Pinterest announces updated inclusive beauty search feature

Users seeking beauty inspiration on the social media platform can now filter search results by skin tone to find content more relevant to them.

Social media users often head to Pinterest for beauty ideas and how-tos, but the sheer volume of results on the site can be overwhelming, making it hard to find tutorials, inspiration and pins that work for their skin tone.

Pinterest launched a new search-filtering feature in the US in 2018, and it's now rolling out in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. 

The new tool appears under the search bar when you search for something beauty-related, and offers users the option to "Pick a skin tone range to narrow your search" from four circles which each contain multiple shade variations. Clicking on a circle automatically narrows your search results to those skin tones.

In the interests of privacy, the website doesn't save the user's preferences.

The technology has also been given a refresh, and Pinterest claims it's now better able to "detect multiple skin tone ranges in top search results."

"Pinterest is the home of inspiration, but it's hard to be inspired if you don't feel represented," said the company's Annie Ta in a statement. "With these updates, Pinterest is becoming a more inclusive place to discover and shop for beauty ideas. No one should have to work extra hard to uncover personalised ideas, and all should feel welcome. A more diverse Pinterest is a more useful, positive and powerful one." The "search by skin tone" tool is also part of Pinterest's AR Try On feature, which lets users search for lipstick shades and try them on virtually; the feature is only available in the US for now.