News

New four-floor beauty salon opens in Dublin city centre

A new four-floor beauty salon offering a range of treatments has opened in Dublin. Located on Duke Street, Duchess is calling itself ‘Ireland’s most Instagrammable beauty salon’ and a ‘one-stop shop for all things beauty’.

The new business is the brainchild of 23-year-old Jan Cleary, who trained at BFEI (Blackrock Further Education Institute) in special effects, theatre and media make-up. “I saw a gap in the Irish beauty industry not just for a salon, but for a luxury beauty experience with a social media aspect on each floor. I believe postpandemic Dublin will be the perfect place for my new business,”she said.

With a staff of 12, treatments available at Duchess include signature manicures and pedicures, nail art, brow lamination, HD brows, LVL lashes and a range of special packages. Cleary is using a variety of brands, such as The Manicure Company, Morgan Taylor, EMI, CND, Gelish and OPI.

“My goal is to eventually have a franchise of Duchess salons all over the world,” she said. “I'm planning a Duchess brand range, which is currently undergoing testing and will be launched very soon. Right now, my priority is to make my salon the best experience for clients in Ireland.”

Irish fintech company enabling cashless tipping in salons using new technology

An Irish fintech company is now providing cashless tipping options in salons using its technology. Co-founded in 2020 by tech entrepreneurs Oli Cavanagh and Charles Dowd in response to the cash-free culture accelerated by the pandemic, Dublin-based Strikepay offers a patent-pending digital tipping solution.

As part of a new partnership with hair and beauty group Sugar Culture, Strikepay is now live in all Brown Sugar, Sugar Daddy and Sugar-Coated branches in Ireland, with the salon chain just one of many now using the cashless gratuity solution. Others include Dylan Bradshaw, Cut + Sew, Sam’s Barbers, Waxperts and Nails Inc.

Clients can thank their service professionals directly by simply tapping the Strikepay tag worn by the individual or scanning their QR code using just their phone. With no app or in-store payment terminal required, the tip is instantly sent through Apple Pay, Google Pay or any saved card.

“We are having a meaningful impact on salon service professionals in Ireland, with our data showing a positive increase in the value of tips,” said Cavanagh.

“Charles Dowd and I created this technology in response to an everyday need we were experiencing ourselves; we couldn’t tip people any more, yet we wanted to.”

“Our industry was decimated by the pandemic, but our focus now is on recovery and the welfare of our team,” said Sugar Culture MD Mark O’Keeffe.

“We have a wonderfully loyal and generous clientele, and some of the best artists in the industry, so we’re delighted to support those using Strikepay as it allows them to instantly accept cashless contact-free tips from their clients directly.” professionalbeauty.ie

Government updates EWSS eligibility guidelines

Irish hair and beauty industry bodies have been reminding members about the updated guidelines on Employer Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) eligibility.

The EWSS, which was previously the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), was extended by the Government in June, and is now set to remain in place until 31 December 2021.

Revenue recently updated the guidelines on EWSS eligibility, which came into effect from 1 July and included changes to the assessment period used to determine eligibility for pay dates between 1 July and 31 December.

Both the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation (Habic) and the Irish Hairdressers Federation (IHF) have stressed the importance of the changes, as employers must now complete a monthly EWSS Eligibility Review Form to avail of EWSS support.

The EWSS Eligibility Review Form was made available on Revenue Online Services (ROS) from 21 July. Failure to complete it on a monthly basis will result in a suspension of the applicant’s EWSS claim.

Passion Beauty’s new Dublin store now open

Passion Beauty’s new Dublin store is now open for business, after its launch was delayed due to the Covid-19 restrictions earlier this year.

Located in Ballymount, the new 1,500 sq ft premises was due to open in January as part of a planned expansion of the business. Founded in 2014 by James Parletti, Passion Beauty started out as a mail order and online, store supplying professional beauty products across a range of sectors such as nails, waxing, tanning, skincare, brows and lashes. Its brands include Hive of Beauty, Halo, Kaeso, Refectocil, Vani-T, Salon System, Thammy Lash and Cuccio.

“In the beginning I ran the business from home, and later moved to a warehouse,” said Parletti. “Last September, we moved to our current premises and the store opening was planned for early January this year, but couldn’t go ahead due to the lockdown.

“Covid has obviously been bad for many sectors, and Brexit has also caused many headaches, so the last year has been the roughest for some time. But thankfully there's light at the end of the tunnel, and we are now confident about the future.

The industry is bouncing back. Our mail and web orders have been very busy since salons reopened in May. This will probably always be the biggest part of the business as many salon owners are too busy to visit stores regularly, and continue to opt for delivery. But the store is getting busier every week, and a lot of the store customers are new ones, which is great.”

With a staff of three, Passion Beauty intends to continue on its expansion path. “We have been busy adding new brands to our range over the last couple of months,and plan to add more,” said Parletti. “Over the next couple of years we plan to start supplying to hairdressers as well as beauticians.”

Habic campaigns to have VAT for beauty services reduced to 9% hairdressing rate

The Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation (Habic) recently urged beauty professionals in Ireland to contact their local TDs to explain the importance of a VAT reduction to the beauty sector.

While hairdressing services in Ireland are subject to a 9% VAT rate, beauty services are still paying 13.5%. Habic has been actively lobbying the Government for some time to reduce the VAT on beauty services to match the 9% hairdressing rate.

As part of its Wax the VAT campaign, Habic said it needed every TD in the country to be directly contacted by a beauty salon owner, explaining the importance of a reduction in VAT to the beauty sector and to their livelihood. The Irish Spa Association also appealed to its members to do the same.

Meanwhile, Habic also asked beauty salons and barbers to fill out a survey to establish the need for national beauty and barber apprenticeship programmes that offer a qualification that is mapped to the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), similar to the hairdressing one.

Habic, Image Skillnet, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, industry leaders and various other industry stakeholders have come together to form a consortium to investigate the potential for the development of such apprenticeships.

Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme extended to end of year

The Irish Government has announced a further extension of the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme (AIS) until the end of December 2021.

Under the extended AIS, any hairdressing apprentice employer is eligible for a €3,000 contribution payment for each new apprentice who is registered before 31 December this year. An initial €2,000 is payable per eligible apprentice at the point of registration, while an additional €1,000 is payable in 2022.

Validated by QQI in September 2020, the new National Hairdressing Apprenticeship in Ireland is a minimum of three years in duration, and intends to provide the industry with some stimulus in recruiting new apprentices to a career in hairdressing, with a nationally-recognised qualification. The training takes place on a day-release basis for students, placing them in the salon environment for a further four days under the guidance of a salon mentor.

“During an incredibly challenging year with Covid-19 and the impact it has had on our society, the apprenticeship system has remained resilient,” said Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris.

“Under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025, it is intended to ensure that all employers of apprentices will be financially supported either through the direct payment of training allowances to craft apprentices during periods of off-the-job training, or through an annual base grant per apprentice for employers of all other apprentices. This will be implemented in early 2022.

“For now, we will continue to support employers through this scheme and I would encourage everyone to help us spread the word and get the message out there. Apprenticeship is good for businesses and good for learners.”

Any employer interested in hiring an apprentice and interested in applying for the AIS must register as an apprenticeship employer, and as of 1 July 2021 they must advertise the position on www.apprenticeship.ie.

Hair stylist and salon business owner Sarah Mason wins Network Galway Award

Sarah Mason won the Creative Professional category in the Network Galway Businesswoman of the Year Awards, which took place online in the summer. She will now go on to represent her branch in the Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2021.

Mason owns Sarah Mason Professional in Galway, which she stocks exclusively with Wella Professionals. With over 25 years’ experience in the hairdressing industry, she opened her salon in 2016 and in 2019 she won the Emerging New Business category in the Network Ireland Awards.

Her creative projects have seen her work across a range of collaborations and fashion collections, as well as compete on an international level. She is also a prolific educator, and regularly delivers seminars at the Wella Studios in Dublin.

“I am absolutely over the moon to have won the Creative Professional category at the Network Galway Awards,” she said. “Thank you to the fabulous judges and to all the amazing ladies of Network Galway.”

Network Galway is a branch of Network Ireland, a national organisation for women in business, the professions and the arts. With 15 branches and over 1,200 members across the country, Network Ireland provides a forum where women can exchange ideas and increase their business contacts.

Established in 1983, its membership is made up of a diverse group of women, from entrepreneurs to leaders in the public sector.

Domestic violence salon training initiative launches in Ireland

Shear Haven has launched in Ireland, with salon business expert Liz McKeon announced as the ambassador to spearhead the campaign.

Shear Haven is a US domestic violence initiative that was co-founded by Nashville-based salon owner and stylist Susanne Post. A survivor of domestic violence, Post teaches about the signs of abuse and the resources available to help women and men who are victims.

Salon stylists, therapists and spa professionals have a unique relationship with their clients, with the women and men behind the chair being in an ideal position to hear about and see the signs of domestic violence.

Post’s education programme equips these professionals with the knowledge and resources to recognise the signs of domestic violence, successfully navigate conversations with clients who may be in danger, and pass along tools that can help them get to safety. To date, more than 25,000 hair and beauty professionals from around the world have taken the training.

The Shear Haven training is now available to access on McKeon’s website. After completion, each participant will receive a personalised certificate of achievement.