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Meet Sophie, owner of ‘Sophie’s Lashes & Beauty’ which she has been running now for over 7 years!
Sophie gained a wealth of experience working in the industry from her background working in prestigious 5 hotel, spa and salon settings which lead her up to starting a business of her own. We talk about all things beauty and the curved tweezers that she can’t live without!
Hi Sophie, tell us a little bit about your journey and how you go into the industry and what lead up to starting out on your own?
I gained a lot of knowledge from working in different settings from working with a big team in a 5 star hotel and spa to smaller beauty salon environments. I gained so much knowledge from working in both settings although it was hard work and long hours.
I started out by working in a few different 5 star hotel, spa and salons where I gained all my knowledge and experience from each one to put together for my own business! It was hard work and long hours all the practice paid off. It was actually one of my clients I saw regularly in the salon I worked at that said I should set up on my own and gave me the confidence to go self-employed and I’ve not looked back since!
What are the kinds of services you offer and what is the most rewarding thing about your job?
I am qualified in lashes, gel nails, massage, facials, and body waxing however I mainly specialise in lash and brow treatments such as eyelash extensions, eyelash perming and brow waxing and tinting. These are my favourite treatments as I love the results and seeing how happy it makes my clients! I am a bit of a perfectionist and take pride in all the treatments that I offer and the most rewarding thing is the relationships I build with my clients (especially the regulars) you get to know people very well and have made so many friends from my business. As much as I love what I do it doesn’t feel like I’m working it feels more like having a catch up with friends! I take pride in knowing that my clients feel relaxed and comfortable coming to see me and can talk to me about anything.
Why do you love to shop at Capital Hair & Beauty and what are your top 3 products that you can’t live without?
I love coming in and looking at all the latest and new products at my local store! I love to try new things and always looking to build my knowledge and skills with the latest products on the market. I find it hard to buy online especially nail polish’s as the colours can look different in person and that’s why I like shopping at Capital as it’s somewhere I can go to and see the products to make sure I’m happy before I buy them. My favourite items would have to be the Salon system Marvelash Angled Tweezer, it is amazing! I wouldn’t be able to do my job properly without them and the lash glue rings are also great and help speed up lashing. I also love the Salon System Berry scented wax as it smells amazing and is so easy to work with (also matches my pink theme in my beauty room!).
As someone who is self-employed, what is your advice and top tips for going it alone and staying up to date with the latest trends and knowledge?
Just be confident and positive always! You also need to be patient as gaining clients is the hardest part but once you get a good client base your hard work will pay off over time. Promote as much as you can by using platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, it’s is the best way to share photos of your work. To stay up to date with everything I do use a lot of social media and follow many lash and beauty pages where different companies share their products and techniques. I love to try out new skills and products!
Are there any challenges that you have faced in the industry and what strategies have you implemented to overcome them?
The cost of living is hard at the moment with everything rising in price so to make things a little easier for my clients I offer treatment packages for one or more treatments booked on the same day and a loyalty scheme! Every little helps and makes a difference.
Any final words to our readers?
If you’re thinking of setting up as self-employed then go for it! It’s the best decision I’ve made.
Find out more about Sophie by visiting her Instagram @sophies_xox and don’t forget to follow us over on our socials @capitalhairuk and @capitalhairireland as we celebrate our 70th anniversary with our yearlong campaign shining a spotlight on our store team, products, customers and more!
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Chantelle: Capital & Me, my self-employed journey & the importance of networking
Introducing Chantelle, a talented beautician, hair extension specialist and proud owner of ‘Chantelle’s Beautique’. We sit down with Chantelle as she tells us how she started out in the industry, her top tips for becoming self-employed, struggles she faced and overcame along the way and her favourite products that she can’t live without!
My treatment room is based in my garden at home and I offer a full range of Hair and Beauty treatments specialising in skin care, brows & hair extensions. My clients love my set up and really appreciate the little touches like being able to park with ease and having more of a cosy experience away from the hustle and bustle of a busy salon. As well as running my own business at home, I also enjoy teaching others on their journey starting out in the trade with my own accredited courses at home as another branch of my business called ‘The Hair and Beauty Training Beautique’. You may also see me in your local Capital Hair & Beauty as I also tutor for one of their training providers ‘Face Forward’ offering brow lamination and lash lift and tint courses.
