DCYPHER brings bespoke foundation technology to John Lewis Oxford Street

DCYPHER Beauty has launched at John Lewis Oxford Street, marking the brand's first physical retail location. The launch, which took place on September 8, gave customers the opportunity to experience DCYPHER’s patented AI-powered shade-matching technology in-store and have a completely bespoke foundation mixed and bottled in under two minutes.

Founded by Ruth De Leo and Adam Triantis, DCYPHER has built its proposition around moving away from traditional foundation shade ranges in favour of individually measured products. Its technology scans the skin at four points on the face to generate a unique shade code, then uses it to create a personalised foundation.

Speaking at the Oxford Street launch, De Leo said the brand believes consumers should be able to “create and select their own foundation”, rather than choosing from a fixed shade range.

“Why should I buy a product when it’s actually not just for me?” she said. “We believe that you should make something for you and only for you.”

The technology claims to deliver 99.4% shade-matching accuracy, while the latest Custom Foundation Collection introduces three individually skincare-powered finishes: Matte, Natural and Radiant.

The John Lewis Oxford Street counter represents an important milestone for the young brand, which previously operated primarily online. DCYPHER has signed an exclusive deal with John Lewis, with the technology set to roll out across its stores over the next six months.

For De Leo, bringing the technology into physical retail represents a particularly major step. “We’re a small brand online,” she said. “To have signed an exclusive deal with John Lewis and then have Oxford Street as the first [store] is pretty exciting.”

Customers visiting the counter can have their skin scanned, experience the technology in action and have their personalised foundation produced on site.