THEA Green has been thinking about millennials a lot recently. "There's such an amazing movement in that women can do absolutely everything – it's another level of girl power," says the cosmetics entrepreneur and MBE, who founded the hugely successful Nails Inc empire of salons and nail products when she was just 23.
This is the ethos behind the former Tatler fashion editor's new beauty and lifestyle brand, My Mood, which has been heavily influenced by the new generation of beauty-lovers who are no longer bound to the restrictions of the pre-internet age.
"We grew up in an environment where we had four TV channels – they're able to access thousands, millions of different people and learn a little bit about everything," Green explains. "They're incredibly educated [about] what's going on around them."
My Mood is not only aimed at teens and 20-somethings, it was developed by them too, with focus groups helping to decide everything from the product line-up – which encompasses bathing, make-up and tech accessories – to the packaging and names.
Mother to three children, Green says, "the girls that hang out in my house that are 14 years old are not wearing dodgy blue eyeliner and pale pink lipstick.
"They're wearing amazing contour or incredible highlighter they've learnt to do through YouTube – and they're doing it brilliantly."
After the success of Nails Inc – which is the UK's largest nail-bar chain and has 60 outlets in Britain and Ireland – off-shoot make-up brand INC.redible and now My Mood, it's clear the 42-year-old knows a lot about cosmetics and still gets excited about discovering new products, not just developing them.
We asked Green, if she had to narrow her beauty selection down to the bare essentials, what would make the cut? Here's what she had to say...
1. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, £32
Seeing a big difference to her hair when she uses this pre-shampoo treatment, Green swaps weekly between Elasticizer and Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector, £32, lookfantastic.com.
"It's amazing in terms of strength and condition," she says. "I can see a bigger difference from using them alternatively rather than using them singularly."
2. Aesop Coriander Seed Body Cleanser, £17, Cult Beauty
"When I run out, I'm depressed," says Green of her go-to shower gel, which promises to cleanse, calm and warm the skin.
She alternates between this scent and Geranium Leaf: "I don't know which one I like the most".
3. By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Serum Sunny Flash, £61, Space NK
In her search for perfect dewy skin, the entrepreneur swears by this serum: "It's got a little bit of bronze in it, so I use moisturiser and then that on top."
4. My Mood Smile Everyday Smoothing Lip Balm, £6, Boots
This £6 lip balm, according to Green, "feels like an incredible luxury product. It's exactly what My Mood stands for. It's a little piece of happiness that makes you feel good when you use it."
5. Byredo Gypsy Water Fragrance, £105 for 50ml, Space NK
A new favourite, this scent, which she describes as "natural and clean" tops her list of go-to products.
In a move towards, what she calls "modern fragrance companies" such as Byredo and Le Labo, Green says she "could almost never go back to traditional perfume brands – it's a different level".
6. Nails Inc Girl King Nail Polish Duo, £15
One of the latest launches from Nails Inc. is their Girl King duo, from which 5 per cent of sales go to charities focused on the education of women around the world and ending period poverty.
"It has a millennial pink in there and then it has a khaki green as the sort of Girl King army," Green explains. "I'm wearing the khaki today, I love the khaki."
