Caffeinated Beauty Bar opened its doors in the spring of 2020, right in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. The journey to that destination was full of obstacles and required many days and nights fueled by one of Brook Allen’s favorite drinks – coffee.
“It just came to me one day,” says Allen. “[While] drinking my coffee, I was like, ‘caffeinated…I feel like I am always caffeinated’ and I think a lot of women can like resonate with the feeling of needing [caffeine] to get through life.”
Allen took her idea of the “caffeinated” life and poured it into a blog she started at the age of 20, appropriately called “Caffeinated.” Until then, Allen had difficulty figuring out her purpose in life and where she fit in.
“I had pretty bad dyslexia and was never good at school. I always felt defeated because I was not good at [anything]. Society [was] telling me, ‘If you are not good at this, then you are not going to be good at anything.’ I struggled with figuring out which college I wanted to go to, what I wanted to do, and I ended up attending three different universities and had like ten different majors. I felt very lost and confused. I ended up dropping out of college and started working in retail.”
Allen discovered that she enjoyed going to work more than going to class. She worked for a couple of small businesses before landing at Anthropologie, which turned out to be a job that shaped her future.
“I just loved what they stood for. Everything they did had purpose. Down to the way the hangers were spaced and the garments were hung. I resonated with that, and I was good at it,” recalls Allen. “At 19 years old, I was addicted to going to work because it was something that I was good at.”
That experience and newly-found confidence eventually led Allen to open Caffeinated Beauty Bar at age 25.
Although Allen’s family was disappointed in her decision to leave college, they understood she was just better suited for a different way of life.
“When I opened the business [my family] realized, ‘Brooke is not just floating around…she is not a failure. Brooke is thriving, and probably for the first time in her life, she has found a way to convey her passions.’ I describe it like being told your whole life, ‘You are only going to be successful [based] on how well you can climb a tree,’ and I am a fish, so I needed to go find a river,” she explained.
“With millennials and Generation Z, there is a realization that many roads lead to success. [The philosophy of] ‘you get good grades, make the varsity volleyball team, you go to a good college, join a sorority, you find a husband, and then you are happy and prosperous [for] the rest of your life’ — I think we [millennials and Generation Z] have determined we are not buying that anymore…we do not subscribe to that standard,” says Allen.
Located in the Bishop Arts District, Caffeinated Beauty Bar is among several unique boutiques and clothing stores, but what makes Allen’s shop so different is its connection to social media.
While it is still early in Caffeinated Beauty Bar’s Instagram fandom, each post is aesthetically pleasing, focuses on modern clothing trends, and conveys the “girl boss” lifestyle.
“I make sure our social media reflects content that is relatable to women. Whether it is something inspiring that you would see on Pinterest or helping girls cultivate a brand,” says Allen. “I love creatively conceptualizing how to make Caffeinated an experience that sparks joy in everyone who comes across our brand, both in-person and online.”
Finding her niche did not keep Allen from encountering obstacles. She opened Caffeinated Beauty Bar the same day Texas opened back up after the pandemic lockdown.
“As a new business owner, I was nervous for numerous reasons. I went to a friend who has owned many floral shops for years all over the country, and I expressed my concerns. She told me, ‘Remember, we are the lucky ones. We already signed on the dotted lines; many people will push off their dreams because of this unknown territory we are entering, but we are on the other side, and our job is to show up every day and make our dreams a reality,’” Allen recalled.
Allen believes ‘ignorance is bliss’ in that she did not have any experience owning a business before the pandemic. That inexperience allowed her to cater to her clients based on their current buying habits, which mark a drastic change from how consumers used to operate.
“I think [now] we have more conscious buyers, and our customer is more aware of where her money is going. She is more aware of shipping times and whether her purchases come from the United States or China. There is a large movement [of people who] understand the importance of small businesses and being a smarter shopper.”
Allen pays close attention to her clients’ needs. Caffeinated Beauty Bar offers a complete clothing line for transitioning from day to night, which she describes as “easy, fun, and functional.”
“We think a lot about what is on her calendar and what she will need outfits for,” she says.
She also keeps in mind the women of Dallas, who she describes as “adventurous, risk-takers, and trendsetters, who display glamour, sophistication, and pride in what they wear.”
Her boutique and fashion blog both reflect that same style and attitude.
“I think it is fair to say girls in Dallas dress for other girls, and when they go out, they know their outfit is on fire when … somebody says, ‘Oh my gosh, your outfit is so cute!’ They are like, ‘Yeah!’ The endorphins are rushing,” says Allen.
Allen says that for Caffeinated Beauty Bar, now in its second year, the sky’s the limit. She continues to take it one day at a time and make sure her store and her clients are set up for success.
“We believe that when you dress your best, you give your best,” says Allen. “We want to help women achieve that.”