Trying on lipstick virtually reduces shopping anxiety — and keeps customers coming back

What is it about?

Online shoppers often hesitate before buying products they cannot physically try — particularly cosmetics, where color and fit are everything. This study examines whether AR-powered virtual try-ons (VTOs) can reduce that hesitation and improve the overall shopping experience. In an experiment with 256 women using a real beauty brand's e-commerce site, participants randomly assigned to the AR condition could virtually try on lipsticks; those in the control condition could not. Results show that AR significantly reduced perceived risk of buying online. This risk reduction, rather than AR itself directly, made shoppers feel more comfortable and confident in their decisions. Comfort and confidence, in turn, drove satisfaction with the shopping experience, and satisfaction predicted greater engagement — the willingness to return and interact more deeply with the online store.

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Photo by Frederick Medina on Unsplash

Photo by Frederick Medina on Unsplash

Why is it important?

E-commerce companies invest heavily in AR features, yet the mechanisms through which these features generate commercial value have been poorly understood. This study maps the full causal chain from AR to engagement, identifying risk reduction and decision comfort as the critical intermediaries. For managers in beauty, fashion, and any sector where pre-purchase product trial matters, the implication is straightforward: AR earns its place in the customer journey not by dazzling users but by reducing the anxiety of buying something sight-unseen. Equally important, the study shows that higher product knowledge can paradoxically increase perceived risk — a counterintuitive finding with real implications for how brands communicate with expert shoppers.

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