It’s colourful. It’s bright. It’s a special place just for girls. Inner Beauty Kids Spa has opened its doors this week catering to the pretty lady set.Kim and Tony Roberts, owners of Kalm Innovations, a hair salon on Court Street, decided to take the plunge after hosting a children’s spa party at their salon for their daughter Malaysia’s seventh birthday.The party went so well that they knew they had stumbled upon a potential business idea.“We thought there was a need in the market,” said Mrs Roberts, who is a hair stylist by trade. “Currently young girls go to adult spas so we wanted to create a space and an environment that they can call their own.”Whether it be for a special event such as a pageant, dance recital or wedding or for a fun girls’ day out with friends or family, Inner Beauty Spa offers manicures, pedicures, facials and make-up services for ages 4 to 14, though any age can make an appointment. Prices can’t be beat at $15 for a manicure and $20 for a pedicure.Mrs Roberts is hoping that the shop takes off and is supported enough to eventually offer hair and other spa services.Already being in the neighbourhood, the couple found an available small shop, directly across from People’s Pharmacy on Victoria Street.“We wanted to start off small and expand in the future,” she said.The husband and wife team completely transformed the small shop. From new wood flooring, lighting fixtures, electrical and air conditioning work to custom cabinetry, painting and colourful decals, the space went from drab to fab. A nail bar with colourful stools and a facial station were installed along with a pink leather seating area where the young clients have their pedicures done.The result is a bright, vibrant space filled with natural light and feminine colours of pink, purple and lime green.Overseen by Mr and Mrs Roberts, the staff are junior technicians, outgoing and ambitious teenagers who went through a six-week training course where they learned to give basic manicures and pedicures, facials and apply make up.Certified nail technician Maxeta Paynter and certified cosmetologist Kendre Smith taught the trainees, who all earned certificates of completion after their course.For most of the girls, Inner Beauty Kids Spa is their first job.“We interviewed more than 30 girls and we narrowed it down to six,” said Mrs Roberts.The junior technicians also attended workshops on salon etiquette and customer service.But lessons in etiquette and self-confidence extend beyond their staff as the name of the salon — Inner Beauty Kids Spa — indicates.“Our mission is to empower girls with a positive self-image in a fun and relaxing environment,” said Mrs Roberts.“We’re not just trying to provide a service but also an experience to build the self confidence of our young people.”The spa plans on bringing in local experts during school breaks to conduct workshops on public speaking, anti-bullying and etiquette.“Our goal is to not only make the girls look beautiful on the outside, but to also have an impact that will allow their inner beauty to shine,” she said.Mrs Roberts will be working with local schools to offer a complementary spa treatment to reward a student who has done exceptionally well in academics and behaviour as well a student who has demonstrated improvement in those areas.The spa, located at 71 Victoria Street, is open on Saturdays and Sundays 10am — 6pm, Thursdays and Fridays by appointment.Party packages are available of up to six girls.The spa is also open during school breaks and invite camps and youth groups to set up a spa day.For more information visit www.innerbeautykidsspa.com, call 292-4257 or e-mail at unwind@innerbeautykidsspa.com.