I don't know about you, but the thing I envy the most when I look at famous people's Instagram photos is their ability to get beautified in their own homes. It would seem that in New York and LA you don't need to go to a hair salon or makeup artist, because they come to you. It seems like the height of luxury, and the good news is that these services are now accessible in Ireland.
Glissed.com and Raven App are two services linking beauty professionals to those who require their services. This morning, I decided to try Raven App's services which are currently available in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Kildare, Wicklow and Meath. Developed by hair stylist Trudy Hayes, Raven App brings experienced, vetted beauty professionals to busy women who needed to access salon quality services in their homes. From tan, to lashes, to pedicures, every beauty service you could possibly want is available (aside from hair colouring).
Uber, but for beauty
The app itself is simple to use. You choose the service you want and request an appointment. A notification goes out to the one hundred and forty two professionals currently linked to the app, and if they’re interested they say as much. You get a notification, choose whoever you prefer based on their ratings, and confirm your appointment by paying via the app. It’s Uber, but for beauty.
As it turned out, Trudy herself came to my house to give me a blow dry. I confirmed my appointment 24 hours beforehand, but Trudy says that usually you could be sorted within a couple of hours. She brought all the gear, and I plonked down on one of my dining room chairs to be beautified. We discussed what I wanted, and she got to work as my husband wandered in to make another bottle for our baby. Foolishly, I had dressed for the occasion, but I could easily have been wearing my pyjamas.
While Trudy worked, I asked her about the vetting process for the app’s professionals. She told me that she meets everyone and inspects their work, as she’s very keen to keep standards high. “I’ve had to turn down some investors because they just don’t understand why I won’t pile people on to grow the business faster, but I just can’t,” she said. “And in the year we’ve been going I haven’t had one complaint.”
Non–traditional salon hours
Five o’clock starts and late nights are normal for the professionals, as they work around the clients’ schedules rather than traditional salon hours. I was interested to hear about the makeup artists, how does she ensure people get what they want when everyone wants something different?
Trudy told me she has some artists who specialise in the current trend for blocky eyebrows and heavy contouring (Instagram makeup, as she called it) but thinks it’s important that most artists can adapt to the individual needs of each client.
My blow-dry took around thirty-five minutes and cost €35 (this price applies no matter what your hair length). I felt relaxed throughout, but Trudy says that Irish people are a little slower to pick up on the idea of getting this stuff done at home. Do they feel like they have to tidy the house? “Yes!,’ she says,’And we really don’t care!”
I, for one, can’t really imagine ever going to a salon for a blow-dry again.
