Beauty brand China Glaze is dipping its toes into mobile with a new application that lets consumers virtually try on nail polish and share content with friends and family members.

The China Glaze app is available for free download on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices. China Glaze is tentatively planning to launch an Android version of the app.

?Our strategy was to avoid releasing an app that someone would download and use only once,? said Kristen Spaun, director of digital marketing at American International Industries, Los Angeles.

?We wanted to build an interactive and useful tool for our customers to use on a frequent basis, while at the same time introduce shades of China Glaze polish they may not have seen before,? she said. ?We wanted something that never got old to the user and would create lots of user-generated content.?

?This is the biggest stride we have taken towards mobile, but it's just the start.?

American International Industries includes nearly 40 beauty brands such as China Glaze, Ardell, Clubman and Gena.

Mobile match
Via the app, consumers can virtually try on more than 300 nail polish colors. Colors can be customized to a specific skin tone or nail length.

Additionally, a section of the app lets consumers snap a picture of something and browse through China Glaze's catalog to find a matching or complementary nail color. 

For example, a woman could take a picture of her outfit and find a nail color that complements it.

China Glaze is also leveraging some of its social media channels within the app. Consumers can watch videos from China Glaze?s YouTube account that include tutorials on how fans can use the company's products.

Additionally, content can be shared via Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Future plans
When deciding between the mobile Web and app route, China Glaze went with an app because of the ability to integrate photo-taking directly into the experience.

Going forward, China Glaze is looking at how to incorporate community-driven sections to let fans share their experiences. For example, wish lists and discussion boards are two new features that are being developed.

In addition to the consumer-facing features, the app also targets nail professionals. Nail salons can register to have their salon listed with China Glaze and receive updates from the company.

?We see mobile playing a key role in user-generated content and the ability to get real time China Glaze updates to our customer,? Ms. Spaun said.

?We are currently working on more mobile-based programs and have much more to come,? she said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York