When I walk into a department store and see a sea of cosmetics, I get a little excited. Makeup is fun, and when it is applied correctly, it should enhance and accentuate. However, I tend to lose a bit of the self-confidence it has taken me over 40 years to achieve when I am confronted by the beautiful smiling women well versed in their product lines. There they are, ready to apply, swab, brush or dab their favorite powders, liquids, and liners on me. The rows and rows of colors, a sea of makeup and skin care possibilities, can be intimidating, but still call out to me. I stop, trying to recall if I really need to visit the counter whose products I recently saw in a magazine that promise the latest no fail beauty trend, or possibly the answer to all my life’s problems in a single cream. Whether it’s an impulse buy or a need, I always end up stopping.
Shopping for beauty products can be fun but also confusing. How do you decide which line to try? The one your best friend swears by? The one your mother has worn for years without fail? Now, stop and think about how puzzling it is for our ‘tween and teenage daughters? Our ‘tweens and teens are bombarded by supermodels and music artists they idolize, smiling back at them through advertisements in magazines, at stores, or on television. They practice for countless hours in their bathrooms behind closed doors: lip gloss, foundation, eyeshadow, ‘eyeliner wings’. And as much as we want them to be beautiful, confident women, we also want them to wear their makeup in an age appropriate and fashion forward way. I know, because I have a ‘tween at home. The old saying, ‘they grow up too soon’ is pounding on my door.
I know my daughter is not the only one. These days, young ladies are more socially active and aware than Gen Xer’s ever were growing up, specifically aided by technology and social media platforms. ‘Tweens and teens can spend hours on their smartphones scrolling through countless subjects that interest them: food, any how-to imaginable, cute wild animals, and/or beauty trends. The list is endless, all at their fingertips.
ME2 Beauty Bar was created to help reach what I believe is a ‘lost’ demographic, untapped by the beauty industry. In a recent report by Evolving Consumer Demographics, by 2020, the GenZ/iGen (age 0-19) generation is only slightly behind the Millennia’s (age 19-39), who in population statistics are recognized after the well-established Baby Boomers (age 56-74). The beauty industry has abandoned this powerhouse generation of social media drivers. Today’s teens and ‘tweens will continue to be a demographic who in time, will be more tech savvy and demanding in many important areas of consumer goods, the beauty industry being one of the largest.
However, we’ve missed carving out a special, safe, empowering place for girls to physically go to and learn what they watch their Mothers do every day. A place to get to apply their makeup, have their hair styled, or obtain facial services which help them begin what we know as adults, is a life-long ritual in taking care of our skin and of ourselves. As mother’s we are aware from an early age, we are their first source of modeling, be it behavior or beauty.
The mission at ME2 Beauty Bar is to create a learning platform, a venue friendly place just for teens and ‘tweens to feel and look beautiful inside and out. ME2 Beauty Bar offers hair, nail, makeup and facial services by licensed cosmetologists and makeup artists. We offer a quality driven experience at a rewarding price point.
Be it special event prep, or maybe getting her out of the bathroom and into a caring environment, ME2 is the venue I hope you will choose. In the end, no matter how her makeup application, facial care and hair styling skills are acquired, my hope is that this demographic receives the self-confidence as young women to walk into the beauty section of a department store and know just what they came for, and not be intimidated by anything by the rows and rows of lovely colors and bottles.
ME2 Beauty Bar owner, Melynda Dunn, founded ME2 to reflect the emerging taste and style of Houstonian’s tweens and teens. Our mission: help girls to look beautiful and feel beautiful, both inside and out. Whether involving hair, nails, makeup, advice on healthy grooming, how–to’s, tutorials, or special event prep, ME2 Beauty Bar encourages girls to celebrate and embrace their individual beauty. Finally, a salon to call their very own.
Goodbye mom’s salon, hello to ME2!