Salon super-highway

WITH the dab of a digit, women of all ages can be transported into Kerry Lewis’s retro pink world of beauty, a virtual haven where they can escape the rigours of modern life.

A time capsule of the Sixties, the My Little Beauty iPhone app will give them a glimpse of a real business that has been plying the roads of the North for the past three years.

The app has been developed in California, the spiritual home of the microchip, and is the latest development of a beauty parlour with difference. My Little Beauty is a business constantly on the move, using as its base a classic Sixties American Airstream trailer converted into a mobile salon.

Appliance of science: My Little Beauty director Kerry Lewis and her Airstream trailer

Kerry, of Darlington, says: “I wanted to think of a way that the trailer would still be seen even when it’s not on the road. I have heard girls in the salon talk often about apps and how they use them and have fun with them.

“The idea is to create thousands of virtual My Little Beauty trailers, which is going to be, as they say in the States, awesome. I want girls all over the world to experience the fun we have.”

The app will be available on iPhone initially and, if it proves popular, it will then feature on other media including the new iPad.

“It is going to be fun and educational, with features such as 20 top tips for make-up,” says Kerry. “It will be an interactive game and I hope it gives girls a taste of what the business is really like. Hopefully, the virtual experience will encourage them to come and see us for real.”

Going virtual and travelling farther is a natural progression for Kerry, who has enjoyed the freedom of the road in her Airstream trailer since 2008.

“When I qualified as a beauty therapist at Darlington College, I wanted to do something different,” she recalls. “One night I saw an Airstream trailer on a film and I thought it was exactly what I needed; a slick, shiny, silver caravan.

“I’ve never been one for staying in one place.

I like each day to be different and I enjoy it so much because of this. We get requests to go to so many different places and everywhere we go we get noticed.”

Getting started took courage as Kerry needed to be able to drive a Nissan Navara pick-up with a huge 1962 classic American trailer.

“Once I bought the trailer, I was quite scared and wondered how on earth I was going to drive it around,” she says. “But I knew I had to get on with it and told myself there was nothing I couldn’t do. I enrolled on a course with the Caravan Club and was the only woman undergoing training. But when they found out I had an American Airstream trailer, they were rather impressed. They helped me so much and quickly got me on the road.”

From the start of her journey, Kerry has never looked back, providing the unique salon experience to hundreds of happy customers, who have enjoyed group pamper sessions, hen nights, princess parties and lady pamper nights.

It’s an innovative service that hasn’t gone unrecognised. My Little Beauty was short-listed last year for the Best New Business in the North-East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Kerry’s love of all things bright and beautiful started at the age of 12. Like many youngsters, she enjoyed nothing better than pampering herself and joining in makeovers with friends.

“I can remember when I was at school having a really successful Avon round,” she says.

“I was one of their top sellers. I just loved anything to do with make-up and following the looks and trends you saw in magazines. I can also remember doing my first makeover for a wedding when I was just 18 and I was so pleased because the bride loved it.” Her skills earned her a role of make-up artist for Hitched magazine.

But it’s not all just about glamour. Kerry and the My Little Beauty team are keen to work in the community supporting youth projects and youth centres.

“I feel so strongly that girls know how they can apply good skincare and look after themselves and enjoy makeovers too. I have seen some amazing results when I have been working with girls and it is so rewarding to see their self-esteem get such a boost. It makes it all worthwhile.”

To this end, Kerry has been working with youth projects run by Darlington, Sunderland and North Yorkshire councils, increasing awareness of skincare through workshops.

“I just want as many girls and ladies as possible to enjoy the salon experience and for it to have such a positive impact on them that they will never forget it,” she says.

Now, as she prepares to hit the virtual road with her cyber trailer, she is promising to take her customers on an unforgettable trip of pampering delights on the information super-highway of beauty.