Yep, now you can ask Alexa to schedule your next haircut

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Alexa Skills for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine.

Between figuring out what gifts to get, to ordering or shopping, wrapping said presents and getting ready in general for all of the holiday festivities throughout the season I almost always forget to get myself in order. Typical, right? I'm almost afraid to admit I haven't had a haircut since summer and I've been in desperate need for a trim since at least fall. Oof.

Walking into a holiday party with dead, frayed ends just isn't an option this year. Especially when everyone else is showing off their perfectly coiffed styles. But let's be real, it's also the holidays and EVERYONE is booking services left and right, making availability more scarce than usual. The last thing you want to do is call around from salon to salon only to hear the dreaded "No, we don't have any availability- sorry we can't squeeze you in".

BUT, I have a new secret weapon that can help remedy this tiny problem and get me (AND YOU) holiday party-ready in a pinch. It's all about Alexa. If you're already using Amazon's Alexa Skills technology to play music, manage your calendar or refresh your memory on some wiki-level knowledge, you're going to love the newest addition to Alexa's skill set. Now you can schedule your beauty appointments via the Opensalon skill for Amazon's Alexa. With a simple "Alexa, I need a haircut", you'll be directed to the nearest Regis-owned salon (Supercuts, Cost Cutters, SmartStyle Hair Salon located inside Walmart and other regional salon brands) with availability for your hair and beauty needs. I was able to make my appointment while drinking my morning coffee and get in by 2pm for a deep conditioning, cut and blowout with zero hassle.

The only thing I had to worry about was how to maneuver the trains scheduled work and usual delays to and from my appointment. But that's just part of the daily life of a New Yorker.

Now, let's get you set up and ready for your appointment and holiday season shuffle.

First, you're going to need to hop onto Amazon via the app or web and add the Opensalon skill for your Alexa enabled devices. I used my Echo Dot to schedule from my couch.

After it's all setup, give it a go with...

Alexa, I need a haircut.

Alexa will find the closet Regis-owned salons with availability and earliest appointment available.

From there, Alexa will simply ask Yes or No questions to schedule or make changes.

If you need a different time or location say 'no' and give an alternate answer (For example: Alexa says Supercuts has availability at 1pm. Just say 2pm and it will see if it's available) or say another location and Alexa will find it for you.

After you find your ideal time and location, Alexa will schedule your appointment and send you a confirmation email! Now, all you have to do it hop, skip and jump to the salon to get yourself glammed up.

Honestly, you're never going to want to schedule an appointment another way. Ever.