Like Uber for Natural Hair: I Tried an On-Demand Hair Service

Let’s face it, most women have a beauty regimen. We may not always be dressed to the nines, but maintaining a nice outward appearance is important. This, of course, includes our hair. Many of us jumped on the natural hair bandwagon because:

1. Natural hair is dope
2. The natural hair gurus on YouTube had us convinced we too could go the route of natural beauty without breaking bank or spending our entire Saturday at the beauty salon.

Aside from the allure of having a healthy head of hair, the “DIYness” of natural hair has been a major selling point.

But what if you’re a naturalista who has tried and failed at the at home twist-out? Or you’ve been rocking your Jackson 5 inspired fro and now you’re looking to go Lupita, but your boyfriend’s barber just doesn’t come up to snuff? Or what if you’ve got somewhere special to go and your homegirl doesn’t get off of work early enough to come over and lay your edges down good and proper? What do you do?

That’s where a service like Beautylynk.com comes into play. Founded only 3 months ago by 29-year-old Rica Elysee of Boston, Beautylynk promises to be the Uber for hair and beauty. According to their website, Beautylynk is on-demand beauty service that brings personal, state of the art, licensed beauty professionals directly to you to care for all of your unique beauty needs at your home, work or hotel.

Rica Elysee, Founder of Beautylynk

Elysee, who is also the founder of Boston Naturals, an 1,100 member meetup group, says Beautylynk was born out of the needs of her group members:

“I’d get emails everyday from women who wanted recommendations for stylists, but when I’d send them somewhere, there would be long waits for appointments…People also wanted to be able to see the work of the stylists I was recommending.”

Finding a stylist who is both timely and skilled in natural hair care is a rarity in Boston, says Elysee. Even more frustrating is lack of visibility of these stylists. They are hidden, sometimes in salons that don’t even cater to ethnic hair. “Beautlynk solves all of that. It’s the answer for the everyday woman who wants her beauty services done quickly, efficiently and at her convenience.”

So how does it work?

1. Go on Beautylynk

2. Choose your Service

3. Select the date/time of your service

4. Select your hair stylist or makeup artist (you can review their portfolio before booking)

5. Pay for your service (tax and tip is included)

6. Your stylist or Makeup Artist shows up at your place ready to go

Beautylynk stylists have been background checked and currently work in the field. For them, Beautlynk provides an extra revenue stream, while allowing for more creativity and networking than what’s permissible in the salon. “Our professionals get the opportunity to meet more people, grow their portfolio, and work in creative settings like fashion shows and photoshoots,” says Elysee.

Currently, Beautylynk services Massachusetts with plans to expand to Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Atlanta, Washington DC and Virginia.  The Beautlynk App will launch in the next few months.

To see a Beautlynk Stylist at work check out this video:

Do you think you need a service like Beautylynk in your city? Share your thoughts below!