Worried about what to wear? Skyler Samuels knows your pain. The Scream Queens actress, 22, has launched a new app along with co-creators Andrew Duplessie and Daniel Taylor that aims to be like having a stylist in your pocket.
“The whole premise is like, the way that you can have an Uber come to you,” Samuels tells Us Weekly. “It’s to cater to that Hollywood luxury for anyone when they need it. Sometimes you just need someone who’s not your mom to tell you to dress it up, or someone other than your friend who’s gonna be like, ‘No, get the shorter dress.'”
Tipster, which is available on the iTunes app store, provides access to the industry’s top fashion, beauty and hair experts. Your own personal crew of gurus provide consultations or give you input on looks for your workday or a date night. According to Tipster’s June 20 Instagram post, instant advice (offered in a private chatroom with the guru of your choice) is given for short questions (“Which top do you like the best?”). A consultation begins with a longer question (“What hairstyle is the most flattering for my face shape?”).
For a match made in fashion heaven, stylists can create custom profiles (think Facebook) where favorite brands and style icons can be listed, as well as their rates. That way, users can pick a stylist that best matches their aesthetic and price point. WWD reports that approximately 30 minutes of consulting can run about $20, while instant advice is cheaper (and faster!) for $1.99. Simply answer a set of questions and upload a photo for your stylist to assess. A library of video tutorials are available, which come in handy for, say, a complicated crown braid. Users also have the option of video chatting with their stylists.
“It’s been an ongoing passion project for the last couple years,” Samuels told Yahoo! Style. “I thought to myself, There’s an opportunity here to connect people with experts. We live in this DIY age of YouTube tutorials and trying things out that we see online. What if we can just ask someone in real time and have a conversation with people who can help us achieve the look that we love?”
And Samuels stands by the app’s reliability. “I was on there yesterday getting advice,” she continued. “I’m going to an event tomorrow night and I have this really cool, high-neck halter dress and I’m trying to decide if I should wear my hair up or down, so I asked Tipster and I got great feedback.”
Samuels, who just graduated from Stanford University with a degree in media and communications on June 12, counts Tipster as an extra-special honor. “I feel like creating Tipster is paying homage to this part of my life,” she said. “Going to Stanford, being in such a tech-savvy, amazing university, fueled my interest in the tech world.”
