There's no shortage of digital companies that seek to change our everyday lives, from ride sharing to dating to friend finding, but (somehow) very few have tapped into the salon-services market — until now. Today, a new company called Treat launches in Los Angeles, offering unlimited blowouts at a variety of salons for $125 a month, and very soon, it'll offer the same access to manicures for $49 a month. (Bundle the two to get your hair and nail game on by paying $155 a month.)
Sound familiar? You may have heard of single-visit beauty booking apps or the on-demand model, where a beauty or wellness pro comes to your house to provide a service such as a blowout, massage, or manicure. Amazing for special occasions? Hell yes. But, for many of us, this can be too pricey for regular use — and the latter can feel invasive (although no one but you cares that your dishes aren't done). This next wave, however, is essentially ClassPass for beauty: unlimited services, at a variety of businesses, for one automatically billed price.
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Fret not if you don't live in Los Angeles. Treat is joining a few similar services that operate in New York — BeautyPass and Vive — but from what we can see, it stands to be the first to extend this unlimited model to manicures. Which is exactly why we tested this option first.
Here's how it works: You sign up on the site (name, address, phone number, credit card information, etc.), then it gives you a phone number to text for your appointment. Okay, that is a bit strange in our anonymous app-focused world, but I went for it. My text ("Hello, I would like to make a manicure appointment for this weekend.") was met with a friendly response and query (day, time, and neighborhood preferences), then a prompt appointment text (time, name of salon and technician, address) and I was booked.
The fine print: Treat currently only has salons enlisted in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, tipping is not included, and you'll also have to cover any add-ons, like braids or updos at your hair appointment, or gel removal during a manicure.
Even so, you'd only have to go a few times a month to bring your per-visit cost down significantly. And in case you were wondering, my manicure was great. (But again, sit tight as they haven't officially launched manicures yet.) No word on whether or not any of these companies will be expanding to other cities in the U.S., but we'll keep you posted if and when they do. In the meantime, we're dying to know what you think. Would you subscribe? Tell us in the comments.