THE RIGHT “KIND” OF EXPANSION – WO:MANKIND BEAUTY ANNOUNCES 2ND OUTLET IN STOCKBRIDGE
- Multiple Award nominated beauty salon will share premises with stunning new Charlie Miller Salon in Stockbridge
With demand for beauty treatments at an all-time high, a well-known Stockbridge Beauty Salon is teaming up with another iconic Edinburgh business to create new jobs and opportunities.
Wo:mankind Beauty, which has had a salon in Raeburn Place for the past fifteen years, is establishing a second outlet, specialising in aesthetics, and with a number of new services, within the brand new Charlie Miller hair salon further along Raeburn Place within the new Raeburn Place development.
Charlie Miller, an Edinburgh institution with a fifty six year record in business tending the locks of the rich and famous, as well as those of Capital residents, already has several salons throughout the City, with teams of stylists that offer modern hair cutting and colouring.
The 2500 sq ft space at Stockbridge, which opened on Thursday will house a 17 chair state of the art hairdressing salon, together with a luxurious beauty salon equipped with some of the very latest industry led equipment, coupled with innovative, environmentally friendly new brands.
Although the pandemic delayed plans for both businesses to get the new venture off the ground, Lauren McGinty, Wo:mankind Beauty owner, and Josh Miller, Joint Managing Director of Charlie Miller, are now optimistic for the coming months, believing that they have created a very special offering for what is a vibrant Stockbridge community.
“We are delighted to be open,” said Lauren. “I couldn’t have chosen a better business to share premises with than Charlie Miller, who have the most incredible track record for service, training and innovation in their sector. We are both really excited about this new offering. It looks fantastic, and we can’t wait to start welcoming clients.”
“I know I speak for many hair & beauty businesses when I say that we didn’t sit still in the lockdowns, we wanted to use the time to grow, to get better and improve our businesses,” added Lauren who has been in the beauty industry for 20 years, and actually worked as a Saturday girl in Charlie Miller during her teenage years.
“I have invested my life savings into this new salon, and it’s an honour and a privilege to partner a name such as Charlie Miller who are also growing and expanding at this time. I have wanted a second outlet for some time now, having built up our client base in Raeburn Place. I do feel that it’s all going to pay off, and that I gained years in progression from the time that I had in lockdown, although at the time it was a very difficult experience for our whole team. I have to pay tribute to my staff for dealing with it all with good grace,” she added.
“Obviously the pandemic is not yet completely over, and keeping our clients safe is still of paramount importance to us all,” she said. “But the way I see it is that demand for beauty has never been greater. It’s thrived in the past during financial uncertainty, and it’s doing the same again. This isn’t just for today, it’s for the future and I am excited to see what that brings.”
Josh Miller, who with his brother Jason, heads up the business established more than half a century ago by his parents, Charlie and Janet Miller, shared Lauren’s sentiments, saying: “We are delighted to have opened in Stockbridge alongside a host of well-known independent and national businesses and to be part of its wonderful village vibe.”
“For over 50 years our stylists have been cutting, colouring, and styling hair and now, working in partnership with Lauren McGinty at Wo:mankind Beauty Clinic, we have the bonus of being able to offer beauty, nail and make-up services. Wo:mankind is a beauty business that is highly regarded in the city and the industry and, like us, it’s a family run business. We love it that Lauren leads with strong values of customer service and client care that resonate fully with our own”.
With more of an aesthetics vibe, the new Wo:mankind Beauty, which employs ten therapists and a receptionist, is showcasing results driven, medical grade skincare brand, AlumierMD, one of the only brands to have grown during the pandemic due to its innovation and use of technology with a convenient online portal.
“This a very inspiring brand for us, not only were we attracted to their responsibly sourced packaging and ingredients, but they are also heavily involved with their Charity, the AlumierMD Foundation, where they fund a school for children in South Africa,” said Lauren. “Education is so important to me in our profession, and it’s also a huge driver for them.”
Another new brand which really attracted Lauren is cruelty free, vegan brand, The Gel Bottle for nail services.
“This is another brand which has exploded in popularity during lockdown,” said Lauren. “Along with being recognised by the vegan society and PETA, it supported businesses throughout the pandemic with an online sales platform, and promoted education to keep beauty therapists enthusiastic and motivated at this time, encouraging them to make good use of their time on furlough.”
Other services to be offered by Wo:mankind include Dermaplaning, micro needling and Cryopen to target skin concerns and conditions such as acne, rosacea, hyperpigmentation and ageing, from different angles. The revolutionary Iridium Eye Treatment, which uses pressotherapy to target all eye concerns including puffiness, ageing, dark circles, dryness and sensitivity, will be available, whilst the salon will also offer cryotherapy fat freezing to target stubborn fat in men and women.
“We will be being introducing some exciting new treatments next year including laser and are looking at the best advanced facial options that the industry has to offer,” added Lauren.
“Neiva, whom many of my existing clients will know, will now join the new salon as Manager which is a fantastic step ahead for her.”
And as if opening the new salon was not enough to boost everyone’s spirits, another bright spot on the horizon is the forthcoming Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards or SHABAS, Scotland’s Beauty Industry Oscars, due to take place at the end of November in Glasgow. Wo:mankind has received nominations for Salon of the Year and Beauty Therapist of the Year for therapist Tegan Paxton, who has been with the business for nearly ten years.
“We’re all looking forward to glamming up to attend the Awards in person. It’ll be a great night for the whole team,” said Lauren. “The industry has really missed events like this.”
“We are truly indebted to our loyal customers for voting for us in these awards, because without them we simply could not do what we do.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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