Go to YouTube, eHow or the Facebook pages of major beauty brands, and you'll find thousands of videos featuring everything from how to apply crackle nail polish, use an eyelash curler or apply mascara. There are no shortages of product reviews, either..
These video blogs, or vlogs, help many women decide whether or not to purchase a new product, and how to use something new or unfamiliar, explains Brinda Chattergee, a Cincinnati entrepreneur.
"It's mostly young women who are sharing information about purchases, and coming together around information," she says.
Chattergee, who has a graphic design background, discovered the beauty vlogging world while researching product design for a beauty product. During her research, she thought it would be great if there was a site dedicate to the best of the videos, both professional and amateur, where people could quickly find and create the type of content they wanted.
That's the idea behind her new website, MakeupHaulic. Chattergee describes the site, which is not yet public, as a curated destination site for all things beauty. In addition to featuring existing content, the site will also offer tutorials for those who want to become beauty vloggers. She plans to feature some sponsored content as well.
"It will feature a blend of normal folks as well as professionals," she says. "It will be very democratic. Anyone can participate."
MakeupHaulic is one of eight companies chosen for
UpTech, a new business informatics incubator launched by several Northern Kentucky institutions, including
Northern Kentucky University,
Tri-Ed,
ezone and
Vision 2015. It's an intense, six-month accelerator program that includes $100,000 in funding. Companies selected to participate will also be working with students and faculty at NKU's College of Informatics.
During her time in the incubator, Chattergee plans to launch the site and rework its design or the user experience in response to user feedback.
"The launch is pretty immediate at this point. We'll be taking it to the next level in response to feedback. It's a very important phase and an exciting time for all of us involved," she says.
By Feoshia Henderson
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