L’Oreal Paris is launching the first-ever ‘intelligent’ beauty vending machine experience in the New York City Subway system.

The beauty machine will be in the MTA Bryant Park station, near the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, from November 4th through December 30th, 2013.

The system was developed by digital agency R/GA, and is part of a partnership with R/GA and CBS Outdoor, the MTA’s advertising contractor.

The L’Oreal Paris Intelligent Color Experience, part of the machine’s intuitive three-step process, works by detecting the colors in a woman’s outfit as she approaches the machine’s full-length, well-lit mirror. It picks out the most prominent color palettes, and recommends L’Oreal Paris products to match.

The consumer sees digital animations that represent her silhouette and the colors she is wearing, which appear alongside her reflection. Expertly-coordinated eye, lip and nail shade recommendations that ‘match’ or ‘clash’ her outfit are suggested.

Last, it allows women to quickly purchase the products on the spot. The entire process takes less than two minutes.

Erin Lynch, executive creative director, R/GA Group, explained, “R/GA’s deep understanding of customer behavior, technology and innovation uniquely enabled us to design the right experience for L’Oreal Paris in the Bryant Park Station…”

Marc Speichert, chief marketing officer, L’Oreal USA, commented, “We are proud to continue L’Oreal Paris’ digital leadership by being the first brand to bring women a highly customized and convenient way to shop beauty in a place they would least expect it…”

Jeffrey Rosen, MTA’s director of real estate, added, “The MTA is very pleased to see a brand, like L’Oreal Paris out in front of the emerging virtual shopping trends that promises to blur the lines between traditional outdoor advertising, traditional bricks and mortar retail and eTailing…we will be watching this program closely to see if it can be replicated and scaled up within the MTA network.”

The L’Oreal Paris Intelligent Color Experience will be open weekdays from 7:00AM – 9:00PM; weekends from 10:00AM – 8:00PM; with limited holiday hours.

See a larger photo on Beauty Packaging’s Facebook page.