BERLIN — Kaitlyn Green turned her love for makeup into a lash bar and spa, Intoxikated, in 2021. Her business, 1204 Farmington Ave., specializes in personalized services, including facials, lash extensions, brow, body and Brazilian waxing and makeup. 

Green said she named her business Intoxikated, spelled with a “k” instead of a “c,” not only because it’s a unique way to incorporate her first name into her shop’s branding, but it’s the “perfect” way to describe how she feels when doing her services.

“I feel totally consumed by what I’m doing where I really focus on the client first so that they can relax, and I put my all into it,” Green said. “And that’s what I felt like is the only way to describe it. So that’s how the name came about. It is pretty much like the exhilaration that you get from, you know, taking care of your clients.”

Green, who is Black and Puerto Rican, was born and raised in New Britain, a predominantly white city. However, Green prides herself in her biracial identity despite growing up in an environment without many biracial children. 

“It was kind of hard because it’s like, you know, I have darker skin, but I also speak Spanish,” Green said. “So a lot of people were like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ I was culturally raised Puerto Rican, which is kind of hard when you look a little bit different. But I’m proud of both cultures for sure, now that I really understand what it means to be a woman of color but also Afro-Latina.”

Green has never stopped pushing forward and being successful, continually freeing herself from focusing on the opinions of others. 

“You shouldn’t worry about what everybody else thinks,” Green said. “And I know that sounds probably cliche. But once you start doing that, owning your power, you can really hone in on whatever business you want to run because you won’t be worried about the opinions of others. I know it’s a fearful thing to do, but hone into that because it will motivate you to keep pushing forward.”

Green’s love for makeup artistry began in high school, when she did makeup for theater and productions. In addition, she would often do her friends’ and her own makeup, never foreseeing that she would make a career out of it. After high school, she figured doing makeup full-time would only be possible if she moved away from her hometown.

“I didn’t even think that even being where I am now was possible,” Green said. “But it’s a huge part of me. I always kept going. I always did fashion shows and photoshoots who would ask me to do it, so I just kept going with it. It was something that I loved to do.”

She was the first person in her family to attend college and start her own business. She went to college for marketing because, at the time, she didn’t believe she could turn her side makeup business into a full-time career, she said. However, after quitting her nine-to-five job after college, she decided to try her hand at doing makeup full-time and going to an esthetician school to specialize in skin beautification.

Green had left her nine-to-five job right before the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant trying to launch her business was complex, she said. However, she rented a small office place in the meantime but found her current location in 2021.

“I had to learn that you must pave your way,” Green said. “Because being a woman-owned and minority-owned business in a predominantly white town is tough, that really doesn’t happen often.”

Green describes her business location as “relaxing,” “serene” and “calm.” Her space has green color on the walls to add to the peaceful atmosphere of her spa for her clients. She said one of her successful goals was that she wanted everyone, whether a client or an employee, to love the environment.

“I think we’ve made a lot of progress in the goals of establishing ourselves here in town,” she said. “And really creating an ideal environment where you want to come to work where we have the ideal clients. That was pretty much the motivation. I wanted to be able to come into a job that I didn’t hate. Because I’ve done that for such a long time.”

With the success of her business, Green plans to add more team members, expand her space and, at some point, open a second location either out of state or just out of the area.

“This is not an easy road,” Green said. “I think a lot of people think being a business owner is easy; it’s all fun and games. But it is a lot; it takes a lot of work. I think that would be the biggest takeaway, that hard work and dedication is really what will push you forward even when you think you want to quit. I do it at least twice daily; it’s really what pushes you because then you’re looking back like, wow, you know, I made significant strides to make it here.”

Local resident Jessica Chambers said she met Green right before the COVID-19 pandemic while she was working at another salon. The woman that normally did her lashes wasn’t available, so Green covered for her. When businesses shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she searched for Green on social media and learned of her new business. From then on, they reconnected and Chambers became a regular customer.

“She’s just an amazing person,” Chambers said. “She puts off such a great energy and vibe. She truly just makes you feel like you're the only one that matters, right? And she puts the hot mess back together. She’s just a great person. And with her starting her own business, I just wanted to support her.”

Chambers described her spa as “clean” and “comfortable.” Chambers said whenever she gets a service from Green, she always leaves feeling like a different person.

“We have long, busy weeks in our crazy worlds, right? And I walk in there and she just kind of washes everything away for me,” Chambers said. “And I feel just renewed when I leave her. It’s kind of funny, because I was just with her this past week to get my lash extensions refilled and I came home and I had this sudden burst of energy. I don't know where it came from … She just re-energizes you.”