As far as whether "it's not about being cute," I think anything you can do with the appearance of your gear (as long as it's safe) that makes you feel good and want to ride more is just great. If that means a pink helmet with Siamese kitties on it, then so be it. You could hammer out the miles as well in that as in any other helmet.

BUT, I do wonder about the advisibility of wearing a youth helmet if you're not exactly a youth. The fit of the helmet aside, before I used it, I'd want to know about testing parameters--that is, if helmets are tested for wearers of a certain overall size and weight, then a youth helmet may not provide an adult with adequate protection. Now I don't KNOW whether this is true--it's just a thought--something you might want to research before investing in a youth-sized helmet. Just my 2 cents.