This early, Minnesota toddler AJ Smith is making her mark in the lucrative beauty industry by becoming the owner of a new homemade lipgloss business with the help of her mom, Angela Smith.
Speaking with CBS Minnesota, Angela said that her 3-year-old girl wanted to explore makeup when she kept watching her mother prettify. But since she's still a toddler, the mother discussed how makeup could be "developmentally appropriate" for AJ's age with her husband.
The parents compromised and agreed that the toddler can wear lip gloss and nail polish if she likes. To make it even safer, as well as educational for AJ, Angela said that they started creating homemade lipgloss using coconut oil. AJ's twin brother, Jack, also got into the project.
Starting Out as a Teaching Moment
The Smith parents both work as teachers so it was easier for the makeup project with AJ to evolve into a teaching moment. While creating the homemade lipgloss, the toddler was also oriented into the science of mixing colors and the math of measuring the ingredients. AJ also improved her reading skills during the process.
The family gave samples of the lipgloss to their friends for feedback and got such a great response. They encouraged AJ to share her makeup creation with the rest of the world. That's how Beautifly by AJ, the new homemade lipgloss business, was born.
After acquiring the necessary licenses for the business, Beautifly by AJ has started selling lipgloss for $6 a pop. AJ and her mom made seven variants: Pineapple, Peach, Grape, Strawberry Kiwi, Green Apple and Blueberry. These are sold online only and are sent via mail for orders in the U.S.
In the summer, Beautifly by AJ, is off for launching at farmers' markets around the city. However, AJ's mother said that this venture is more than just setting up a business. It's also helping AJ be creative and build her self-confidence.
"We try to show parents, how do you teach your child to be creative, how do you promote self-expression," Angela said.
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Young Entrepreneurs Like AJ
Meanwhile, Sebastian Martinez was only 5 years old when he and his 7-year-old brother, Brandon Martinez, launched Are You Kidding Me, an online store selling specialty socks. Now 13 years old, Sebastian is the CEO of his own apparel company while Brandon, 15 years old, is the Sales Director.
It was their mom who saw Sebastian's passion for designing socks but it took the family a year to launch the business. The brothers, who are from Miami, have since established philanthropic efforts to give back to the community, thanks to the success of their store. Are You Kidding Me has Are You Kidding Cares, their charity arm for donating socks for kids for charities like Stand Up To Cancer, Make-a-Wish and Autism Speaks.
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