A new Web application just might transform a deadbeat into a diva with the click of a mouse. An aspiring beauty can scan in a photo or take a picture with a digital camera and then upload the shot into the virtual studio. Fifteen minutes later, she can work over her image by clicking on different shades of eye shadow or by adding highlights to her hair.
Visitors can also try new looks by choosing a similar-looking model.
Such applications have been in development for several years by companies hoping to make the virtual experience more lifelike. Because these lucrative industries are always looking for new ways to drive sales, the company is not without competition. San Francisco-based eMakeover is another site where consumers can use scanned photos to see themselves in a new light. The pair previously helped launch SegaSoft's Cosmo Virtual Makeover, software heralded as one of the best-selling products geared toward women. But they hope to make their latest product even more successful by offering it on the Web for free.