Lately is an app for discovering and booking last-minute beauty and wellness appointments in Los Angeles, always at a discount. Think blowouts, haircuts, facials, manicures, massages, and more that are available today or tomorrow.
I caught up with the founder, Jacyln Roth, about her vision for the app and her journey to this point.
“At its core, Lately is about making self-care feel more spontaneous, accessible, and woven into everyday life. I’d like to book a beauty appointment that’s as easy and on-demand as ordering DoorDash.”
How It Works
For the Customer
Q: What's the experience like from opening the app to sitting down in the chair?
The experience is meant to feel fast, local, and exciting. You open the app and immediately see nearby appointments happening today or tomorrow: maybe a discounted facial in West Hollywood or a last-minute blowout in Sherman Oaks. Instead of spending an hour searching across different websites or calling businesses, you can browse availability, pricing, reviews, Instagram pages, and book instantly in just a few taps. Then you show up, check in, and get the service like any normal appointment, just with a smoother discovery process and at a better price. I also put a lot of emphasis on our TikTok page and on promoting our partners there. I love sharing more behind-the-scenes context about businesses that users might not know otherwise, whether that's a new discount that just dropped, a provider's specialty, or a hidden gem people should know about. I want Lately to feel like a trusted local resource for discovering beauty and wellness spots around LA, not just a booking app.
For the Salons and Spas
Q: How do you partner with local salons and spas? If a business reading this wants to get involved, how should they reach out?
We partner directly with salons, spas, med spas, and independent beauty pros across LA. One thing providers appreciate is that we're not trying to replace their existing systems. Many already use platforms like Boulevard, Vagaro, GlossGenius, Fresha, or Square, and we work alongside those workflows rather than forcing businesses to completely change how they operate. A lot of independent beauty pros don't always use a booking system, and we can sync up with them, too! For businesses, it's really about turning downtime into incremental revenue while also getting discovered by new local customers. If a salon or spa wants to join, they can reach out directly through the sign-up page on our website or DM us on Instagram (@booklately), and we'll walk them through onboarding personally. We've kept the process really hands-on and relationship-focused, especially at this stage.
The Origin Story
Q: What were you doing before Lately? What are you doing alongside it now?
Before Lately, I was working full-time in TV production. The entertainment industry can be incredibly intense and unpredictable, and during that time, I noticed how hard it was, not just for me, but for friends around me, to fit appointments into busy schedules. It also didn't help that my shoots were constantly taking me out of LA, so I'd finally book an appointment I was excited about…only to end up canceling it because I had to fly somewhere for work. Alongside the app itself, I've also become really passionate about building a community around wellness in LA. I've been working with local wellness communities and bringing some of our Lately beauty pros to events for different activations and experiences. There's clearly a huge appetite for people looking to connect through self-care and shared experiences, not just transactions. That's been one of the coolest parts of building Lately so far.
Q: Where did this idea come from? What problem were you trying to solve, and was there a specific moment that made you think "I need to build this"?
The idea came from being an LA transplant and never really knowing where to book, who to trust, or when places actually had openings. I kept hearing the same thing from friends, too: "I want to get something done today, but I don't want to call around, and everything is so expensive." At the same time, I started talking to beauty and wellness businesses that were quietly dealing with gaps in their schedules every single day. In the early days, I was walking around WeHo talking to salons and spas nonstop - I was literally hitting 40k steps a day. The turning point for me was realizing there wasn't a go-to platform connecting those two problems in a clean, modern way. Last-minute booking in beauty still felt really fragmented and outdated. I kept thinking, "Why is there no OpenTable or HotelTonight for self-care?" Eventually, I stopped waiting for someone else to build it.
Growth & What's Next
Q: How has growth been so far? Both on the business side and the customer side?
It's still early, but the response has been really encouraging. We're seeing strong engagement from both customers and providers, especially in Los Angeles, where beauty and wellness are such a big part of everyday life. A lot of our early growth has come organically through word of mouth, TikTok, Instagram, and local referrals. We're also learning quickly from customer behavior. On the provider side, things have been picking up as well. I've had businesses reach out from places like Anaheim, Orange County, Colorado, and Utah, which has been really exciting and validating as we think about what's next.
Q: Where do you want to take Lately from here? Are you thinking of other cities, other service categories, or going deeper into LA first?
Right now, the focus is on continuing to deepen the experience in LA and building something people genuinely love using before expanding too quickly. That said, the vision is much bigger than one city (maybe even Cleveland, mom!). We see opportunities to expand into other major markets and, eventually, into broader wellness and lifestyle categories. But I think what makes marketplaces successful early on is density and community. We want Lately to feel truly useful and culturally connected to Los Angeles first, not just like another generic booking app. Once that foundation is strong, expansion becomes much more natural.
Try It Yourself
Check out the , follow @booklately on Instagram for deal drops, and if you're a salon, spa, or independent beauty pro who wants in on the action, sign up here to get started.