In major tech news, Instagram unveiled a new Stories feature that has the beauty world buzzing—and some critics condemning the lack of Snapchat-like filters. Much like the Snapchat feature of the same name, Stories on Instagram allows you to upload a photo or video (shot in real time or uploaded from your camera roll), add some cheeky drawings or text, and share with your followers for 24-hours before it expires. If it sounds familiar, we know. But, like Snapchat, it’s got serious potential to be your favorite beauty blogger’s new best friend.
The app update features a roster of Instagram stories at the top of your feed where you can skip from one video clip to the next and view new snaps. And when you see one of your favorite beauty gurus with a ring around their profile picture icon, that means there’s new content to check out.
In general, the new Instagram feature is cool, but it’s especially awesome for beauty lovers. So much of what we love to see is the behind-the-scenes peek into the process—that eyeliner trick is way more useful when you can see it in action. And, luckily, the video diary aspect to Stories allows our favorite beauty influencers to take us with them through the nitty-gritty step-by-steps of the looks we’re used to seeing in one neat post.
Despite its infancy, the fashion and beauty communities are already flocking to the new feature. Perennial beauty icons like Adriana Lima, Suki Waterhouse, and Cindy Crawford are all using the platform to showcase their ridiculously good looks and candid #makeupfree vacation moments.
Here’s how you can share your own beauty game updates:
First off, perform the dreaded app update. Once you’ve got the latest version, your home screen will change to feature the roster of Insta stories. From here, you can add your own story by tapping the plus sign in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, or swiping to the right. This will take you to a full-screen camera view—with both selfie and regular camera capabilities—where you can snap a photo or record a quick video. Once you have your image or video, you can add text to the image or use one of the drawing tools, which include nine colors and a slider for different sizes in addition to a “glow” marker. Fancy.
Not satisfied with the final product? Just swipe left to cancel and get back to your feed.
