New Jersey-dwelling momfluencer Noel LaPalomento is no stranger to mother-daughter makeover sessions — face masks, nail salons, and try-on hauls seem to be staples in the family’s household.
The glam Garden Stater has racked up a following of 2.6M users on her TikTok account, @_the1stnoel, and frequently posts content featuring her 7-year-old, Giada.
In fact, almost all of her top-performing videos, with tens of millions of views each, see the 28-year-old styling her sidekick’s hair in a series that has become beloved by LaPalomento’s followers.
The diva-esque duo’s latest adventure? A trip to the tanning salon — and some followers weren’t along for the ride.
The comment section commotion kicked off after LaPalomento posted a TikTok joking about Giada asking to join her mom for a spray tan.
As influencers tend to do, the TikTokker showed off the session, posting a second video detailing the salon experience, followed by a final post dedicated to the much-anticipated results.
LaPalomento clarified in the video series that the spray tan ingredients were “just sugar and water,” and that Giada’s aunt was the spray tan artist who was featured in the video, but unsurprisingly, the Internet was irate over the light-hearted videos.
“Do we not say no anymore?” quipped a disapproving viewer.
Though this particular comment racked up over 50,000 likes, it also prompted several replies defending the momfluencer.
“Do we not mind our own business anymore?” retorted one user, while another responded: “Why would she? It’s not like anyone is going to get hurt,” referring to the natural ingredients in the tanning solution and family supervision.
“I didn’t even know what a spray tan was at 7…” said another shocked commenter.
Many critics expressed concern about the 7-year-old’s sense of self-esteem and health as a result of exposure to makeup and beauty treatments, but LaPalomento was quick to address this backlash in a separate video.
“I just feel like it sets a certain beauty standard at a young age,” worried a viewer.
“I don’t agree,” the momfluencer replied. “She knows makeup, nails, etc, is just for fun and a way to express yourself and be creative.”
Other mothers sounded off in the comments of the original series and shared similar opinions.
“I’d rather get my kid a spray tan than have them lie out in the sun. She looks so cute!” said one reply, while another reminisced: “My mom and I always did what we called Paris Hilton day once a month: spray tan, nails, shopping, lunch.”
“Your parenting style is exactly who I aspire to be as a mother!!!!” gushed a fan. “It’s so refreshing seeing you let her live her best life and be herself and experience girlhood love you for that.”
Meanwhile, dozens of users took to the comments just looking for the location of the tanning salon.
“That is the most perfect looking spray tan I’ve ever seen,” replied one covetous commenter.
Though LaPalomento’s decision caught plenty of flak from haters, her no-judgment approach to letting her daughter explore different methods of self-expression also won her support from viewers — many of whom left replies mocking critics.
“This is actually so dangerous because she might grow up to be a baddie who loves experiencing things with her mom,” said one sardonic commenter, while another wrote: “This is so WRONG!!!!! Simply because I didn’t get to join this iconic girls’ day.”
Others simply emphasized the role that artificial tanning plays in Jersey culture.
“They don’t realize we’re just from New Jersey,” affirmed a fellow Garden State native, while another astute NJer said: “Once I heard the accents I was like, ‘Oh okay she’s in the hands of a professional.’”
The professionals in question — Glow Lab in Sewell, NJ — use spray tanning tech that is naturally derived, and doesn’t contain parabens, gluten, sulfates, mineral oils, or nut oils, making it a much safer alternative to the beds that took over tanning culture in the 2000s.
The Post has reached out to LaPalomento for comment.
Read the full article here
