Profiles

It may help those of you looking for a career change or just embarking on a course of study in the beauty profession to see what career options may be available to you. Below are some profiles of success stories, which may provide a glimpse of what you can look forward to if you work hard and achieve your qualifications. I will continue to add profiles, which are interesting or helpful and if you have a career story that you would like me to include please contact me with your details.

Sara Shoemark - Salon owner and Consultant

Sara has a passion for the beauty industry that has not waned since she began her career at the Ray Cochrane Beauty School in Baker Street, London. She trained under Baljeet Suri and achieved her CIDESCO qualifications in 1987.

After qualifying she worked in a number of London spas providing treatments. She also gained valuable experience in the retail market working for some of the best skincare brands; Clarins, Clinique and Dior, in the prestigious department stores; Selfridges, Harrods and Fortnum and Mason.

Sara moved back home in 1990, completed a teacher training course and then taught beauty therapy in a private college near Chester. However she missed the day to day salon life so much she made the decision to go back to her first love of treating clients personally. In these relatively early days of the high street beauty salon, Sara couldn't find a professional salon in which to work. This was instrumental in her decision to start up on her own. The first business was a rented room above a hair salon and she named her business Beauty with Sara.

As the popularity of the salon grew, she had to move to bigger premises in 1994 and employed three other therapists; two of whom still work with her today. Five years later Sara moved to her current premises in Wrexham which was originally an old bakery. Since then she has acquired two more salons and has changed her business name to ‘Glow’.

Sara says ‘The reason for the change of name was that her business had developed and was now more than just beauty with Sara and its success was dependant on her talented team of therapists and not just herself. She is now making a vital contribution to the economy by employing 25 therapists!

Sara also believes it is important to drive the business forward, build on her past success and to further her original aims. To help in these endeavors she has developed a stronger brand identity, which has been driven by the change in name. Sara says ‘ All the team feel that GLOW better represents where they are today, paving the way for our business to develop into the future’

Shortly after moving to the premises in Wrexham, Sara became a City and Guilds accredited training centre and started training her own therapists and also providing training for other salons after a number of her own therapists achieved their assessor qualifications.

The GLOW salons have worked to achieve 24 awards at the British Beauty and Spa Awards including Salon of the Year and entries in the hall of fame for Regional Salon of the Year, Customer Care, and Retail. Sara’s therapists have won individual awards including Beauty Therapist of the Year, Facial Therapist of the Year, and Manicurist of the Year. Sara herself has been awarded Salon Director of the Year for the first three years after it became a new category in 2006.

She has recently been involved in consultancy work for new or under achieving salons. She has spoken at trade shows and beauty conferences and was delighted to be asked to be a judge for the Professional Beauty Awards.She feels very fortunate to work in an industry that she adores and she and her team work hard to promote the beauty industry in a positive light.

Jaye Clark has been running Synergy Vitality Spa for 10 years now and it is one of the busiest beauty therapy clinics in Tauranga New Zealand, she also has a second salon not far away in Matamata.

Jaye knows a great deal about ‘making it' in the fast-paced beauty industry as her long association with Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, including three years as Head of School - Retail & Design, has seen her welcome many students into her beauty clinic over the years for work experience and further employment. She is a staunch advocate of training and believes in the benefits of gaining internationally recognised qualifications such as CIDESCO as it proves that you've got the commitment and knowledge to make it in the beauty industry.

Jaye takes her role as an employer and mentor very seriously and says. "Training is the key to everything, and it should never stop. The beauty industry is constantly evolving and keeping up-to-date is essential if we are to give our clients the best service possible. My therapists have ongoing professional training, including beauty therapy treatments, as well as professional product training to ensure they're up to date with the latest technologies and the highest quality industry standards are kept."

Jaye looks for staff who can multi-task, who think outside the box and most importantly of all, have a passion for the industry. "Emphasis must be on initiative and passion. Without that, you will not succeed. Take every opportunity that comes your way, sit every exam offered and keep that passion burning!"

About Synergy Vitality Spa Accessible, individually customized indulgence is our brand promise and each and every client is our number one focus.  Synergy Vitality Spa understands that finding balance between your professional and personal life is not easy but is essential for health and wellbeing.

Synergy Vitality Spa are proud winners of

·          New Zealand Beauty Therapy Association Best Clinic 2007/08

·          New Zealand Beauty Therapy Association Runner Up 2005/06

·          Thalgo New Zealand Client Care and Customer Service Award 2006/07

·          True Solutions New Zealand Top 5 Clinic of the Year

Gina Collins - Salon owner

Gina left school and worked for an electrical retailer before having two children. When they reached the ages of four and two Gina felt she could do something about her long time interest in health and beauty and thought it would be the right choice for her as a career. She started a full time course in beauty therapy, salon management and electrical epilation in 1993-1995 at Grimsby College. She was 23 and classed as a mature student, she thoroughly enjoyed the course, worked very hard throughout and was rewarded  with distinctions in her final exams.

Her first job was a part-time position with a Clarins Salon in Grimsby, where she worked for 4 years. She moved to Manchester in 1999 and set up Toni&Guy Beauty salon in the centre of Manchester, employing another therapist and nail technician to work with her. She was a Managing Director for 5 years before moving abroad to help set up a hair and beauty salon in Marbella. The salon was called D.N.A. Hair and Beauty and she stayed for a year before returning home to set up a business with her brother and his partner providing a full range of beauty treatments. The salon is called ‘Reuben Wood Hair and Beauty' and is located, in the Northern Quarter of Manchester.

Gina has since completed several post graduate courses in Indian Head Massage, No Hands Massage and Hopi-Ear Candle. She has been trained in many different product ranges including; Espa, Guinot, Elemis, Matis, Clarins, M.D.Formulations, Vitage, Caci, Dermalogica, Jessica Nails, St.Tropez, Fake Bake, Sun and Sixtus. Gina is currently studying for a Certificate in Education and would like one day to open her own training school.

Gina feels her main strength is her determination as once she sets her mind on something she follows it through to completion and it has opened many doors for her in the beauty industry. She loves all aspects of her job, she particularly enjoys treating the local celebrities who come to her salon, working on photo shoots and assisting makeup artists on video shoots, she even appeared on Granada TV demonstrating mens beauty treatments.

Eve Le Cheminant - Advanced Skin Care Specialist

Whilst at college studying for her NVQ in beauty therapy Eve worked in a local salon to gain as much experience as she could, she worked with Dermalogica skin care, Jessica nails, and St.Tropez as well as providing general beauty treatments. 

Once qualified in 2003 Eve was offered a job at the Retreat Salon in the David Lloyd gym, they already knew what to expect from Eve as she had worked there in her first year of college. This, Eve feels, was an important factor in getting the job.  She worked at the Retreat for one year using Clarins, Thalgo, Jessica nails, St Tropez, Caci and Aculight IPL as well as providing lots of massage, waxing and tinting.

To enhance her experience Eve decided to apply to Steiner and went to London for an interview. She was successful and was offered a job but her mum became very poorly so she didnt want to be far away from home. Reluctantly she turned down the offer and continued working for The Retreat which had been bought by Saks Hair and Beauty working there for another year. Saks was a great company to work for as they offered fantastic training and support, allowing Eve to add to her qualifications with Ellipse IPL, Elemis skin and body treatments, Creative nails, Fake Bake, The Oxygenator, Caci body and PHD waxing. 

Eve felt the need to move on after a year to develop herself further and she applied for a job at a Laser Clinic called Light Care Clinic which was due to open shortly, Because of her vast experience and many skills Eve beat lots of girls to the position and received further excellent training in laser and IPL, Cosmeceutical skin care ranges, Microdermabrasion & Teeth Whitening. She also qualified with a BTEC award in laser and IPL hair removal at the Laser Education Centre in Nottingham.

In addition to being very busy with treatments, Eve managed the reception and organised stock control and the online shop. She now concentrasted on more advanced beauty treatments that included; permanent hair reduction, skin rejuvenation, pigmentation removal, thread vein removal, skin peels (glycolic, vitamin A and TCA) microdermabrasion, enzyme facials and acne treatments. The clinic had a nurse who performed botox and fillers, and who also ran training courses for Doctors and nurses. 

Eve continued working here for 2 and a half years before moving on. Eve took a job at a salon nearer home which was constantly expanding it's repertoire of new treatments.  The salon's main focus was on advanced skin and body care and they also had a nurse who offered botox and fillers, however Eve also carried out the most popular general beauty treatments; waxing, massage, manicure, pedicure and false tan.  Having worked there for 18 months Eve decided she would love to use the knowledge and experience she had gained in industry, to teach, as she had always wanted to become a teacher. She has recently started working in a laser clinic providing advanced facial and body treatments and this experience will add to her existing repertoire of skills that she may soon pass on to new students of beauty therapy.

Amanda Bedwell - Beauty and Holistic therapist

Amanda proves the point that making a false start does not always prevent you from winning! Although she had always wanted to be a beauty therapist, after completing only one year of a two year beauty therapy course she decided the grass was greener elsewhere and joined a friend as a chalet maid at a well known holiday camp! It only took her three months to realise that she had made a big mistake and after begging her tutors to take her back she embarked on a beauty therapy course for the second time. This time she was far more motivated and also worked part time in a Tanning and Toning salon, to gain as much experience with clients as possible.

When she completed her level 3 qualification she was offered a senior therapist position in a very busy beauty salon, covering for the owners when they were away. During this time Amanda continued to add to her practical skills with Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Indian head massage, Ear candling, Stone therapy and Reiki. After three years on land Amanda worked for Steiner on board ship as assistant spa manager responsible for training staff, client booking systems and putting together staff work rotas, making sure that all the therapists could spend some time visiting the countries at each port of call. Her practical skills were put to good use as Amanda was now able to provide beauty and holistic treatments therefore could cover for all other therapists when required.

Subsequent jobs included; assistant manageress in the hair and beauty salon in a Rackhams department store, beauty therapist for Toni and Guy, the Lowry Hotel and Harvey Nichols in Manchester and finally working in an elite beauty salon in Cheshire, providing top of the range beauty treatments.

Amanda then went on to train as a college lecturer and now combines teaching with working in a salon as a self employed therapist, she says: ‘Try and gain as much work experience as you can whilst training and in industry, then you can decide which treatments or areas you want to specialise in. Continue learning and try and do as many new courses as you can, to fit in with work. Having a Level 3 beauty therapy qualification with all the additional holistic therapies has allowed me to work in some great salons where they appreciate the many skills I have developed over the years. Employers are always looking for therapists who are multi-skilled and flexible and being able to work in all areas at quiet times, for example in summer the number of body massage treatments falls but there is a huge increase in waxing treatments and holiday beauty! I am now an expert in providing ‘Intimate waxing' for ladies as this is such a popular salon treatment.'

Louisa Prestwood - Company Trainer

Louisa is a company trainer for Jessica manicure, pedicure and Jessana an exclusive manicure range which has been created for Premiere salons and spas. She qualified in 1996 after completing level 2 and 3 Beauty Therapy and her interest in beauty came about when she used to watch her Mum having treatments from a friend of hers who was training as a therapist.

Prior to becoming a trainer, Louisa gained much experience working in several salons before becoming a self employed therapist for seven years. Looking for a new challenge she trained as a teacher before applying to Gerrard International for the role of company trainer which she has been doing now for five years. Her job as a trainer entails a lot of travelling as the head office is in Hertfordshire, where they have wonderful training facilities in addition to those in other venues throughout the UK and Northern Ireland. Louisa delivers her training sessions in one or two days and usually covers an area from her home in Derbyshire to Scotland. She works with qualified professionals and also level 3 students in colleges, an important aspect of the job as she is helping to develop the beauty therapists of the future!

Louisa says one of the benefits of her job is that the products are used in many of the top health Spas around the country and she often stays overnight allowing her to take full advantage of the facilities. Gleneagles and Stobo Castle Spas in the Scottish borders are two of her favourite because of the wonderful scenery and countryside. Another benefit is that Louisa often mixes with celebrities in her job role. In 2007 the company were invited to Princess Diana's memorial Concert and she met Take That, Lily Allen, The Feeling and Status Quo. In December 2008 the company were invited to provide mini treatments on celebrities and guests at OK's Christmas party. She is looking forward to giving a seminar at the National Excel beauty exhibition in London to demonstrate and promote the Jessica manicure to salon owners and therapists.

Louisa says she loves her job because she works for a great company and is working with a fantastic product range something she feels very passionate and enthusiastic about as it makes training for her very easy. She says "I get a great buzz from standing in front of a class and passing on all my experience and knowledge to others. If a delegate in one of my training sessions is struggling I will provide them with one to one assistance until they understand and achieve what is needed and it is an amazing feeling when they succeed!"

Her advice to aspiring therapists is to develop excellent communication skills as it is a very personal industry and you need to build a rapport with your clients very quickly and to be passionate and enthusiastic about your job to enthuse others!

Krystina Dwyer - Beauty Therapist

Krystina is a beauty therapist working at Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa. She had always wanted to be a beauty therapist but her Mum persuaded her to stay on at school and complete her ‘A’ levels, then later on if she wished to, she could pursue a career in beauty. She was halfway through her first year at University studying for a law degree when Krystina decided it really wasn’t for her. Instead she followed her heart and enrolled on a beauty therapy course and in her own words has never looked back.

Nearing the end of her level 3 beauty therapy course Krystina heard a motivating talk from a Steiner representative and decided that life on the ocean waves, providing beauty treatments was most definitely what she wanted to do next. Unfortunately she was turned down at the interview stage but soon applied elsewhere and disappointment soon turned to excitement when she was offered a job with Ragdale Hall the country’s leading Health Spa. Krystina is now learning many new techniques and using some of the industry’s leading products. She has just signed a two year contract after her three month review and will be trained in Clarins, Elemis, Decleor, LiTya, Finders and Leighton Denny to name but a few!

She also has the opportunity to work in other areas of the Spa such as the beauty shop, on reception or on the back desk; assisting the supervisors with the running of the salon, changing schedules during the day, dealing with customer complaints, as well as therapists requests. Krystina says that the unique Ragdale Hall 'Equilibrium' massage is a wonderful treatment that she is looking forward to learning, a deep tissue massage incorporating the back and scalp and in the future she may also have the opportunity to train as a supervisor.

Krystina works very hard, a normal routine is working a maximum of six days on with two days off, three out of four weekends, then getting a three day weekend off. She receives wonderful support from her team leader and trainers and the experience in such a professional organisation is providing her with a wonderful start to her career and hopefully will open up many other opportunities in the future. She loves the social aspect of her work as she is living with other therapists in accommodation nearby and their shared interests have allowed her to develop friendships quickly, helping her to overcome her initial nervousness about leaving home.

Her advice to other therapists would be ‘Keep an open mind and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, work hard and persevere to achieve your goals’ 

Amanda Gaffey - Makeup artist, Beauty therapist and College lecturer

Amanda Gaffey is a professional freelance Make-up Artist based in the North West. Her works is predominantly in TV commercials, but her expertise includes; dramas, pop promos and news bulletins. Her work also extends into fashion and advertising photography, theatre, shows and wedding day make up. She has worked in the Beauty industry for over 20 years.

After completing a 3 year training course in 1988 she went on to work for Ragdale Hall as a beauty therapist and rose to the position of department supervisor in 1991. She then moved to London to work in the West End - to assist with the launch of ‘Le Maquillage' - the premiere make up range of Clarins U.K. She later, returned to the North West to manage 4 beauty Salons in Cheadle, Prestwich, Sale, & Bolton and freelance for 2 cosmetic houses Elizabeth Arden and Estée Lauder, acting as a co-ordinator putting teams of make up artists together for fashion shows and make up events.

Amanda began to teach massage, beauty therapy & make up in 1994 and has lectured at several colleges & schools, within the Manchester area to date. She continues to mix her teaching with freelance make up artistry and thoroughly enjoys the buzz of them both! In her own words Amanda says ‘I feel blessed to have such a rewarding and interesting career. No 2 days or jobs are ever the same - one day I'm ageing an actor, the next I'm trying make another 10 years younger! Working in television is unpredictable - you can be shooting on a red hot beach or on the top of a windy moor, every job brings new experiences; the opportunity to meet interesting and well known people, or a new make up problem to solve and sometimes it can be hard work doing nothing! There's a lot of hanging around and waiting for the set to be lit and ready for the actors, so staying focused and motivated and looking after the actors (we are usually the last crew members they spend time with before they need to go on set) becomes number 1 priority. In many ways, it's very similar to being a beauty therapist - patience, empathy and discretion are necessary qualities required by a make up artist. There's an old saying, "What an actor says in the trailer - stays in the trailer!"- which is, of course referring to the make up trailer on a location shoot! - this is my golden rule! Teaching gives you a strong sense of achievement - it's like watching a flower grow from a seed. I see some of my ex-students work in print and on T.V. and I feel privileged to have had a part to play in their ‘learning journey'. Of course they never stop learning, neither do I - I learn a great deal by observing the students development throughout the course. Make up is a very creative skill, I love to see the students' stare in wonder when I reveal a new technique or demonstrate a realistic re-creation of something they may have seen on the television. I think for a make up tutor, maintaining a link with industry and keeping up to date with new ideas is essential. And as a make up artist - I continue to be inspired by my students, who don't really understand the limitations of production and the costs involved so are able to dedicate so much time and energy to learning their craft.

Alison Gibbs - Spa Consultant 

Alison is a Spa Consultant and Trainer who in 2001 established a company called Indonesian Secrets, bringing some of the traditional Balinese treatments and massage techniques to the UK from the Far East. Her career began twenty years ago in the UK, when she achieved her beauty therapy qualifications and began working alongside osteopaths and homeopaths and specialising in massage. Her industrial experience continued at Champneys Health Farm and in a large well established hair and beauty salon.

Alison then started her own beauty business, which had a client base of 200 and she used her exceptional massage skills to treat clients with multiple sclerosis, paralysis and ME. Fate then stepped in and Alison followed a boyfriend to the Far East, she soon established herself as a therapist working in some of the most prestigious spas and luxury hotel groups. She progressed through the ranks, from assistant manager to spa director, continuing her professional development to include essential managerial skills in marketing, accounting, purchasing and stock control as well as recruitment and team building. She became the corporate trainer for five Banyan Tree Resort spas before moving to Bali to become spa director for Aston Bali Resort, developing and opening their new spa. As a consultant for Collier-Collier Spa, she provided training and was instrumental in the designs for Javana Spa, Singapore; The Oberoi, Lombok; and Begawan Giri, Bali. Bali was where Alison learned about the local traditions and healing techniques that were passed down through generations and also how to make the wonderful treatment products from natural ingredients found locally:

·          The papaya and rice herbal slimming wraps traditionally used after childbirth.

·          The 'Royal' exfoliation and massage ritual, Lulur, a skin softening treatment originally enjoyed by the Princesses of the Royal Palace

·          The Bali Boreh that was a remedy that originated with Balinese farmers to ease rheumatic aches and pains after standing knee deep in water and stooping over in rice fields day after day.

In May 2001 using all this knowledge, Alison launched her own company 'Indonesian Secrets' http://indonesiansecrets.com and now works full time importing local ingredients for use in spa therapies and providing training and product knowledge to spas and salons around the world.

Jayne Salt - College Lecturer 

Jayne had struggled at school as she was not an academic and had hoped to become an occupational therapist. She felt that this may not suit her abilities and after receiving career advice she decided on a course in Beauty Therapy, much against her Father's wishes who thought she 'could do better'. However, Jayne was determined and with her four GCE's and an Art 'A' level she was accepted onto a beauty therapy course and received a Higher National Diploma in the subject.

Her first job on leaving college was in a Steiner beauty salon and not long after joining the company an ex-tutor offered Jayne a part time job teaching manicure to hairdressing students. She was able to do this on her day off from the salon and enjoyed it so much that she realised that she wanted to become a teacher of beauty therapy. She changed her job and began working as a beauty therapist in a hairdressing salon, allowing her to be flexible in her working hours in order to take on more teaching.

She realised that it was essential to obtain the necessary qualifications and embarked on a three year part time training programme, achieving her Certificate in Education and several years later took up teaching full time. Jayne has developed a successful electrolysis programme, with students achieving second and first place in the national Sterex Epilation competition. She has been level two co-ordinator, team leader for beauty therapy and in September 2003 and 2009 she was offered the chance to manage the Hair, Beauty and Holistic department in her college.

She is currently the Advanced Practitioner for Hair Beauty and Holistic Therapies with a commitment to ensuring quality standards in all programme areas. During her career and to continue her professional development, Jayne became an external examiner, internal verification co-ordinator and in 2003 contributed to the working party developing the new standards for beauty therapy. Jayne's advice to anyone wishing to teach, is to gain as much industrial experience as possible, an essential for passing on knowledge to students.

Adele Booth - Salon Owner

Adele Booth owns her own business and teaches part time at a local college. Her training has always involved the workplace; she enrolled at a private college to study beauty therapy and epilation and achieved CIBTAC qualifications.

Adele says the most interesting aspect of her course was the fact that she spent a month at college full time, then a month at work placement combining study and work equally. She really enjoyed the placement, building her own client base and she had a mentor who taught her a great deal about the beauty industry.

On completion of her course Adele worked for two local salons, she showed great commitment and stayed for many years at each place helping them in establishing a thriving business and introducing many new treatments. As Adele's reputation grew so did her loyal client base. Whilst at her second salon Adele married and had 2 children this made her think about changing direction and becoming a beauty therapy teacher. This time she combined study with setting up a small one roomed salon of her own in a busy town centre whilst teaching part time for two years, specialising in advance nail techniques. The business however became more successful and this encouraged Adele to look for larger premises so she could expand.

She now runs a busy and very successful salon called ‘Boothz', employing three other beauty therapists and one holistic therapist. She has more recently developed the business by introducing micro pigmentation treatment and she also works with two highly respected doctors providing laser treatment, skin tightening, laser skin rejuvenation and IPL hair removal. To be successful in this career Adele believes you must be keen to learn and develop your skills constantly and this is why she has recently updated the advanced qualifications in micro pigmentation, red vein and skin tag removal and advanced epilation that she achieved in 1992. She is now teaching the micro pigmentation techniques to other beauty professionals.

Sumita Lynch - Salon Owner   

Sumita was a mature student of beauty therapy having achieved two business and marketing degrees early on in her career. She became a lecturer in marketing and public relations and worked for two international advertising agencies in Singapore, Malaysia and London. Sumita married in the UK in 1984 and travelled extensively, with her husband, around the world. In Malaysia, Sumita worked as a business consultant for a large international beauty and fitness chain. This inspired her interest in beauty and she embarked on several beauty therapy courses before opening her first salon, Tulsi Health and Beauty in 1999. She now owns five branches and is currently setting up a franchise operation for other beauty therapists to benefit from her extensive business and beauty therapy knowledge.

Danniella Hess - Beauty Therapist  

Danniella studied hair and beauty therapy, but specialised in beauty therapy at Level 3, qualifying in June 2002. She has a bubbly outgoing personality and enjoyed working with clients. In her final year at college she worked part time in the beauty salon of a local hotel to gain as much experience as possible.

After she achieved her NVQ Level 3 in beauty therapy Danniella started working for the Retreat beauty salon in the David Lloyd health and fitness club. She then decided to apply for a job on a cruise liner, even though they had asked for two years industrial experience and for the candidate to be over twenty one, in the job advertisement. After a successful interview, Danniella was accepted on the Disney cruise ship and flew to Florida after only two weeks of special training. She says she spent the first four months providing body massage and working ten hour shifts sometimes seven days a week! For the final six months she specialised in an anti cellulite electrical body treatment and was put under enormous pressure to retail products. Although the work was exceptionally tiring Danniella says she loved working with other beauty therapists who had trained in different countries around the world and she loved the social life aboard ship and seeing other countries.

The clients were mostly American and she thinks the experience helped her enormously in her professional development. After four months at home working for a local salon, Danniella couldn’t wait to return to the ocean life and embarked on a cruise around the Caribbean, providing an oxygen lifting facial for her clients, but this time for six months rather than eight!

The desire to further her career led Daniella into teaching part time whilst still working in a busy beauty salon, this allowed her to maintain her skills and teach our future therapists who are benefiting from Danniella's industrial experiences.