Breaking out of her shell has never been Janelle Sparks’ forte – which is exactly why her mother signed her up for Makeover Monday.
“I didn’t even know about it,” says Janelle, a 21-year-old mother from Windsor, N.S. “I was kind of shocked, so I called her and was like, ‘What the heck, mom?’”
Janelle says having her baby at such a young age meant style was put on the back burner.
“I didn’t go out with my friends a lot. I wasn’t a partier,” she says “Once I had (my son), I just didn’t have time to spend on doing my hair and doing my makeup.”
Janelle works closely with her mother, Jocelyn Hilchey, to manage their cosmetics business. She says work, combined with caring for a toddler, leaves her with little time for herself.
“We both help each other out. If there’s some days where I don’t have a sitter, it’s like, ‘O.K., mom are you free to watch Dryden from this time to this time?’” Janelle says.
Jocelyn believes Janelle is able to strike a constructive balance between her life at work and at home.
“She basically does everything,” says Jocelyn. “She does the scheduling, the cash outs. She takes care of all of the staff … she has a full-time life at home and runs the business entirely while I’m off with my newborn.”
Janelle feels much of her work ethic comes from her mother’s guidance.
“We work together very, very well, and we both are able to work with each other’s schedules really nicely.”
Jocelyn and Janelle hope the new look will allow the young mother to finally step out of her comfort zone.
“I’m hoping that it sort of changes my mindset. I’ll be able to do more with myself and I won’t be so, ‘No, I’m not going to go buy myself some new clothes, or no I don’t feel like doing my hair today,’” says Janelle.
Janelle says it’s nice for once to be the centre of attention.
“I’m hoping that I will be able to keep up with myself and put myself first when it comes to my personal looks.”
