Fancy grilling a makeup artist on their beauty secrets but don’t want to sit in a department store makeup free or face an awkward sales pitch? Do you have plenty of makeup products but no idea how to use them?
Well, NIYA founder Thya Sanders felt just like you. “I became overwhelmed at a popular makeup store,” she explains. “I wanted a way to be certain I was receiving expert advice without the sales pitch and without being on display.”
From this conundrum, the NIYA app was born. NIYA is an application that connects beauty rookies and aficionados alike with vetted experts. You can receive one-on-one tailored tutorials in the comfort of your own home, no matter your skill level.
We’ve all had the experience of having our makeup done professionally only to be left with no clue how they weaved their magic. NIYA offers the user hands-on practice with their own products. The other benefit of these obligation free consultations is that NIYA users can be confident their makeup artist is tailoring advice to their needs – not their KPI’s. And compared to the cost of a department store makeup lesson NIYA sessions are affordable and bite-sized. Thirty minutes with a NIYA artist is $35 and sixty minutes is $65. Most department store counters charge $90+, with the unspoken expectation that you will spend $120+ on the redeemable products.
So, What Service Should You Be Booking?
Thya Sanders says that the 30-minute service is perfect for someone wanting to hone in on a particular skill. Clueless about contour? Your NIYA artist will help chi your cheekbones in seconds. Haven’t yet executed a cat eye that made you feel more feline than bloodhound? NIYA artists will have you winging it with the best of them. The 60-minute session is perfect for those who need more intensive assistance. Think a detailed audit of your bulging beauty bag (let a NIYA artist help you navigate that confounding corrector palette).
Finally, nail a ten-minute office makeup routine that will leave you feeling polished AND well rested. NIYA also caters to the growing trend of brides taking the makeup application reigns on their own wedding day. With the rise of destination weddings, brides are seizing the brush rather than absorbing the cost of additional flights for freelancers.
The service also provides opportunities for freelance makeup artists. Artists can earn extra income without incurring the expense of travel and kit maintenance. They can also refine their digital teaching skills – important in age were freelance artists can accelerate their careers via social media.
Apps like NIYA reflect the beauty industries transition into personalised digital services once thought impossible. The beauty services industry has long been face-to-face, but as demand and interest in cosmetics has increased, the amount of time we have to spend at counters has decreased. Apps like NIYA are answering this demand and handing beauty consumers the reigns.