It’s no secret that teens and tweens are driving the beauty market; just look at recent stats on nail polish alone. Phillip Seymour—who has piloted training programs on the use of imagery and multi-media in the arts at cultural hubs such as NYU, Columbia University and The Smithsonian—saw a niche in this rising category and founded dreamdateNYC with associate Benjamin Martin. The company so far sells a lipgloss with a unique applicator shaped like a real pair of lips.

According to Seymour, the name and concept of dreamdateNYC arose after a number of brainstorming sessions. He told Happi, “The idea that teens are still very romantic and filled with an idealistic image of love and romance seemed a fit in for the name of the product. That they could fantasize about a real or imagined lipgloss kiss seemed like the ideal image we wanted to connect with.  Before this concept, the names we pondered were not as fitting as this one.”

Seymour said the company is finalizing the prototype design and getting ready to begin manufacturing. Presently, dreamdateNYC is only available for pre-order online at: www.indiegogo.com/projects/dreamdatenyc–3, but Seymour is hoping to get the product into beauty and cosmetic stores such as Ricky’s, Ross and Walgreens…places where teens and tweens often shop.

“We have a presence on the Internet with every social media site (i.e. https://www.facebook.com/DreamDateNYC) and our own website: dreamdatenyc.com,” he told Happi. “I have always believed in the product. The process from idea to final fulfillment is a long one that takes a great deal of faith. My motivation, which began as I developed the product, was to make enough monies to help teens in need.  Personal wealth is part of the equation, but not the first motivating factor.”