Stay on top of your stash with Brushbelt

Purpose

Brushbelt is an inventory app created specifically with makeup lovers in mind. There are other inventory apps, and other makeup organization apps, but either they are not made for the somewhat unique needs of makeup, or they’re just too difficult to navigate. None of them integrate the hardware features of the iPhone, and none have partnered with a major player in the beauty world to create a richer user experience. 

Benefits

Keep track of your stash + built-in Sephora integration. 

• Integration with Sephora’s Beauty Insider program means all of your past purchases are already in your collection, and your wishlist is instantly accessible. 

• Expiration dates are in one place, with alerts to tell you when it’s time to toss/replace. 

• No more accidental duplicates. 

Add items effortlessly.

• It’s not in your Sephora purchase history? No problem. Scan the barcode or the product label and we’ll fill in the blanks. 

• Our handy suggestive search bar makes it easy to find products. Type in keywords like “red NARS matte lipstick” for a list of items that match. 

Never run out of your greatest hits. 

Set your favorites to auto-ship monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually, so you never run low on the ones you can’t live without. 

Give everything a rating.

Your favorites, always at a glance, with a simple star rating system.

Target User

Brushbelt’s target user loves makeup. It’s important to them to keep up with the latest and greatest in beauty trends. They look to their favorite YouTubers for tips on new products and techniques, and will visit Sephora to swatch. Most days, they spend 30 minutes or more on makeup application. Their products are well taken care of, but disorganized. Our user misplaces the things they don’t use on a regular basis, and wonders if the blue lipstick they splurged on (it looked amazing on TikTok!) will go bad before it’s rediscovered underneath the eight pink lipsticks. Our user juggles a lot of responsibilities, and doesn’t always want to make time to stay on top of a big makeup collection. 

They visit Sephora stores and use the Sephora app or desktop site several times each month. Our user is a Beauty Insider, and they’re familiar with the benefits of the program. Last year, they spent the $350 required to move to the second tier of the program; this year, they’ll hit the third tier, which has a minimum $1000 spend. Our user loves to shop for both planned purchases and impulse buys.

Our Brushbelt user is an 18—34-year-old regular Sephora shopper who owns 50 or more beauty products. They spend around $300—1200 annually on personal care, including makeup, toiletries, bath products, and hair care.

User Story

Every morning, I wonder why I have at least nine cranberry eyeshadows. Do I forget every time I buy one that I already have three that look identical? That’s before I attempt to find the perfect pinky-gold lip gloss that I could I swear I bought just a few weeks ago…or did I? Because it smells a little off now - when did I actually buy it? I’ve tried taking a picture of the date on the Sephora receipt, or writing it down, but it always gets lost in the shuffle. My black eyeliners are a source of annoyance for me, too. Is it the liquid one with the soft felt tip that I love? Or is it the gel pencil that never smudges? It’s hard to remember. I hate wasting time trying it on, especially when I need a new one - do I repurchase, or try something new? I always get frustrated and leave it for another day, which only makes the problem worse. When I finally choose a product to repurchase, it’s out of stock and I don’t have time to hit Sephora until the weekend. I wish there was an easy way to keep track of my makeup - one that would save me some time, and make my life simpler. 

User Flows

Low Fidelity Wireframes

Usability Testing + Results

My original usability test yielded some interesting results. Overall, the users who tested the app in its prototype form expressed positive feedback about the app’s general usability and features.
Suggested improvements:

• add modals

• add navigation (including back buttons) to all screens

• Sephora ColorIQ tie-in for product suggestions

• remove “Log in here” for returning users

• add “Keep me signed in” option

• break down input-heavy pages for better
  user-friendliness

• position “value-adds” earlier in app

• remove third-party rewards options

• add app walkthrough, with option to skip

• add edit button to product entry

• utilize grid format with carousel

• tie in Sephora wishlist option

• add thumbnails to search suggestions

• look to successful apps for best practices

• reposition my view of the app construction from an “ideal path” of a new user

After reviewing the results of both the usability test and an informal survey I conducted via social media with my “focus group” of approximately 40 women in my target user group, I concluded that Brushbelt is essentially on the right track. The greatest improvements I made after my initial testing were related to refining the number of screens and cutting down on the amount of information I required from new users. I added the suggested navigational improvements, including bottom nav, search bar thumbnails, and back/edit/search buttons. I looked at how Amazon, Apple, Target, and Airbnb structured their app search and walkthrough features. Most importantly, I learned to accomplish more with less - fewer screens, less user burden, and less “clutter.”