Halle and Brea Holmes noticed a lack of natural beauty products for teen girls with fun and flirty scents that wasn’t too harsh on their young skin when they were searching for products for their spa party. Highly disappointed with the offerings, Halle asked her sister, Brea, “Why don’t we start our own?” I love that these girls didn’t just go home empty-handed, they took it upon themselves to develop their own products. How many teens can boast the same type of business savvy?
The Holmes sisters researched online, asked their family dermatologist for pointers and their mom investigated cosmetic manufacturers. With $6,000 seed money from their parents, the Holmes sisters were able to launch their Sweet Dream Girlz (named for their favorite Beyonce song) line of moisturizers, cleansers, lip balms and hair products (which are paraben- and talc-free, feature shea butter and natural oils and come in “yummy” scents like Pink Sugar and Iced Lemon Cookie).
It’s being reported that the girls have made $25,000 in revenues in its first year and $42,000 in 2012 from online sales, specialty stores and trade shows. According to mom Lisa Holmes, Sweet Dream Girlz is profitable, but all income goes right back into the company to support marketing and new product development.
Despite being featured in USA Today, Tiger Beat, being invited to the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and making it to the final casting of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” beauty brands like Ulta and Avon and retailers like Dilliard’s, Nordstrom’s and Justice have turned the Holmes sisters’ Sweet Dream Girlz down.
But the sisters know they have a golden product. Young girls are using spa products these days and they say the only reason the numbers are catastrophic is because these teen-specific products aren’t readily available. So they figured out a way around their obstacles.
They’ve introduced Spa Diva–a network-marketing program that sells a $350 “mobile spa kit” to their business-minded peers. Tweens and teens as young as 16 can can purchase the kit and earn commissions hosting in-home mani-pedi parties and taking orders for Sweet Dream Girlz products from their friends. The kit includes manicure, pedicure, and facial supplies, party-hostess advice, and a “business resource CD,” that tells how to make a professional presentation, talk about the products, and engage with customers. Now that’s what I call business savvy!
As if they girls’ plates weren’t full enough, they’ve set their problem-solving eyes on another tween dilemma–the lack of fun and cute fashion for girls aged 7-16. The Holmes sisters designed and are now wholesaling a line of Sweet Dream Girlz apparel, sneakers, and accessories and they just wrapped a photoshoot for their sweet 2014 line!