Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IT’S A CLIMB TO THE TOP FOR GRAINNE
Apprentice star opens first beauty shop
GRAINNE Mccoy rose to fame on The Apprentice in 2016 and has built on that success since her time in the boardroom.
The Co Down businesswoman, 35, has just opened her first store in Newry called Give Us Beauty.
A qualified make-up artist for 14 years, Grainne’s hard work has led her to work with many celebrities over the years and also at Cannes Film Festival.
Giving birth to her son when she was 15, she said it made her even more determined to be a success as she drove back and forth to Dublin every day for a year to get her qualification.
In a frank and honest chat with the Mirror, she revealed it was her grandmother who actually inspired her love of make-up.
She said: “It’s all I ever, ever wanted to do. She used to teach me how to do it.
“I remember walking around the stores when I was younger and all I ever wanted was my own make-up stall.
“She was 100% my inspiration. Back when I was growing up there were no make-up artists in Newry, they were all
beauticians but no one was an actual make-up artist. I used to have to advertise in the yellow pages, that’s how long ago it was.
“I s aw a h a i rd re ss e r o n Th e Apprentice in 2015 and thought, ‘Right, I am going to apply for that’.
“So I applied and went through such a long process of interviews, and couldn’t believe I got on to the show.
“It was so nerve-wrecking, I was terrified and at the time I could barely stand in a room and have a conversation with people, never mind in front of hundreds.”
Having always wanted to launch h er own stores, she explained how she built her brand after The Apprentice. Grainne said: “My plan on the show was to start training and opening make-up stores, I really wanted to teach as well. I wanted to make women feel good when they sat in my seat.
“I do sit back and think, ‘I can’t believe this is real and it’s mine’. It’s a bit surreal.
“Twenty years ago I was dreaming of having my own store. It has taken a lot of work, but it is coming together.”