Outside the box

Fuelled by a desire for creative freedom, Marina Hayes opened Confession Box in 2016, and as the salon celebrates its fifth birthday this year, she plans to take it to new artistic heights

When Marina Hayes decided to open her own hair salon in her home city of Waterford in 2016, she had already built up an award-winning 10-year career in the industry. Her love of hairdressing began when she was a teenager, doing her friends’ hair, and in 2006 she decided this was what she wanted to do professionally. She won her first competition the following year, when she received an Irish Hairdressers Federation Championships award in the Fantasy Hair category.

“That’s when my obsession with competing started,” she says. “I have won many national awards in hairdressing since then, and I’ve been on Team Ireland, competing all over the world. I’ve also done a range of shows at London, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, along with two grand final shows for L’Oreal Colour Trophy, and stage shows for HJ Live in Dublin.”

An entrepreneurial drive, coupled with a creative passion, led to the idea for Confession Box, which made the shortlist for the Irish Times Best Shops 2016 soon after it opened. “I started my own business so I could work without artistic constraints, and with brands such as Farmavita and Angel En Provence, which I chose myself because I had confidence in their ethics and performance,” she says. “When it comes to hair products, sustainability and organic ingredients are hugely important to me.”

‘When it comes to hair products, sustainability and organic ingredients are hugely important to me’

Marina buys all her products from Style Parlor Salon Supplies, and is the educator and global brand ambassador for Farmavita. Based in Waterford, Style Parlor also has three other stores, located in Kilkenny, Wexford and Nenagh.

Headed up by brothers Garrett and Ross Martin, the family-run operation has been supplying the Irish hair and beauty sector for over 20 years.

“I believe in supporting local business, so when I was looking for a supplier, Style Parlor was my first choice. The support is amazing; Garrett and the staff are very professional, and he personally delivers my products. Confession Box is a very busy salon, and all it takes is one phone call to Style Parlor to keep it stocked up, and running smoothly.”

Supplier trust

Marina also trusts and values Garrett’s industry knowledge. “He is always the first to know when new products hit the market. He introduced me to the Angel range, and I’m forever grateful that he did. I was immediately drawn to the brand’s environmentally-conscious concept. All the products contain the most pure and natural ingredients, and are specifically formulated to be gentle, while giving you the ability to create the best results for all hair types. I believe it’s one of best haircare brands on the market today. It fits in with my own ethos, and the products keep my clients’ hair looking great between salon visits.” As well as owning her own salon, Marina is an executive board member of the Hairdressing Council of Ireland. In 2018, she was a semi-finalist in Channel 5’s Extreme Hair Wars series, and her work has featured in a number of magazines. She credits the team at Confession Box for much of her success, particularly her manager Sheila Mulcahy.

“She helps me manage the day-to-day running of the business, which means I can be on the salon floor doing what I love. I am blessed to have such an amazing team of people, who I get to work beside every day.”

Marina plans to be busier than ever in 2021, as she intends to keep growing her business, while also setting herself some creative targets. “This is the year I hope to build an artistic team, so we can create more beautiful hair, and share all the knowledge we have acquired over the past five years, on a larger scale.”