Title:InStyle Hairstyle Try-On
Platform: iPad with iOS 3.2 or later
Cost: Free/Pro version with more hairstyles $5.99
Does your library have beauty books? Does your collection include magazines that show celebrity hairstyles? Do teens talk about hairstyles and what they are going to try next? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then this app is probably right for your library’s app collection. Or you might recommend it to teens who are interested in hairstyles but don’t necessarily want to take the plunge of getting a cut without really knowing what they will look like once scissors have touched their hair.
The great thing about this app is the user gets to see exactly what she will look like in a particular hairstyle. Here are the steps for seeing what teens, or you, will look like in celebrity hairstyles:
- A teen takes a picture of her face with the iPad camera.
- The photo gets edited by rotating, cropping, and so on.
- A teen draws the shape of her face around the photo using the apps built in tools.
- Double-check that the shape drawn is accurate.
- Once the shape of a teen’s face is selected she can start trying on styles.
If a teen selects the wrong face shape, which I did the first time around, it’s easy to revise and start fresh.
Styles can be sorted by length, color, style (bangs, bobs, and so on) and celebrities. It’s possible to save images which is great if teens want to bring their selected hairstyle to the beautician. Teens can also share their styles on Facebook and Twitter. Perhaps getting likes and dislikes before getting the actual cut.
Some reviewers in the iTunes app store complain about the app not loading, I have not had a problem with that. Some are not happy with the limited number of hairstyles in the free version. The $5.99 price tag is not that high when you consider what you get for that price–many examples of hairstyles shown on the potential wearer’s own face/head. It’s definitely less than the cost of most magazines and books that would provide the styles but not the personalization.
Have teens download the app and try it out and let you know what they think. I bet they will spend hours testing it out and finding the hairstyle that is just right for themselves and their friends.
For more app recommendations, visit the App of the Week Archive.
