How Glamsquad Brings the Makeover to You
By Maia Efrem October 9, 2014
Image by Courtesy of Glamsquad
Your local salon is about to look emptier when you walk by, because all those former clients will now be getting dolled up at home. On the heels of Rent the Runway and Uber comes Glamsquad, another on-demand service provider that makes house calls for hairstyling and makeup application at affordable prices. All with just a swipe on your smartphone.
The woman behind the company is Victoria Eisner, the founder of Glamsquad. The Los Angeles native spent most of her career as a certified holistic health coach, counseling clients on health, wellness and beauty. Now Eisner, 29, is bringing her experience to thousands of customers.
Much like Rent the Runway, Glamsquad may have just changed the game for every woman planning a wedding, attending an event or just looking for a glamorous pick-me-up after the gym. The network of hairstylists and makeup artists are accessible by web and range in price from $50 for The Bombshell blow-out to $125 for an elegant updo with The Prima. And makeup application is $75 for all the different looks. Not only will the trained stylists go to your home, but they will also go to your office, your gym or, really, wherever you want them to go.
Courtesy of Glamdsquad
Having officially launched in New York during this past January, Glamsquad is launching in L.A. next and has its sights on other major metropolitan centers, like Boston, Miami and Washington, D.C.
The Forward’s Maia Efrem spoke with Eisner via email about the glamorous future of Glamsquad.
Maia Efrem: How did this idea come to you?
Victoria Eisner: It was New Year’s Eve, and I was dreading doing my hair; it takes so much of my time, and I can never get it to look the way I want. Since I get everything else delivered, I wished there was a beauty delivery service app that would send a blowout stylist to my home. I Googled it and was shocked to discover that nothing of this nature existed. I knew then that there was a huge hole in the marketplace for women to have access to high-quality, on-demand beauty professionals, trained by the pros, and at an affordable price point!
Do you know how many, if any, of your clients are repeats?
Glamsquad is incredibly habit forming. Over half of our clients are “regular” clients that book appointments more than twice a month.
Do we just get the options you have on the site, or can women ask for any look they want?
While Glamsquad offers a variety of curated signature looks, clients can ask for any style they like. Our looks are inspirational, so you can go off of them or ask our stylists to personalize any look to fit your preferences and style!
How many stylists and makeup artists do you employ?
The number of stylists who have graduated from our training program grows by the day, and there are more than enough stylists in our network to meet the demands of our clients.
Are there other services you’re thinking of offering?
We plan to add beauty services, such as nails and eyelashes, in the near future. Stay tuned!
What is the vetting process for stylists and artists?
Each stylist is required to have years of professional salon experience, and once hired is put through a rigorous training program designed by our elite beauty team. Stylists are trained in the process of delivering consistent, quality results time after time. We also background check and assess the character of every stylist who applies to be a part of Glamsquad, and the bar is high. Once hired, our stylists are put through a rigorous vetting and training program before we start booking them for appointments. Not only are they trained on how to execute our signature hair and makeup looks, but they are also trained on how to work within a person’s home or office, and how to interact with the client to ensure the client leaves the appointment feeling fabulous.
What’s the advantage of having these services done at home, especially in major cities where salons are so easy to find?
Convenience, quality and affordability! Glamsquad offers an affordably priced service to busy women who often don’t have time to travel to the salon. Every appointment comes with a personal consultation and professional, salon-style products for just $10 more than the cost of a blow-dry bar. This is how celebrities get ready — and it makes you feel very glamorous. Why shouldn’t that type of service be available to everyone?
What makes Glamsquad different from other on-demand beauty services?
Other companies offer similar services but do not have the background and training that we demand from our stylists to ensure consistent, quality results each time you book your Glamsquad. We’ve partnered with true industry insiders to train and manage our stylists, and guarantee delivery of the highest quality — our creative director, Giovanni Vaccaro, spent 10 years as a senior stylist at Frederic Fekkai, while Kelli Bartlett, our director of makeup artistry, spent 10 years overseeing more than 75 artists at MAC Cosmetics.
What do you envision for the future of Glamsquad?
Glamsquad has endless possibilities, but our true vision is to be our clients’ beauty obsession and to help make getting ready a whole lot easier! We want to strategically build the brand in a way that enables us to scale and grow without losing the high quality and consistency that our clients currently know and love.
How does this fit into the Rent the Runway and Uber trends?
This is a powerful business model that has been realized in other sectors. As a mobile service like Rent the Runway and Uber, we don’t have the physical constraints of brick-and-mortar stores, and can use technology to easily fluctuate supply to meet demand.
What are the most popular looks women ask for?
That would be The New Romantic and The Flirt.
Did you have any difficulties getting Glamsquad off the ground?
I would say there were, of course, some challenges, but we were fortunate enough to get off to a great start early on.
What are your favorite styles for yourself?
For makeup, I love The Flirt and The Siren! For hair I am Bombshell all the way. But I throw in a Weekender or a Prima for fun!
What celebrity does your clientele most want to look like?
We launched with our inspirational menu from day one in order to give our clients looks to reference, so now all we hear is “I want The Weekender” or “The New Romantic,” which is great! We hear a ton of different celebrities, and that is satisfying because everyone wants to look like the best version of themselves.
Tell me a little about your Jewish background.
I consider myself a very spiritual person, but I am a Reformed Jew. I was bat mitzvahed and went to Jewish sleepaway camp when I was younger. It was there that I truly experienced the power of the hair dryer and the flat iron, because so many of the other girls had the same kind of frizzy and wavy hair as me! I like Shabbos traditions, the Jewish holidays (my fave is Rosh Hashanah and any holiday that involves latkes), and I am a proud member of the Jewish community!
This interview has been edited for style and length.
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