IBM is intentionally branding the tool as using XR technology because it wants to convey a connection to reality, not a divergence from it, said Randi Stipes, head of marketing for IBM Watson Advertising. Calling it a metaverse tool, for example, might be correct, but doing so could also have an unintended effect on how consumers perceive the tool. The same goes for using related but distinct terms like VR, AR, or MR (mixed reality).

Meanwhile, L’Oréal introduced a makeup tool that relies on AR technology. Called Brow Magic, the device works by asking the user to first scan her face within a mobile app. The user is then presented with AR simulations of various brow styles, varying by shape and thickness, who makes a selection, holds the Brow Magic to their forehead, and the gizmo prints it as a…