Hi everyone!
My name is Marie, I’m 31 and I am a Beauty Therapist and Make Up Artist based in West Ruislip, Greater London.
I have always had a huge passion for make up, and always kept up with the latest trends of all things beauty related – however I didn’t actually start my journey into the beauty industry until quite late in life!
I had spent many years working my way up to management of a well known coffee chain, and although I always say my two great loves in life is make up and coffee…. I had spent over 10 years surrounded by coffee beans, it was time to pursue my other passion.
While on maternity leave in January 2018, I decided to go for it. I had practised make up on friends and family for a long time (some more willing than others haha!) So one evening I spoke to my husband, and he agreed to invest some money into purchasing some things I needed, a new make up chair for clients to sit in, sorting the insurance for a self taught make up artist (not easy!) and really getting my business off the ground.
So, at 11pm on 2nd January 2018, ‘Bella Marie Make Up’ was born…
Fast forward to August 2018 and we moved house, from Hampsire to London. I was worried for my little business, as building up a client base isn’t an easy task. I decided that I wanted to expand my business further, and I enrolled in the local college.
Over the space of a year, I attended one day a week whilst working the other 6 days a week at our local coffee shop (I told you, it’s in my blood haha!) and also taking make up bookings, whilst being a mother, a wife and keep a house running – it was damn hard work but the second I started doing the treatments at college I knew the beauty industry was where I was supposed to be.
I completed my Level 2 Beauty Therapy Course in June 2019, and ‘Bella Marie Make Up’ became ‘Bella Marie Beauty’.
In February 2020, I had built up a good size client base so I made the decision to leave the coffee beans behind once again and throw myself into the scary, self employed/small business world.
And here I am! Living proof that life really does start at 30 😉