When I think back to my 13 year old self, experimenting with makeup and concluding that blue eyeliner, an orange foundation and a deep red lipstick were my most flattering I can’t help but wonder where was my mum to put me right? Was she too busy to notice, was I too stubborn to listen to her or more accurately did she even know what was right for me?
Roll on to a new generation of 13 year olds not only do they look gorgeous with perfectly groomed eyebrows they are serious about their image. My 13-year-old nieces are addicted to watching Youtube makeup tutorials and actually giving me and their mums make up tips! And I mean 13 year olds, not 18 and 19 year olds but 13 year olds! They’ve grown up with their phones and with Instagram and Youtube as their constant companion. As much as their mums are not thrilled by it, they’ve almost had to accept just how important image is to this new generation at such a young age.
Since becoming a Personal stylist in 2006 I can honestly say the biggest growth of client base I’ve seen is actually amongst teenagers. I actually do more teenagers colours than men’s. At first I thought it was pushy parenting, wanting their child to look perfect but I soon saw the positive effects wearing the right colours had on these young girls confidence. They are starting to wear make up, they are shopping for new clothes and because their lives are constantly being displayed on social media they simply want to get it right! And as the mums have told me, “If I’m the one paying for all of it, I don’t want to waste money on unflattering makeup and clothes hence I’ll invest in a colour analysis session for them”.
Surely every colour looks great on a teenager, I can hear you say, they’ve got youth on their side? But with the teenage years comes the curse of puberty; spots, uneven skin tone and chubby faces. What wearing the right colour does no matter what your age is give you a more radiant complexion, makes your eyes look brighter and features more defined, so if you’re looking to draw attention away from your spots what better way than to draw attention to your sparkling eyes instead?
So if you’re thinking about becoming a colour analyst don’t limit your business model to women and men of your age group. You’ll be surprised how many mums would pay for their child to get their colours done rather than getting them done for themselves!
This year alone I’ve done 3 teenage birthday colour parties, 2 bat mitzvahs and sent out at least 4 gift vouchers for teenage birthdays! What I love seeing more than anything is not how proud their parents look as they see their children blossom but seeing these teenagers confidence and excitement grow as I drape their most flattering colours on them, it’s as if they can’t wait to go shopping and tell all of their friends. It’s great for growing my business as recommendations soon follow with some parents already booking me in advance to shop for their daughters prom dresses the following year! Yes this young generation is definitely owning it!