Sleepy Beauty: 6 Ways To Get Glam Without Having To Do It Yourself
Eyeliner is more effective than any lie detector at showing how little you actually wanted to put on makeup.
Although most days a respectable, straight, liquid line is attainable, moments come when you'd rather be doing laundry than getting ready for happy hour. Your wobbly cat-eye shows it.
As office hours grow longer and we become more bogged down than ever, beauty brands have begun to understand glamour is one thing we'd like to outsource.
When we're juggling a million things at once, it's more important to get sh*t done than painstakingly blowdry our hair strand by strand.
With a few clicks in an app, we can be paying someone else to do our manicure – that's more time to finish "Bridget Jones" before leaving the house.
A few new services make the glamorous life easier than ever: Makeup technicians perfect your contour, apply just the right smoky eye and polish your nails to a glossy finish.
Never slow-blow your own hair again.
1. Mac Makeup Studio
Use for: A bougie dinner with your SO's parents.
Price: $10 - $90, book online.
What's it all about? Instead of just perfecting your skin, an expert at Mac's New York studio will explain the technique behind the magic, enabling you to replicate it next time.
Professional artists teach customers looks that range from a full face of drag cosmetics ($90) to winged eyeliner and falsies ($30).
2. Priv
Use for: A bachelorette weekend in Miami.
Price: $35 - $125, book on app.
What's it all about? If you've ever wished you had 10 hands to complete every beauty treatment at once, the Priv app is your new go-to.
With on-demand services that range from personal training and spray tanning to blowouts, Priv seeks to make the beautiful life so much easier – without even requiring you to put on pants and shoes.
3. Vênsette
Use for: Your wedding.
Price: $100 - $300, book on app.
What's it all about? When it comes to your special day, there's no room for error. That's why the New York Times-featured app Vênsette exists.
Scheduling hair appointments and makeup consultations is as easy as choosing a predetermined look like "Cat" or "Grace Kelly."
If you're willing to shell out an extra $50, an artist will even work with you on a custom look.
4. StyleSeat
Use for: A haircut on your office lunch break.
Price: Around $10 and up, book on app or online.
What's it all about? Finding the right colorist or hairstylist is a chore. Short of reading endless Yelp reviews, it's difficult to guess who knows their way around a pair of thinning shears.
StyleSeat, available across the US, points customers to peer-recommended experts and takes the anxiety out of booking appointments.
Whether it's a simple trim you're seeking or complicated extensions, StyleSeat is your new favorite companion.
5. Glamsquad
Use for: A weekend gift to yourself.
Price: $50 to $95, book on app or online.
What's it all about? Chances are, at least one friend or sister has raved about the app to you already. Glamsquad, which offers at-home Essie manicures (depending on your area) as well as braids and blowouts, has been much talked about by beauty media.
And, there's a reason: Their trained stylists are polite and timely, leaving you eager to book another appointment.
Treat yourself to salon nails done at home as a reward for killing your work week – without killing your coworkers.
6. Sephora Pocket Contour Class
Use for: Sushi with friends who don't judge you.
Price: Free on mobile.
What's it all about? Sephora's comprehensive guide puts you in the makeup artist hot seat, presenting an interactive explanation of contour.
Upload a photo, then watch as a digital cosmetic power larger than yourself (think Siri meets Bobbi Brown) explains precisely where to apply product.
And if you goof up (and look like an orange-striped tiger), you'll be out with friends kind enough to tell you.
