NEW YORK — Hannah Bronfman’s latest project — an app called Beautified that launches today — is looking to become the uberapp of the beauty service world.
Created with cofounders Annie Evans and Peter Hananel, the platform serves as a way to book last-minute beauty appointments through a chosen list of salons and spas. Beautified counts John Barrett Salon, Warren-Tricomi, Caudalie, Shibui Spa and Tenoverten among the 40 partners where users can book services like haircuts, blowouts, manicures, pedicures, waxes, facials and massages.
The service is offered in New York City as of today, but the plan is to roll out editions in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas and Chicago later this year.
“How many times have you been on a street corner and wanted a blowout?” Bronfman, also a DJ and an investor at Acme, asked. “People leave everything until the last minute, and beauty — for us — should be able to fit into your day, not your day being based around it.”
The catch: Users can book appointments for that day only, and appointments for the following day aren’t available for booking until 6 p.m. the previous day. Bronfman is clear that this isn’t a discount or flash sale-based platform. Beautified will take a percentage of every booking.
“We don’t believe in devaluing our partner brands. It’s providing consumers with a convenience,” she said.
Hananel, who worked in finance and retail before switching over to the Web business, agreed. He explained that this project is more focused on spa utilization, versus the discount angle.
“We are leveraging mobile and geolocation technology and all the latest and greatest bells and whistles to make this as easy as possible for users to discover and book beauty appointments,” he said of the emphasis on utility. This technology, combined with the fact that many spas aren’t operating to capacity, will help to alleviate “remnant inventory.”
Evans, who previously worked in events and marketing for publications like Esquire and O, The Oprah Magazine, added that there is one service the app doesn’t offer as an option: color.
“We extensively researched treatments that consumers book last minute (such as a manicure, blowout or brow wax) and focused on those rather than hair color, which is rarely something one decides on the fly. People are devoted to their colorists,” Evans said. (WWD)
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