Where it All Began!

Id like to talk to you about my journey to becoming a Beauty Therapist and how I’ve been bringing my salon dream to life.

I remember sitting in my mum’s living room with the house to myself, back when i was about 13 years old. I somehow stumbled across “Youtube” , a foreign website at the time. I quickly realised that influencers were uploading videos on how to apply makeup, and i was hooked from that moment. Being at the age where my mum wasn’t sold on buying me much makeup (no matter how hard i nagged her, sorry mum!), i forgot about this passion for a little while until i gained my first job at 15 and could buy my own makeup.

I began playing with the very minimal makeup i had at the time, using black eye shadow as eye liner and blending colours with my finger tips (in my room with the door closed). It was all very new and exciting but somewhat frustrating that i didn’t know what i was doing! I continued to watch makeup tutorials on Youtube to learn and teach myself some skills, in hope that i would fit in with my peers.

I always looked up to my older sister Jenni, and her friends, when they started high school and began wearing makeup, shaving their legs and dying their hair. My sister is beautiful, she was and still is tall with straight brown hair, full eyebrows and amazing fashion sense (this also describes me, without the straight hair, SISTERS!!) She was the stylish girly girl growing up, and little ol’ me used to wear flare jeans under my knee length dresses with joggers and socks, which is why i wanted to be like her! 

I had my fair share of troubles going through high school, in year 8 I all of a sudden found myself alone and friendless, pushed aside by the “popular girls”, who were once my friend group for 3-4 years. It was the lowest point in my life, i was deflated. Don’t get me wrong, this is NOT AT ALL a pity party, and i wont go into detail. I made choices and although the lessons were not fair, i grew from them and gained a little bit of self worth, and that was my take away.

I gained my first job in 2012 at the local fish and chip shop, and with my first paycheck i purchased some makeup, i think i told everyone i saw for the next week about my newest purchases, i was SO excited!! I can still remember my boss telling me “You don’t want to do that with your life, everyone needs to eat, but people don’t NEED beauty”. - (Knock back number 1).

I knew i wanted to be a makeup artist, and dreamed of ways of becoming qualified, although the set backs of living in a small country town was daunting (knock back number 2). I pushed my dream further and further away until one day in 2016, i enrolled in the Diploma of Beauty Therapy through Ella Bache’ College of Skin and Beauty.

This was an eye opener into the industry, there was just so much involved that nobody realises, just ask me about skin biology, go on! I soon realised that i didn’t want to just be a makeup artist, i wanted to be a Beauty Therapist!

Whilst my 2 year course through online education and 6 week-long workshops in Sydney were challenging, i grew as a person and became stronger, more confident, open and willing to throw myself in the deep end of a situation if it means i will come out the other end successful in any way.

I quickly realised towards the end of my course that i had limited employment opportunities in my small home town (knock back number 3, or is it a blessing in disguise?) and i REALLY wanted to work with natural products, so i made the big decision to open my own salon after being quietly reminded it would be amazing by my Mum in-law.

I am currently in the mix of plumbers, plasterers, cabinet makers, electricians (hubby) and multiple suppliers and product companies while i piece together my dream and make it a reality. It is an overwhelming experience and i plan to take it by the horns and run with it!

So here i am now, sitting in my dining room after dragging my computer out of my office and down the stairs because the internet signal was driving me bonkers, spilling my life into the keyboard and hoping i give someone some inspiration.

If you made it this far, i urge you to subscribe below to sign up to my future beauty blogs as i get into depth about all things beauty! (natural beauty, of course).