Laura Bermingham Create picture perfect peepers

TTherapists and hairdressers deserve to be celebrated

he hair and beauty services industry suffered hugely during the pandemic lockdowns, and many businesses are still struggling to get back on track. That said, most of us are grateful that we can get back to having facials and our hair done, and we appreciate their doors being open. It’s just been announced that the prestigious Professional Beauty & Hairdressers Journal awards are coming to Ireland to boost the industry and celebrate the best of the best with a ceremony in Citywest on November 6.

Entries are open from now until July 29, and the awards are open to staff members of salons, spas and clinics, and business owners. Some of the categories include freelancers as well as employees, and the awards are being sponsored by some of the biggest names in the industry like GHD, Murad, Great Lengths, and Schwarzkopf.

The UK version of the awards is held in high esteem as the team behind the ceremony is also responsible for the British Hairdressing Awards, World Spa & Wellness Awards, and the Professional Beauty Awards. Judges for the awards will be leading industry experts from Ireland, the UK, USA and Australia.

For Ireland, there are 16 sponsored categories that have been created to celebrate and recognise the creativity and professionalism in our hair and beauty industry which includes about 50,000 workers.

The beauty business in Ireland is substantial and includes workers from beauty therapists to aesthetic technicians, and stylists to colourists, make-up artists and nail artists. Helping Irish people get their glam on for special occasions, weddings, nights out and more, they deserve to be celebrated and recognised for their part in our lives.

The categories are: Irish Hairdresser of the Year (sponsored by ghd), Aesthetic Clinic of the Year (sponsored by Aesthetic Training Academy Ireland), Beauty Salon of the Year, Therapist of the Year (sponsored by iTec and VTCT) and Nail Salon of the Year.

On the beauty front, categories include Beauty Salon or Spa Team of the Year, Spa of the Year (sponsored by Murad), Make-up Artist of the Year and Aesthetic Practitioner of the Year. The awards categories extend to salon and business owners too.

Also included are awards for Hair Salon of the Year, Hair Salon Team of the Year, Business Director of the Year, Artistic Team of the Year (sponsored by Great Lengths), Digital Salon of the Year – Hair & Beauty (sponsored by Treatwell), Assistant/Junior of the Year, and Colour Technician of the Year (sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional). Criteria must be met with all entries, and these are available on the website when you enter. For now though, encourage your favourite salon, hairdresser, facialist or digital salon to get their applications in at professionalbeauty.co.uk.

It promises to be the biggest beauty night of 2022.