Scratch Nail Magazine’s Salon in the Spotlight is Bare Beauty
Since leaving her former profession in floristry in favour of a career in the beauty industry, Helen De la Hoyde has sought extensive training, attending the Mary Reid International School of Beauty in Edinburgh for her beauty training, the Bath Academy of Media Make-Up for bridal make-up, The Bath School of Yoga for yoga teaching, and facial yoga under Danielle Collins. “The wonderful element to working in the world of beauty is the lifelong continual journey of learning,” Helen enthuses.
“I relocated to a beautiful seaside town in North Berwick to set up my beauty salon in my garden,” she recalls. “My garden salon is set in a lovely courtyard with topiary bay, olive, holly and scented herbs displayed in French vintage containers.
“My time in the industry has seen me leaning towards the more holistic side of beauty in terms of treatment menu. I tend to seek out organic and vegan products, too.”
“My most popular treatments would be brow shaping and tinting, facials and pedicures.
“I offer traditional manicure and pedicure treatments, as well as a gel polish option,” Helen shares. “I use two main vegan nail product brands, Sundays and Manucurist. Manucurist is sourced from Paris, and offers a green solution to gel polish.”
“The colour scheme of my salon reflects living by the sea, with natural materials with a matte finish. The fabrics for the salon furnishings are velvet in a soft sea green colour, with Irish linen drapes. The signage is made out of drift wood collected over time from beach walks, and is hand painted,” Helen explains. “A local artist has painted the flower logo onto the walls of the salon.”
“I have created a calm, nurturing space that functions really well for both the client and I to experience and for me to deliver an amazing treatment journey.”
“I’ve opted for painted wooden furniture,” she notes. “My salon has a huge antique mirror on the wall and a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
“I have some giant crystals inside the treatment room and in the garden, as well as numerous French vintage planters in the courtyard. My clients frequently comment upon the chilled out vibe when they come for treatments.”
“Once upon a time, I was a floral designer and stylist so I had a huge amount of lovely containers, paintings and items lovingly collected over the years, and I wanted something individual that worked with nature so my salon would be an escape from the hustle and bustle of life.
“It was important that it felt a calm, quiet and tranquil space that is hopefully inspiring too,” Helen smiles. “My whole working world lights me up am really happy with the space I have created from the moment the client arrives I want that journey and experience to be with them beyond the actual treatment performed.”
