Green Glamour

Inspiration

We were inspired to create a sustainable beauty app that could make a positive impact on the beauty industry. In the U.S. alone, almost 7.9 billion units of rigid plastic are created just for beauty and personal care products per year. We recognized that beauty products often come at the expense of the planet, people, and animals, and wanted to create a platform that promoted more sustainable and inclusive beauty practices. More specifically, we wanted to shine a light on companies that cater to a wide range of consumers and value diversity and inclusion. Our inspiration came from a desire to empower and incentivize everyday consumers to make more informed and conscious choices about the products they use.

What It Does

Green Glamour is a sustainable beauty app that provides users with access to a curated selection of top-rated, sustainable makeup products that are diverse and inclusive. We built an iOS app using SwiftUI and a website using HTML and CSS, which allows users to easily access sustainable beauty products. Our data was scraped from the Sephora website to create our sustainable product database. Our sustainability checker analyzes product ingredients and packaging, providing users with a tool to evaluate the environmental impact of their beauty purchases. We incentivize users to purchase more sustainable alternatives through a rewards system. Users receive points for each sustainable option they buy, and once they reach a certain number, they are gifted a free eco-friendly beauty product.

How We Built it

To build Green Glamour, we utilized a combination of software and technologies, including SwiftUI/Swift and XCode for the iOS app and HTML and CSS for the website. We also incorporated web scraping with Python to gather and analyze data from Sephora. Our team consisted of individuals with diverse backgrounds, such as software engineers, data analysts, and designers, who worked collaboratively to create a user-friendly platform that aligned with our values of sustainability and inclusivity.

Challenges We Ran Into

One of the main challenges we faced was incorporating web scraping into our app and website. We had to find a way to collect and analyze data in real-time, while also ensuring that the information was accurate and up-to-date. Aside from that, we struggled with combing the multiple interfaces and softwares used to gather the data and then implement them into our user interface. We also encountered challenges with the design of the app and website, as we wanted to create an interface that was both user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, we had to balance our desire for inclusivity with the limitations of available sustainable products.

Accomplishments That We're Proud Of

We're proud of our ability to integrate multiple software and technologies to create a seamless and user-friendly platform. Our use of web scraping allowed us to provide users with accurate and up-to-date product information, and our sustainability checker gives users a tool to evaluate the environmental impact of their beauty purchases while also providing the user with an alternative to their desired product. Additionally, our rewards program incentivizes sustainable choices and encourages users to make conscious consumer choices.

What We Learned

During the development of Green Glamour, we learned a lot about various technologies and software tools. Specifically, we learned more about Swift UI for iOS app development and web development using HTML and CSS. We also gained experience with web scraping using Python, which was essential in gathering data on sustainable makeup products from various sources, including Sephora. In addition to these technical skills, we also learned a lot about the importance of user experience and design. We wanted to create an app and website that was not only functional but also visually appealing and easy to use.

What's Next For Green Glamour

Moving forward, we plan to expand our product offerings to include a wider range of sustainable beauty products, including more skincare and products unavailable at Sephora. We hope to increase the number of brands that we work with and promote. Furthermore, we plan to implement a better way to scrape or attain data and potentially apply a machine learning algorithm that will take the qualities of a product and essentially deem it sustainable based on previously marked attributes. Additionally, we plan to continue to improve our sustainability checker and rewards program, providing users with more accurate and comprehensive information to make informed and conscious decisions. Ultimately, our goal is to continue to promote sustainable and inclusive beauty practices, and to inspire others to make a positive impact on the beauty industry.