Tag: beauty pro

To Beauty infinity and beyond. 2018 the year of the cuffed nail

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So 2017, what was that all about? We managed to have a baby in February, sell our old  house (which had become a bit crowded) in a record time of 5 weeks and buy a new one in September, all whilst coming off maternity and surviving Christmas as a now family of 6. We have just celebrated this little superstar’s 1st birthday.

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our youngest has just turned 1

Trying to tidy and prepare a house for viewings with 4 children in tow nearly killed me, I was almost a quivering wreck in the corner. We were happy to get it sold quickly to lower my stress levels. Thanks to family we mastered the art of speed packing and got moved with not too much hassle. Although both mums are probably still trying to recover from us staying for a week or 2 while we started decorating the new place. 2017 was a whirlwind, our son who is 2 was taken into hospital a few times shortly after Arya was born with breathing difficulties, so he is now being treated as an asthmatic and doing a lot better, although we won’t know for definite until he is older if he is a true asthmatic. It doesn’t run in the family, so its bit of a mystery why he is the way he is.

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the trials of trying to sell your house as a mum of 4: rubbing pencil marks off the walls.

 

Meanwhile in the work world I am in limbo. My nail desk is currently sat in the dining area, I am doing a bit of work in my kitchen and mobile. However long term this won’t work for me, so I’m now looking at other options which I will update you all on in a later post. I have started adding to my kit slowly as I break myself in ‘gently’ since coming off maternity. I recently bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Palette Volume 1. I do mainly bridal and wedding guest make up, this is the perfect palette to mix and customise shades to suit any skin tone. It comes with 18 matte shades, a mixing palette and scraper. Its perfect for any artists kit as those 18 shades can be blended to make even more colour options.

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How beautiful is the purple shade, even on its own though?? The fact it is ‘volume one’ is exciting as it means there could be more ‘volumes’ to follow.

I also purchased some of my favourite lip pencils from Mac in shades : Kiss Me Quick (a deep red), In Anticipation (a pink brown tone), Dark Out (a dark brown/red) and Nothing Sexier ( a peachy nude).

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For my nail kit this month I have just purchased the CND Shellac Nude collection for Spring 2018. Nudes featured heavily at Paris Fashion Week. These 4 beautiful shades teamed with Lecente glitter in white gold iridescent will be perfect for this time of year. For good measure I also added Lecente Rose superholo as its just so sparkly and pretty that I couldn’t resist.

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Cuffed nails seem to be everywhere at the moment, I gave it a go for the first time using a deep blue Ink London gel polish and gold glitter. Its pretty straight forward to do but next time I would leave a cuff all the way around the nail instead of just in the cuticle area. I did the usual rockstar style nail, sealed with one layer of top coat then painted over the top using the blue leaving the glitter cuff on show. I then sealed it all with top coat. Its going to be a popular trend as its simple but effective, and can be done in various colour ways.

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This months Glossy Box came up trumps with 5 gifts I will actually use. I have had to fend off my teenage daughter though as she had her eyes on the Steve Laurant lip balm. The box itself is pretty, it’s now stuffed full of Niamh’s LOL surprise dolls and accessories. This is my first ever subscription beauty box and it was surprisingly good!

I have been looking into various training courses for this year. Working on my own its easy to find myself a bit lonely and unmotivated as I have no one to bounce ideas off. Regular training helps me stay focused and work on any skills that may be lagging whilst staying up to date within the industry. First stop on my hit list is lash skills. I will keep you all updated whilst I research my options. I have one training company in particular I am keen to work with as their work inspires me. I should know more later on this week.

Last but not least is a call out to all my fellow professionals to check out Lisa’s Army. Lisa Wells is a former nail technician and trainer for Ink London who was diagnosed with terminal liver and bowel cancer when her second daughter was only 5 weeks old.  I have been following her story and her campaign to help raise money to secure the future for her 2 young daughters. As a mother I have found her story heart-breaking. Her strength and courage is inspiring and can be seen via her vlog style updates on the Lisa’s Army Facebook page. In honour of Lisa Ink London have released a glitter called ‘Lisa’s Army’. It costs £5 and the full £5 goes straight to Lisa’s campaign. It can be purchased here. I urge you all to buy it in support, not only is it a beautiful  and versatile iridescent pink, it’s also for a fabulous cause. Please do check it out.

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Ink London ‘Lisa’s Army’ glitter

My blog wouldn’t be complete without a few mummy moments so here you go: enjoy.

Until next time: sparkle  on,

Jo x#

mummy moment 1~ catching your son planning to ‘paint’ with your favourite Morphe x Jaclyn Hill eye palette #unhandthepaletteson

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mummy moment 2~ when your daughter makes the dog a collar which he sports for days until it disintegrates after being rained on #shesnowtakingorders #paperplatecollar

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mummy moment 3~ being nicknamed ‘mummy monster’ as I desperately try and rejuvenate my tired sleep deprived skin while multitasking folding laundry and refereeing the kids #mummymonster

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Skinbase microdermabrasion: perfect summer skin. Plus Beauty UK review & pictures of this week’s nail mail.

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The most popular facial I offer is the Skinbase microdermabrasion facial. This facial can plump the skin, diminish the look of lines, wrinkles, acne scarring and pigmentation. It leaves skin lighter, brighter and super smooth. Bearing in mind I currently only do treatments  3 days a week, I do at least 2 of these facials per week. It is a year round treatment. In Summer it is perfect to treat pigmentation and dark spots, in Winter it is perfect to treat dull skin that needs some va va voom. In this blog post I aim to answer a few questions I am most frequently asked about the treatment.

What does this treatment involve? 

I start off by thoroughly cleansing the skin to remove all make up and oils. I use Eve Taylor Purifying Wash. I then make sure the skin is dry by gently blotting with a tissue. The Skinbase dermabrasion machine is then used to treat the whole of the face, neck, and if required the decollette. I’ve also been known to treat the back of clients hands where they get dark spots, pigmentation caused by the sun.We can target specific areas on the face such as acne scarring, deep lines or pigmentation.

The machine makes a low humming noise when it’s on which is rather soothing. The machine works by simultaneously using a vacuum action while dispensing crushed crystal onto the skin. The crushed crystal is a naturally occuring mineral called aluminium oxide. This helps to thoroughly exfoliate &  deeply cleanse the skin by removing dead skin cells, leaving fresh new skin.

The vacuum action takes away  excess crystals while encouraging blood flow to the surface of the skin. Encouraging the blood flow to this area allows your skin to naturally heal itself by promoting cell renewal , as well as having a plumping action.

The dermabrasion itself takes around 15-20 minutes. This is then followed by  the application of Eve Taylor Soothing Masque to nourish the skin and calm any redness.

The facial is then finished off with a spritz of soothing toner, moisturiser and Solar Shield SPF 25. While the masque is on I like to give clients a hand and arm massage with a lovely hand cream to relax them, and make it more luxurious.

The machine and products I use
The client is kept comfortable on the beauty couch during treatment

What does it feel like?

The microdermabrasion itself is very relaxing, it does not hurt. The crystals are very gentle. I often start by letting clients feel it on the back of their hand so they know what to expect.

Afterwards the skin may feel tingly, warm and have a slight redness. All of which dissapears within 24 hours. Most clients don’t even get any of the above.

How long does the treatment take?

Including consultation, around 30 minutes. It is the perfect lunch break facial.

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Who is it best suited for?

Anyone who wants fresher, younger looking skin or has specific skin concerns which need targeted.

How often is this facial required?

This facial can can be booked as a one off a few days before a big event, as make up looks amazing applied to super smooth, plumper skin.

For specific skin concerns such as acne scarring or pigmentation an initial course of 1 facial per week for 5-6 weeks is recommended followed up by monthly maintenance appointments. During a course of microderambrasion the machine settings are gradually changed each week to improve results.

If you don’t have specific skin concerns but want to keep your skin in good condition I recommend this treatment every 4-6 weeks.

 

Is there anything I should be doing at home to maintain the results of the facial?

In the first 48 hours after treatment it is essential to apply a soothing moisturiser and sun protection cream to hydrate and protect skin. Avoid any exfoliating &  anti ageing products in this time frame. Moisturiser should be applied a minimum of twice per day. A non irritating soothing moisturiser should be available to purchase from your therapist.

Therapist overview: I find this treatment amazing, you can see visible results instantly. Compared to other facial electrical machines I have been trained to use in the past, this one is relatively simple. You need minimal products in order to carry out the treatment. The cost per service is quite high but the customer service, training and marketing support from Skinbase is amazing.

I have used this company for approximately 3 years now and I can’t fault them. Initially they sent the trainer out to the salon,  if you choose to go for the rental option then  training is free, and start up costs are minimal. Now I am home-based and mobile they have changed my machine FOC in order for me to be able to offer the treatment mobile.

I would advise doing a minimum of 2 of these facials per month to cover the price of the machine and the products used. In my last order from them I received some chocolate, it was a lovely touch, and helped me when I hit the 4pm energy crash I normally experience. The continued marketing support I receive includes Facebook banners, posters, regular emails and I can pick up the phone or email at any time and speak with an expert for treatment or equipment advice.

If I had to cut down my treatment menu for any reason, this would be the ‘stayer’ out of my facial menu. The results speak for themselves, and clients who try it once always return for another.

 

 

Beauty UK held @ Birmingham NEC review

We are slap bang in the middle of show season. I never got to Beauty UK, but luckily my fabulous friend did. Jo Stebbens is the owner of Premier Beauty Training. Based in Milton Keynes Jo is a mum of 2 and a therapist herself. She teaches beauty courses round her current clientèle. She is hoping to take her business to the next level and went to the annual beauty trade show held in Birmingham to see what caught her eye. Here is her review below:

‘So it’s a very rare day that I get to go out on my own child free! I haven’t been to a beauty show for a couple of years, so I thought I would pop along to Beauty UK in Birmingham. My first port of call was to the Ink stand. I’ve been using Ink products for about a year, I use it to train with as well as on my clients. I had a long list of colours I wanted to get, so knew it wasn’t going to be a cheap day out!! I met Angie Gunter and had a chat, I also had a brief chat with Chrissy. They were all so friendly and helpful. I was lucky I got there when I did as the stand was really busy after that!

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Ink London stall

With my Ink haul purchased, I headed over to Nail Artists UK, their range of glitters, gel and acrylic powders is simply mind boggling! They also have a lovely selection of wraps and foils. A glitter top coat was what I was after, but unfortunately they hadn’t brought any with them, so I feel an online order coming on!

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Beauty Select was next on my list. They distribute Callus Peel, which is an amazing treatment. I had run out of a few bits so stocked up on those. I then walked past Cuccio. I love their range of pedicure products. Lots of yummy different fragrances and products including scrubs and body butters. I bought a stainless steel foot file with replacment pads. I prefer these to the rasp style files you can get.

There was a new addition to the show that wasn’t there last time I went, which was literally crawling with people: Magpie Beauty. So many glitters you don’t know what to do with yourself or where to look first. They are simply stunning! I was tempted to add to my collection, but truthfully I have shelves full of glitter and would more than likely be doubling up if I bought anymore! Maybe next time!!

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Magpie Glitters: so blingy

I stopped at Lycon Wax where I watched a demo of their hot wax. I was quite interested in this, as I currently use PHD warm wax, and I’m looking for an alternative. I then noticed that tanning company       Sienna X had brought out a wax depilatory system. It seems like every company wants to get in on everything at the moment!

I noticed that the cosmetic company ‘Younique’ had a stand too, and ‘Forever Living’. I’m not sure how I feel about these companies exhibiting at a beauty show. The whole MLM thing doesn’t sit well with me, also the use of these products in a beauty salon just doesn’t have that ‘professional salon only’ that I like from companies such as CND & Ink who only sell to pros.

Other stands I stopped at included Megamix and Magnetic Nails. Megamix have been around for a while now. I like it because you can turn a normal polish into gel, or create your ow mix from glitter and pigments. Magnetic nails is  company I have only come across in the past week. They are plugging a new ‘airbrush’ manicure at the moment, although it doesn’t look much different to the old airbrush designs you could get on extensions.

I stopped briefly at the NSI demo table, where the familiar face of Gemma Lambert-Lewis was doing what she does best!!

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Gemma Lambert-Lewis from the Nail Team demoing for NSI

I was fairly disappointed with the show overall. There was nothing that really stood out for me and no amazing new treatments/trends that I thought “I must offer that!”. However, I did manage to buy the products I wanted so it wasn’t a complete waste!!’

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Jo’s haul from Beauty UK

 

Nail Mail this week was a delivery from Glitterarty. This is a newer discovery of mine, you may have noticed in my last blog post a delivery from them. I have a lot of wedding nails coming up so I purchased a few of their ‘bubbles’ glitters to work into the nail design.

 

I specialise in Rockstar nails. Basically I incorporate glitter into gel manicures. I have a huge glitter collection (and addiction) and like to see it grow. These glitters are really eye catching, and I can’t wait to use them.

My nails this week are finished with Lecente’s Mortar and Waterfall both from the Fireworks collection. Both purchased and featured in my Creative Play Blog. I am completely in love with Mortar. I am wearing it over a bright blue  but it would also look amazing over a purple. The Fireworks collection is by far the most sparkly collection from Lecente, and is my favourite collection so far. #lovelecente

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Mortar is gorgeous.

Have you had microdermabrasion before? What did you think? Did you go to Beauty UK this year? What did you purchase? Leave any questions or comments below,

until next time, sparkle on,

Jo x

mummy moments: note to self no.1, never leave a beauty couch roll near a toddler. He was like the Andrex puppy.

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note to self no.2 : stop eating the kids crisps

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Mum’s healthy lunch.

Note to self no.3:don’t leave your make up lying around as the toddler likes the taste of it waaay too much!

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a healthy snack for the 1 year old:a beauty blender covered in foundation

How running a business part-time is a lie: trials of the working mother

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This week, I have decided my house needs an overhaul. As I type this I am imagining hiring a skip and emptying the whole house into it except the beds (because that is my favourite place) . Unfortunately my days of minimalism are far off, so I have to continue the battle of washing, toy mountains and work related gear dominating my home landscape. Looking at the piles of kids’ clothes waiting to be washed, alongside the pile of towels from my beauty work was the trigger for me to write this post. If anyone asks me what I do I reply ‘I am a part-time beauty therapist’, then my nose grows several inches the way Pinnochio’s does in that ever popular Disney film which I have now seen about 50 times. Part-time, now that is a laugh. Having a ‘part-time’ business is a big fat lie.

I chat with other therapists who say ‘I just do this round my day job’. I don’t know how that is humanely possible. For example, each week the time I spend actually with clients doing treatments is around 26 hours. But what about everything else? The time it takes to do laundry, place orders, do paperwork, sanitise tools, set up for treatments, promote your business via social media, new training courses, researching industry related news, and not to mention the packing and travelling required if you are mobile. That ‘part -time’ business is now a full-time job. How do you work that round your ‘day job’??  Its just not possible.

As a working mum this part-time business also throws up other problems such as child care. I myself am lucky that I have fantastic support from family, and after my third baby was born my fabulous mother-in- law started helping us out with childcare. Previously when I was salon based I used a child minder. Years earlier I only worked at nights when the kids were in bed, and my hubby was home. Now, working only evenings, after having the kids all day, was a killer but it worked at the time, and suited my circumstances. That’s the good thing about running your own business, it can be worked  to suit your circumstances when you have young children to look after.

There is only one way to make a beauty business work with children whether you use family or professional child care providers and that is :set your hours. Simple as. Trying to fit clients in here, there and everywhere will lead to a stressed and exhausted mummy. Set your hours and get into a routine. Its the only way. That comes from a decade’s worth of experience juggling family and my beauty work (and making every mistake possible).

A few of you have asked me how I get time to write my blog, and I have a giggle to myself. My blog takes around a week to write as I do it when my youngest naps, else like just now he is up grabbing the laptop and smacking the keys. So If you ever find ‘987gdy.[[[‘ in the middle of a blog post you know why.

Work preparation is another giggle. I have learned to do it while entertaining the toddler. He likes to go round the cupboards in my little salon emptying them as I am packing my mobile kit. Some days he takes a duster and ‘helps’ me by rubbing dribble into the floor.  I play music as I steam the floor, while the toddler is perched on my hip. Never a dull moment. The next time someone asks what I do, I am going to leave out the ‘part-time’ bit.

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The toddler ‘helping’ me put on my make up. Have you ever tried to put on bronzer with a messed up brush that has been shoved in a toddler’s mouth?? Trust me when I say-it DOES NOT work #mummyproblems

This week I have been purchasing: more glitters. This selection is from the Glitterarty range that can be found on Ebay. I can’t wait to play with them. These glitters come in different shapes, sizes, colours and finishes. I loved these so much I’ve already made another order. I just know client’s will love these.

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Holographic dots, why did I not know about you before??

I also purchased a lovely new cabinet for my home salon, which is looking rather well and fits in nicely. It is an upcycled piece, and it matches perfectly with my upcycled dresser.

The new cabinet matches the dresser I use for storage and retail
Upcycled shabby chic dresser in my home salon,

I’ve also had another order from Ink London. I’m running out of space on my Ink rack. I think I have space for 6 more polishes. The Rose cuticle oil smells divine and I have ordered a few to retail to clients to help them prolong the look of their Ink Ilac manicures. I find the Ink cuticle oil fantastic value for money as the bottles are a reasonable size, and last ages. RRP £5.

I just love nail mail
I think I have enough room on this rack for 6 more.

Orange & coral is still the colour of choice for most of my clients. Here are a few examples of my work this week. Spray tans and microdermabrasion are also proving popular at the minute. Products I have been using a lot of this last week include: Ink London Ilac, Magpie Amelia glitter, Glitterarty glitter,  Ink London Kinky Glitter, Eve Taylor Solar Shield thanks to the sunshine we have been having, and LA tan.

 

So what do you all think? Can you really run a part time business? How do you manage running your business while balancing it with children?

Leave your comments below,

sparkle on,

Jo x

mummy moments this week:

enjoying the (rare) Scottish sunshine: big sister showing her brother how to use the water slide

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wee super baby flying down the water slide

Middle daughter running through to answer her gran’s door, only to find her brother chapping the letterbox. #fooledyousis

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Most postmen worry about a dog grabbing their fingers, our post man has to worry about a toddler grabbing his fingers.

Relaxing on the sofa, pulling the toddlers blanket over my legs to find a whole rank banana squished and trampled into it. It took 3 washes to get it all out #mummyproblems

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The offending blanket hanging up after it’s third wash. Note to self : don’t let the toddler eat banana while sitting on his blanket.

 

 

 

Mum’s on the move: mobile therapist storage solutions

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Since the salon got flooded in December I now work mainly from my home based salon, but I also offer a mobile service. Generally I am out and about  at least 1 day a week. I love putting on my sunnies and turning up the music, while consistently checking my sat nav ( I have the worst sense of direction ever). I get to work in some amazing houses. Its fab. However, in the early days adjusting from having everything sitting ready in a salon, to being mobile, was a huge shock to the system. I would appear at client’s homes carrying boxes, reusable shopping bags, and carrying my glitter and Shellac collection in a fruit and veg box- I kid you not. It was not a good look. In fact, it was a disaster. Thank goodness my lovely clients stuck by me through the adjustment stage and let me improve on my somewhat rusty skills of being a mobile therapist. I had to find a solution, and find it fast.

After a lot of research and asking other beauty professionals I decided to order my mobile storage kit off Roo Beauty. I started off with their Beauty Bundle, which includes polish storage and the Roo Glamour Bag. I love it. It has compartments for everything, and I feel it keeps my Ink and CND Led lamps snug and secure.

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My Roo Glamour beauty bag: it has lots of pockets and clever storage compartments. It is light and easy to carry.

It wasn’t long before I added to my collection, I needed more room, so I purchased the Roo Beauty Cube. It holds 75 polishes over  3 different individual zip compartments that are removable. Before a mobile appointment I  quiz clients on what colours they would like and I pick a selection to suit their taste. For example if a client tells me they would like ‘bright and sparkly’ , I would pick a selection of pinks, reds, citrus colours and then a few wild cards, so say some nudes and marine colours, just incase. This saves me having to bring my full collection from the salon. The compartments allow me to separate polishes by colour or brand.

The cube is small and light.
Clever storage compartments can be removed individually.
The cube holds 75 polishes

 

For those that know me, you know I have an addiction. A glitter addiction. I can’t help it. I have 2 glitter collections. In the salon I have a whole rack of Lecente glitters and pigments on a rack. In fact, come to think of it I need another Lecente rack as recently I decided I needed Lecente’s Mortar  glitter in my life. There has also been a  sneak peek of new summer glitters and strands released that I cannot wait to get my hands on. For my mobile work I bought the Ink Kinky Glitter Complete Collection, because I felt it had a bit of everything, and the smaller, flatter pots would be easier to store. So this gives me 2 collections. One I keep in the salon and one I keep in my mobile kit.

I store all my glitters and nail art products in a Bitzee Bag. It keeps them neat and allows clients to ‘flip’ through, and thanks to the clear zip pockets it acts as a glitter catalogue. Perfect.

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My liquids are all stored upright in  a Roo Vanity Case, which stops them leaking. In the event something was to burst or leak, the solidness of the box should keep any spillage inside and stop me damaging my car upholstery (although nothing can save my car from my terrible parking).

The small vanity case is light but has the depth the allow me to keep my liquid bottles upright.
It looks cute and matches the rest of my kit.

A handy tip for towels is to keep 2 reusable bags. I use one to store clean towels, and one for used towels. This way when out and about I’m not getting the nice fresh towels mixed up with any that may be covered in nail dust and glitter.

Last but not least my waxing kit. I use Phd Safewax, which is a pretty neat and compact unit anyway. I keep it stored in the Mamba beauty Storage case. I use the pull out compartments for tweezers, thread, disposables and my tinting kit. I tend to preheat the wax before I leave the house to save time at mobile waxing appointments, but in the event the wax is needed in the middle of the day, it only take 20 minutes to heat.  I take the case into the clients house first, plug in the heater and set up my waxing station, and then unload the beauty bed and anything else I need. By the time I do this, the wax is ready to use.

This box has the depth to allow me to store my PhD wax unit upright inside it. The compartments hold my tint kit and disposables .
This box is surprisingly light, even with my wax kit in it, and is very sturdy.

It looks a lot, but I know exactly where everything is. I love that with the Roo Beauty stuff you can co-ordinate everything, it looks so pretty. My next purchase is going to be a storage solution for my ever expanding make up kit. If you have any suggestions, or pictures of what you do with your make up kit, then please do share. Leave your comments below.

I now have double of most of my kit apart from my LED lamps  & huge collection of polishes and Shellac colours. I find this way it makes my mobile work easier to prepare for. When I get home all I have to do is chuck the used towels in the washing machine, wash and sanitize my tools and replace anything I am running low on.

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All packed and ready to go for a day’s work doing nails and waxing.

One of the hazards of going mobile is forgetting to eat. A packed lunch is essential. If you ever see my car parked up some -place random, it will be me eating my lunch. I’m terrible for stuffing really (un)healthy snacks into my gob at around 3pm when I get my sugar crash. Favourite’s include these Drumstick squidgy sweets and any kind of chocolate. To be fair, eating while at work is one of my hobbies. One of the only times I get an undisturbed meal while actually sitting down. At home I usually eat while standing up whilst putting clothes into the machine, or even whilst I’m making it. Some days it just lies on the table abandoned, congealed and cold, as child no.3 has decided he wants to try and climb out his high chair and kamikaze his way to the floor or stick his fingers down his throat and gag all over the place. Anyway I digress, my point is: to all you mobile therapists out there, please do take your time to eat. Drink plenty too, if a clients offers you a drink-say yes!!! (unless its vodka, in which case you grudgingly have to say no, lol) .

my wee lunch all packed and ready.
Healthy snacks for the 3pm sugar crash is essential

This week at work  I have been doing a lot of orange, coral and ombre two tone nails. Below is a small selection of nails I have done this week, if you click on the picture it will give you information on the products I used. These were all on natural nails.

CND Shellac in Tropix and Hot Pop Pink blended together and topped with Ink London’s ‘Bonnie’ mermaid pigment.
CND Shellac in cream puff, with Lecente Snakebite fade and Swarovski Crystal Pixie accents in Cute Moods. Topped off with Ink London’s ‘Bonnie’ mermaid pigment.
Ink London i-9 and carribean queen again with Bonnie mermaid pigment, and swarovski ab crystal detail. I also had to sculpt 1 broken nail on this set, can you spot which one??
CND Shellac Tropix & Spark’s Fly.

 

This week I added to my make up collection due to the up and coming wedding season and I purchased : Urban Decay Smoky palette, and their original Naked palette. Urban Decay eye shadows are super pigmented ,and suit most skin tones. I also bought Mac’s Prep + Prime Skin Primer as I had run out.

The original Naked palette comes in a gorgeous velvet mirrored box, with a soft double ended brush for applying and blending the eyeshadows. This palette has a giid mix of shades to suit all skin shades. Perfect for a natural day or evening look.
Smoky eyes: every girls make up staple, this palette is perfect for creating a smoked out look in golds, silver, bronze or grey. I’m in love with it.

 

If your a mobile therapist and have any tips to share please comment below.

Until next time, sparkle on,

Jo x

mummy moments this week: child no.3 trying to annihilate a baby chick by grabbing it by the wing. Trying to teach a 1 year old how to be gentle is like trying to keep a bull in a china shop. Poor wee thing will be traumatised #mummyproblems

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Child no.2 running in to tell me to be quick there was a hedgehog in the garden. I went out to discover she had been trying to feed it mushed up bits of sausage leftover from breakfast. The poor wee thing had curled up into a ball in protest at being fed Malcolm Allan sausage for its brekkie. I managed to distract her long enough for it to go back under the hedge by bribing her (I painted her toenails). Funnily enough the sausage was also gone when I went to check later, I don’t know which of the 2 actually ate it. #hedgehogatkinsdiet

The eldest putting the toddler in a washing basket and pushing him round the kitchen. Who needs expensive days out when you have a basket eh?#brothersisterbonding

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About me: my beauty beginnings

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Arrrrghhh, the dreaded  first post. Where do I begin? I am Jo, a freelance beauty therapist,former salon owner and mum of 3. I have 2 girls ages 12 & 5, and a baby boy who has just turned 1.

I currently work from home and do mobile visits part time (part time is a total lie when you run a business, I will go into this further at a later date), the rest of the time I spend picking wotsits and mouldy apples out of my handbag, while trying to stop my youngest eating the dog biscuits and sticking his fingers in the plug sockets.

I have 2 passions in life: my children and my work. I started in the beauty industry, and incidentally my motherhood journey at the ripe old  age of 17. Both coincided with each other. My passion as a mother and a beauty therapist have grown and blossomed simultaneously. I continually get asked how I manage. Hopefully this  gives you an insight into what it is like to be a busy working mum of 3 in the beauty industry.

This blog is primarily aimed at beauty professionals, but if your a working mum, a busy mum, or just love everything beauty related then it is also for you. In further posts I will cover all aspects of the beauty business, including treatment, training and product reviews, aswell as advice I have learned over the years of being self employed, and balancing beauty work with childcare. I’m one of these people who generally learns by making mistakes, so please don’t expect an ‘I’m a Mrs perfect’, style of writing. I’m quite fly by night and honest.

At the minute I work from home and do mobile work. Originally I had a salon, but after a flood at the end of December 2015 that devastated our poor wee town I decided I needed a Plan B. The surveyor who came into the salon afterwards described it as ‘a murder scene’. The survey uncovered various issues with  the building including dry rot, not to mention the place was soaked through. I just cried and cried at first. It was awful. But being the hard (wo)man that I am I made a plan. What’s for you won’t go past you, my Great Gran always used to say. I had to find a different path and quickly.

 

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Outside the salon when we were allowed near after the flood

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So here I am. Now working from home and doing mobile treatments. My clients have been so supportive, patient and amazing. They have kept me going, and they don’t mind that my home salon is ‘not quite finished yet’. Without them there would be no plan B. Thanks to them I have survived floodgate and I am slowly moving on, still sporting crisp crumbs in my hair, and random bits of food in my apron pocket, but still managing to  give them the most fabulous treatments & service that I can.

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My little slice of heaven-my home salon, also known as Plan B.

 

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My Nail desk.

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Upcycled shabby chic dresser in my home salon

This weekend I am off to Edinburgh for the Scottish Hair & Beauty Show. It is a yearly trade show held at the Royal Highland Centre, where hair and beauty brands can showcase new products. I will get to see what is up & coming and shall report back (once I get over the hangover from the night before.It may last a few days as since having baby no.3 I just cannot drink. I’m the 2 drink wonder, any more than that and I think I’m Beyonce when I hit the dance floor).

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Until next time,

Jo x

p.s I randomly found a squished up mouldy banana in my peg basket. I can’t work out if I, in a sleep deprived haze, missed the recycling box, or if one of my kids have left me a present.Either way its pretty gross! #mummyproblems

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