Google Lens now lets you virtually dye your hair

Coloring your hair is a fun way to change your look -- but you never quite know how the end result will turn out before you pull the trigger. Until now, that is, as L'Oréal has partnered with Google Lens for a pilot which offers a fast way to try out hair colors virtually.

If you find a Garnier Nutrisse or Olia hair color in a Walmart store and you're intrigued how it would look on you, you just point the Lens app at the box. This will detect the particular shade you're looking at and open up a web page where you can use Garnier's virtual try-on to see that hair color on yourself.

The service is available at 500 Walmart stores across the US from today. The virtual try-on is powered by beauty tech company Modiface, which L'Oréal purchased last year.

This is the first time Google Lens has offered a service in partnership with the beauty industry, as it has previously been used for dining, translation and art discovery. Virtual beauty content is a growing field, however, such as YouTube's AR Beauty feature which lets you try on lipstick while watching videos or Target's AR 'studio' which lets you try on makeup at home.