesn't smudge when you speak, eyeliner that tracks your eye movements. The system uses Gemini, Google's artificial intelligence model, to analyze facial features in real time and apply makeup naturally.
The twelve presets include options for every occasion. Want to look fresh and rested for that 9 a.m. meeting? There's a preset for that. Having an important presentation and want to look sharper? There's another. The interface is simple: open the "Appearance" panel during the call, choose your look, and you're done. Preferences are saved for subsequent calls. You don't have to redo everything every time.
The feature is available on web and mobile for subscribers Business Standard/Plus, Enterprise, EducationPlus, Google One e Single WorkspaceThe rollout is gradual and should be completed by mid-October. The feature is disabled by default; you'll need to enable it when needed.
The technology that follows your face
The real technological leap is not in the presets, but in how AI applies them. The system uses neural networks To map facial landmarks and apply effects that dynamically respond to movement. It's not a static filter overlaid on the image. It's makeup that behaves like real makeup, or at least tries to.
Daniela TronyGoogle product manager, showed how it works in a demo video. It moves, drinks from the cup, gestures. Makeup stays put. It doesn't come off, it doesn't slide, it doesn't pixelate. The algorithm tracks the position of the face, the ambient light, even your expressions. Smile? The lipstick adapts. Frown? The eyeliner follows your eyebrows. It's uncanny how precise it is.
The very technology behind this feature comes from years of research on computer vision e machine learning algorithm applied to digital beauty. A study published in Frontiers in Virtual Reality In January 2025, they analyzed how users perceive and use virtual try-on apps for cosmetics. The results show that the key factor for adoption is perception of fun (Perceived Enjoyment) combined with ease of use. Users want tools that work effortlessly and make the experience enjoyable.
Why now, and why Google
Virtual makeup is nothing new. A research published on ScienceDirect In April 2024, it examined the adoption of AI technologies in the beauty and cosmetics sector in India, with a sample of 866 users. The results highlighted how the AI compatibility, perceived ease of use andsystem reliability are key factors in acceptance. Users want technologies that integrate seamlessly into their routines.
Google is not the first company to move into this territory. Microsoft Teams has partnered with Maybelline to offer digital makeup as early as 2023. Zoom has had its own beauty filters for years. But Google has an advantage: Gemini. An AI model that can analyze, adapt, and naturalize virtual makeup in ways that previous filters couldn't.
The timing isn't coincidental. We're in the era of permanent hybrid work. Video calls are no longer the exception, they're the norm. And with them comes the pressure to always appear presentable, always "on." As I was telling you hereSome startups are already developing AI avatars that attend meetings on our behalf. Virtual makeup is just the next step in this process: not replacing presence, but enhancing it.
Secondo Android AuthorityThe system is designed to appear natural. The goal isn't to transform users into filtered versions of themselves, but to give them control over how they want to appear during professional calls.
The dark side of the digital mirror
There's a problem, as you can imagine. Actually, more than one. When virtual makeup becomes so accessible and precise, what happens to our sense of self? If we can look perfect every morning with a click, what happens to our "real" face? The unfiltered version starts to look flawed by comparison.
Digital ethicists have raised similar concerns with Instagram and Snapchat filters. But those were for leisure. This one is for work. It changes everything. If all your colleagues use AI makeup and you don't, are you unintentionally communicating something? What if your boss expects you to use it to appear more professional?
Then there is the question of beauty standards. Some researchers quoted by WebProNews They highlight how these tools can perpetuate aesthetic stereotypes, favoring certain standards of beauty over others. AI is trained on datasets that reflect cultural biases. If the system deems a certain type of makeup "professional," it's implicitly saying that other looks are not.
What happens after Google Meet
Google has already made it clear that this is just the first phase. Virtual makeup is a test. A way to see how users react, how much they use it, and how they integrate it into their routines. XDA Developers reports that the company is considering expanding the options, adding more customizable presets, maybe even letting users create their own looks.
The real breakthrough will be when this technology extends beyond Google Meet video calls. Imagine AR glasses that apply virtual makeup in real time as you walk down the street. Or smart mirrors that show you how you'd look with different products before you buy them. The line between real and virtual continues to blur.
For now, Google Meet is putting makeup on you. Tomorrow, perhaps, you won't need to wear makeup at all. It remains to be seen whether this is a liberation or a trap. Probably both, depending on how you use it. The issue isn't the technology itself. It's how we choose to interact with it.
Next Monday, when you wake up for that 9 a.m. video call, you'll have one more choice. Whether you use it or not, well, that's entirely up to you. And how much you care about your colleagues seeing the dark circles under your eyes.
