Beyou review, the app that sends a make-up artist to you home

Have you ever been sat in front of a mirror trying desperately to stop your liquid eyeliner going wonky and your eyelashes clumpy, sighing and wishing you had a make-up artist to do it all for you?

Unless your surname happens to be Kardashian, chances are you don't have a glam squad at your beck and call, but there's now an app that wants to make the celebrity beauty experience a whole lot more accessible.

Touted as the 'Uber of beauty', Beyou connects users with make-up artists who will come to your home (or whenever you require) and work their magic, with prices starting from £35.

The idea for the app, which is now available nationwide in the UK, came about when founders Charlotte Green and Nawal Alkhedairy were living and working in Dubai.

"There, we got used to the fast-paced, forward-thinking, beauty-obsessed, social media-loving lifestyle, where beauty services are available at the click of a button," Charlotte says.

"The light bulb moment came whilst we were both at a friend's wedding in France in August 2017 and we soft launched the app four months later."

Clearly, the same demand exists over here; bookings on Beyou have increased by 150% in the last year, while client and make-up artist sign-ups have nearly trebled.

"Birthdays, wedding guests and bridal bookings dominate the requests that we see coming through the app," Charlotte continues.

"Weekends are obviously prime time for these types of requests. However, it's also not uncommon at 6am on a Tuesday to get a request for a client ahead of a big presentation, proving that 'everyday soft glam' is becoming increasingly popular."

So how does it work? Ahead of a wedding, Katie Wright logged on to Beyou to find out...

The booking process

When one of my best friends asked me to be her bridesmaid I was honoured, of course, and I was also very excited about the chance to wear a pretty dress and get glammed up. And since the wedding was taking place just down the road from where I lived, this was the perfect opportunity to give Beyou a go, I thought.

To start, I downloaded the app and hit the 'request a quote' button. I added details such as date, time, location and how much I was willing to spend (from £35 to £100+).

For 'inspiration' I chose 'Beyou beautiful' - the other options are 'out out', 'date night' and 'ravishing revenge' - then I hit done and waited for the army of make-up artists to send their quotes.

I scrolled through the profiles and chose Anna B at £70 for an hour-long appointment, because the photos of her previous work were just what I was looking for - glowy and glam but not over the top (personally I'm not into the heavily made-up Kardashian look).

The night before my appointment, Anna texted to confirm she'd be arriving 10 minutes early to set up and I sent over details of what I was looking for (no heavy contour or highlight please!) and a couple of Instagram pictures for inspiration.

The appointment

Anna arrived right on time and laid out all her kit on my dining table as we discussed the look I wanted.

Because my dress was a greyish-mauve colour, and I've got a pink panel in my hair, I wanted a pink smokey-eye look that tied my outfit together.

Anna suggested a darker tone on my eyes and the result was ideal. That's one of the benefits of having an expert on hand - to advise as well as apply the make-up.

She also gave me gorgeously glowy skin, a sharp liquid liner flick and applied false eyelashes, a task that would have probably ended in a trip to A&E if I'd attempted it myself.

At the end, Anna asked if there was anything I wanted tweaking. All I wanted was a tiny bit more foundation coverage on my neck but everything else was perfect, so she packed up her kit and I happily headed off to my friend's house to join the bridal party.

The verdict

I loved everything about my Beyou experience, from the ease of booking on the app to the flood of compliments I got after my makeover.

Being able to choose from a long list of make-up artists and prices is a whole lot easier than having to google and email for quotes separately, plus you don't have to book weeks in advance.

If you're anything like me, a make-up lover who wishes she had the skills to match her enthusiasm, having a pro come to your house is a total delight.

Oh, and being able to flood my Instagram page with photos of my look is no bad thing either.

Honestly? I'm now looking for any excuse to book my next appointment.

Beyou is available to download for iPhone on the App Store